where the rubber meets the road...

Radiant you

2011-02-23T06:32:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, is it Wednesday already? This was a long weekend here with Monday being "Family Day." Really, it is just an excuse to stick a holiday weekend into the middle of winter and I am not going to line up to complain. My husband took the kids to see my MIL for the day and I stayed back to do some editing for the retreat talks I am preparing for this weekend, had a wonderful lunch out with a friend, and enjoyed some quiet moments in the house. Now I'm all mixed up as to what day it is!

I am very much looking forward to having some more time to scrapbook and catch up on other things around here after the retreat is over. Don't get me wrong, I am totally looking forward to the opportunity, but big events like this are hurdles in my thinking, I really haven't seeen past Feb. 27. My oldest daughter is happy as she says I will have more time to clean the house. Do you think that's a hint??

Speaking of my daughter, here is a layout I recently completed. I love these photos snapped of her at the beach. She seems to be skipping the "ugly duckling" phase and carries herself with a lot of grace. She's a great helper to me and I enjoy having her around. I used a whole bunch of Making Memories product on this page. The layers are straight, my photograph is just on a bit of an angle:

I have a meeting later this morning and the girls have music lessons this afternoon. What are you up to today? Whatever it is, have a great rest of your day.

{head of her class}

2011-02-18T08:56:00.000-08:00

This layout didn't photograph as well as I would have liked but I wanted to post it anyway. This is my middle daughter, third child, working away at her schooling. The papers are Scenic Route, the card stock Stampin' Up, and the journaling sticker is Daisy D's. I am not always thrilled about homeschooling (hmmm, did I say that out loud?) but the benefits continue to outweigh our other options. I do find joy in spending my days with my children, I've got a pretty good group of people here!

I am pretty happy that it is Friday. This week has kind of kicked my butt. I have hit a couple of snags in preparing for my speaking gig next weekend that will hopefully be resolved soon. I had the funniest dream on Sunday night. I was starting my first of three one-hour sessions and had my notes very well prepared. I got up to the front of this auditorium and I started my session on how to properly make a bed. I was very passionate about hospital corners and smoothing the sheets. Just think, three hours of that! I had to laugh that my mind doesn't even really relax when I sleep right now!

My two oldest were supposed to go skiing/snowboarding today but it is way too cold for that and their event has been postponed. It is a long weekend here and I am looking forward to holing up inside, working at my computer, and getting some time to play with my pretty paper. I'm working on a big photo order at ScrapbookPictures that I hope to get out today.

What are your weekend plans?

Loves of my Life

2011-02-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

I have to admit to not being much of a Valentines person. It's not that I don't like the reminder to tell those I love how much I appreciate them, it's just all the romantic pressure! Our days don't allow for these great romantic diversions of dinners out, warm vacations, long walks on the beach....Okay, now I'm being silly. What I desire is cultivate a life that doesn't need a particular day to celebrate love. I want everything I do for my husband, my family, to come from a heart of love. One day is just not enough of a focus.

That said, I do have little cards and treats for my five loves. Right now my four children are sitting at the table doing their schoolwork lamenting the fact that Valentines Day doesn't count as a holiday from homeschooling. I teach music lessons this afternoon and my husband leaves about ten minutes after my last lesson for a class he coordinates every Monday night. I'll see him for roughly 9 minutes today. Better make it count!

This layout is not exactly Valentines-ish. I came across a LOT of older photos and wanted to use these of the birth of my first daughter, Olivia. I saw this neat phrase for a title in an old magazine and used a sketch. The cardstock is Stampin' Up, the patterned paper is Basic Grey, letter stickers are Scenic Route and American Crafts, the flower is cut out with my Big Shot, and the brad is Stampin' Up. Look at these young people thinkin' they can have another baby!

Have a great Monday! Any special plans for today/tonight?

Party Faces

2011-02-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

Yay, it's Saturday! Haven't accomplished a lot today but I did get up, made coffee, ate a croissant, and started some more laundry. We have a few soccer games this afternoon and then our girls are going over to spend time baking with a friend of mine. I had really hoped to do some scrapbooking last night but ended up going to Costco with my husband and a couple of our girls. Costco is totally the $300 store. Doesn't seem to matter what combination of things we buy or how few things are actually on our list, we usually end up spending around $300. We stopped for ice cream before we started shopping, that was the bribe to get me to come along. Obviously, it worked. When we got home and got everything put away and kids to bed I was too tired to sit at my scrap table so I worked on a knitting project while we watched a bit of TV.

This is a recent layout using, again, Scenic Route. I used a sketch from Sketch Support and I really like how the mix of papers worked and how quickly this came together. I cut the stars out of one of the patterned papers and popped a couple of them up on dimensional adhesive. My kids haven't been into face paint for a number of years but I remember this day very clearly.

Here's to a great Saturday!

Stuck

2011-02-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

It's still may be a bit early to tell but you just might be stuck with me. A few minutes ago I took a bunch of photos of recent layouts and I am enjoying your sweet comments on my blog so much that I just might stick around! It feels different this time around. I'm not doing this to impress anybody or get noticed or to promote any kind of agenda. This is me, take it or leave it, and I am enjoying blogging. This is probably the way it should be.

I recently enrolled in a self-paced class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking, Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life. I am interested in the "whys" and "hows" of design and am so looking forward to these projects. My first layout for the class uses product from many different manufacturers. I've got some more Scenic Route (see, I really am using it), Pink Paislee, Making Memories, Tim Holtz, American Crafts, Sassafrass, and a few others that I can't remember. I am enjoying shopping my stash.

I'm not only about using stuff that I have, I just need to stop "saving" some of the "good" stuff that I've kept for just the right project (and instead it just waits unused). I recently ordered Cosmo Cricket's 1934 and a few sheets of Basic Grey Wander for working with our Disney and California photos from last year. I will be needing to keep up my supply of Kraft cardstock (really loving the kraft) and adhesive and all that stuff. Oh, and I think I might have a new problem with border punches.

It's the weekend! My husband has today off and we don't have heavy plans for the weekend. The sun is shining and the temperature is supposed to hover around the freezing mark for the next several days. I had a quick appointment this morning and came home and told Gary that I feel like going away. Well, with the money we've spent on renovating two bathrooms in the last 11 months, unless I can ride that fancy toilet somewhere, we're staying put. I have some editing to do for the retreat I'm speaking at and piles of laundry calling my name. Other than that, I'll be spending time at home crafting and enjoying a laid-back few days. Anyone else have big plans for the weekend, crafting or otherwise?

Have a fabulous Friday!

Happy Wednesday!

2011-02-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

Wednesdays are indeed happy days around here. Halfway through the week, music lessons in the afternoon (followed by some sort of shopping or treat), and the kids are occupied with Faithbuilders (a mid-week kids' club at church) and Jr. High Youth (yes, I have two of these in my household!). Wednesday evenings Gary and I often linger at the table over coffee enjoying a quieter house while the kids are out and then we usually pursue some sort of project interrupted only by needing to go and drive the family taxi for pick up. The sun is shining today and I feel a certain delight when this happens at the same time as my kitchen counter is cleared off and wiped. Plus I'm wearing my favourite socks. Simple things make me happy.

This is a layout I completed in the first few days of January. I am finally starting to dive into my precious stack of Scenic Route papers, I also used some Thickers, a circle punch, and a border punch on this page. I used a sketch but, for the life of me, can't remember which one as my worktable has been piled high with sketches as I've tried to organize my space.

Have a great Wednesday!

Out of Control

2011-02-08T12:59:00.000-08:00

I know I'm not the world's most consistent blogger but I'm hoping to get back into it a bit in 2011. After a busy Christmas hosting my husband's family (29 of us on Christmas Day and the turkey that made all the other cry) and a realization that this winter thing is going on for a while, I've enjoyed retreating to my scrapbook studio and working on layouts and cards. I plan to share many of them in the days to come but today is all about the mail.

Two Peas in a Bucket is among the best scrapbook message boards and resources out there and I started hanging out around there in the fall when I started to feel my urge to scrapbook return after a long hiatus. I enjoyed being on a design team for about a year and a half but really lost my desire to create after I resigned. Something about working with deadlines really didn't appeal to me. We were in the middle of a big renovation of our basement and I didn't feel like hauling stuff out and putting it away again so I was mostly creating the odd card out of necessity and otherwise not spending any time at home scrapbooking. I needed to rediscover the fun of it, what drew me to the craft to begin with.

One of my new favourite things to do is to look at the daily blog links posted on Two Peas. I have especially enjoyed this lady's blog: Hilde's blog. Love her style and projects, just consistently great stuff. A few weeks into posting she was doing a giveaway on her site. I was in the habit of posting anyway, made a comment on her project, and didn't think much about it until she contacted me to say that I had won. I was thrilled but that pales in comparison to how I felt after I received this package yesterday.

Can you believe how generous she is? She designs for all these companies and I am so excited to play with this new stash! The second photo is the stack of patterned paper alone. And you do know I love me some paper! She is seriously out of control but I am very grateful to be the recipient.

I've been working hard at another project as well. I'm going to be the speaker at our upcoming church women's retreat. I have a good amount of holy fear, I'd say. There are going to be close to 150 women there! I am writing and editing and writing some more and it has been a neat process with very specific answers to prayer along the way.

Have a great day!

thirteen

2010-06-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

Top 13 Reasons I Love Parenting this 13-year-old Boy

I had no idea what being a mom would be like until you were born thirteen years ago today.
You are so different from me and you challenge me to think about things in a different way.
You love Jesus and it shows.
You are enthusiastic about food which makes it more rewarding to cook.
You are a real help around the house and I appreciate your expertise in vacuuming, trash removal, and killing bugs.
You are funny. Not always as funny as you think you are, but you are truly funny.
You are great with kids. Seeing you work with the kids at Thursday morning playschool was a joy.
You are a hard worker. I am really proud of the help you've given others in special projects and for the help you've been with the yard work this year.
You are a great conversationalist. You are so much like your dad in the interest you take in other people.
It delights me more than you will ever know to see you read your Bible faithfully. I was so proud of you on Sunday when you were baptized and thankful for what God is doing in your life.
You like ice cream, probably as much as I do.
You are eager to try new things like the firearm safety course, fishing, football.
You bring a lot of laughter and joy to our home.

People have warned us about having a house full of teenagers. You are our first and I can honestly say that I look forward to your teen years with delight and excitement. If they are anything like the past thirteen years, we will continue to be blessed by having you in our family.

Happy Birthday Dear Noah!

The Second Annual Post

2010-06-18T01:27:00.000-07:00

Blogging isn't my strength. I had some issues earlier this year with some spam commenting and I considered moving to a different blog site to start up with a fresh blog. After coming to the conclusion that it would likely be more trouble than it's worth, I've decided to continue on with my weak little site right here. I'm not sure that I've been consistent enough to know what I want this whole blogging thing to accomplish. Is it an online journal? A blog about scrapbooking? A parenting site? A Bible teacher blog? The reality is I don't really know and, for now, I'm totally okay with that.

Am I concerned with response and comments and all that stuff? Nah, I'm really not. This is really just an outlet and an experiment in writing. I'm enjoying photography and crafting and parenting and learning and reading and all that good stuff. This is just going to be a hodge-podge blog.

So thrilled to be on summer vacation from teaching music lessons and homeschooling. I've had ups and downs this year but mostly I just really like my life. We just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. I'll be the mother of a teenager in just a few short days. I am working hard at focusing my energies at home instead of looking for more things to keep me busy. I want to freeze my children at this exact stage of parenting. I really like my life.

Happy New Year 2010!!!

2010-01-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

I am finding that the years come and go much faster than they used to. Growing up, I was often the youngest. I started school when I was just 4.5 years of age so was usually the youngest in my class. I was engaged shortly before my 22nd birthday and married four months later, much earlier in life than I had thought. DH and I were the first of our circle to begin our family and I found myself with four children before I turned 30. I now realize that, not only does time fly, but time is, indeed, the great equalizer.

You and I have the same months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds before us in this new year of 2010. I have been contemplating, but not "resolving", to spend this year well. What does that look like? What changes need to be made? What relationships need more/less time and priority? How will our family be enriched/endure suffering in this year before us?

I am confident in the Sovereign God who holds all these things in His hand and in the reality that He has a plan for me in 2010. I've ramped up my Scripture reading over the past couple of weeks and hope to read through the Bible by the summer. I determine to spend time seeking Him, in prayer, in worship, in His word. I pray that I will be obedient to what He asks of me and quick to repent when I fall short of the mark.

You see, 2009 was less than stellar. It was a plodding through kind of year with twists and turns that I had not anticipated in any way, shape, or form. It held moments of significant pain as well as moments of recognizing the Giver. My marriage is stronger than ever. My children continue to amaze and challenge me. True friends showed their faces as I walked through some dark times. I saw weaknesses in my life that I hadn't seen before, at least not as clearly as I do now.

Lord, help me to to recognize the difference between the urgent and the truly important in this year ahead.

Blessings on you as you start a new year with purpose, determination, and a teachable heart.

Sometimes I Crack Me Up...

2009-11-04T22:36:00.000-08:00

My sweetie and I are intentional about the way we parent. In fact, we call it "intentional parenting." What does this mean? So glad you asked. It means that we choose what we say, the activities we participate in, the books we read, what we watch, etc. with the goal in mind of equipping our children well for their lives. It also means that we find ways to weave truth into conversations about everyday things and try not to miss opportunities to connect with the little stinkers.

Take, for example, our dinner conversation tonight. I made waffles and bacon. Who doesn't like to come home at the end of the day and, instead of finding a nice casserole or a hearty stew, finding the table set for breakfast? Back to the conversation. Since there is an excessive, and I do mean excessive, amount of candy in our home at the moment, somehow the topic of taking care of your body and putting good things into it came up (which, of course, is why I chose to reinforce the point with waffles and syrup because everyone knows that syrup isn't your regular kind of sugar, it's breakfast sugar which is altogether different...). Back to the conversation. The kids started to ask why people don't always take care of their bodies, take pride in their appearance, etc. My sweetie told them that if someone doesn't feel good about themselves, they might give up on some of the external stuff and then feel bad about that, which leads to a vicious cycle of self-deprecating thoughts and a twisted view of being made in God's image and all this perfectly lovely stuff that you should say when you are intentional about your parenting. Never missing an opportunity to make a point, I piped in with this knee-slapper:

...and if you ever look in the mirror and not find anything you like about yourself, that's the time to look yourself square in the face and say this out loud: "Hey, at least I've got really great parents."

Okay, it was a good one. Even Miss O had a chuckle and that is a rarity when it's a response to her own mother's ramblings.

Here's the thing...

2009-11-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

I've thought about this blog thing for a long time. I enjoy reading what others write and I enjoy writing as well. There are some excellent blogs out there. There are also some that are a bit...much. Where is that line between an appropriate level of sharing and putting it all out there for the world to see. I was at a workshop this summer talking about connecting with the uninvolved in women's ministry. The speaker made the comment that the reason that so many (and she was talking specifically about young single women) put all their information on facebook or their own websites is that they just want to be known. I've thought about that for a good while. Sad to me.

I am known. My husband knows me. Too well at times for his liking, I suspect. My children spend every day with me and see the good, the bad, and definitely the ugly. I have a few close friends who I share my heart with. Most of all, I serve a God who knows my innermost thoughts. The One who has known me since I was formed in the womb. Can you ask for more than that? What, then, is the purpose of blogging? There is no void in my life that this exercise can fill.

Maybe, perhaps, it's not just about me. Maybe there is a wee possibility that I can encourage one person. That in sharing my own triumphs and struggles one reader will see a reflection of their own life, examine it, and make a change for the better. Maybe it's just a creative expression because that's how God wired me. Maybe not everything needs to have a grand purpose but can still be profitable in the long haul.

Maybe I'm back. I have a lot of photos worth sharing over the last (almost) year since my last post. I've been growing and learning and trudging along as I seek to follow Jesus in my life. I've acquired a few battle scars along the way and there are more to come. There's joy too. And it's worth every hit.

Blessings on your day if there is anyone out there. *wink*

Seriously?

2008-12-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

How did I not post for all of October and November?

Was I too busy setting the table?

Or laundering pink clothes?

Or snuggling up some cuteness?

More than likely I was just a bit taken up with the needs of these:

Sticker Shock and Other Things

2008-09-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

Renovating. I've mentioned our basement renovation which is actually going quite well. All walls are in place and we're making our way towards soon pouring self-leveling concrete to even out the floor. My designer backed out but I think I have a replacement that will likely work out better in the long run. I'm excited about that.

I've spent the last week or so getting estimates on some major outside work: siding, windows, eaves, redesign. This is where the sticker shock comes in. The construction market here is hot and you really have to book well in advance of when you want the work done. I'm looking at scheduling this for the spring and need to make a decision in the next few days, if not today. I'm waiting for a contractor who is 25 minutes late for our appointment. Not a good sign. My first choice at this point is pricey but highly recommended. Seems like such a grown up thing to do.

Football season has come to an end for this household. I think this photo will give you an indication of just how well things went:

I'd post but...

2008-09-23T23:24:00.000-07:00

I'm too busy with our new little dude, Caspian Beary.

This little cockapoo comes from the home of some dear friends. Their daughter is the same age as my daughter and they are tight. Like, one Sunday morning they were explaining to me that they are twins. I digress. Little Miss G was pretty sad for her friend, knowing that our puppy was leaving a bit of a hole in her friend's heart. She cried off and on for a couple of hours after they left.

She managed to hold it together well enough to snuggle up with her happy siblings for this shot:

We're using our timer to make sure everyone gets a proper turn to cuddle:

This girl rarely smiles. She must be very happy indeed!

He is so cute he almost doesn't look real. But he smells like a dog. Good thing he has this face to see him through:

I'll return once a bit more of the novelty wears off. Or he sleeps through the night. Whichever comes first.

Confessions of an Un-Morning Person

2008-09-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

I'm going to come clean. I like my bed. A lot. We have a good mattress, a wonderful down duvet, and a peaceful bedroom. We frequently have a late-night visitor climbing in between us in our warm cozy bed, but it's a pretty nice place to be. Another confession. I tend to stay up way too late. I used to think I didn't require a lot of sleep but I'm rethinking that one. The post-bedtime hours in our home are quiet and enticing. I seem to start projects late in the evening and get caught up in creating or laundering or reading or anything else that is more enjoyable in quiet or that I've put off doing in the day. Years of getting up in the night with a baby or two and grabbing every bit of sleep until the first child awoke in the morning conditioned me to get up only when I absolutely had to. I used to think I was rather enterprising, still finding time for hobbies even with little ones around. Now my littles are, well, not-so-little and sleep is a bit more predictable around here. Now it's simply a matter of personal discipline.

It's no secret here that I love the Word of God. Day after day and year after year I grow only by exposing myself to God's Truth and my relationship continues to grow. I've made time for this at different times of the day, out of necessity, and that quiet time has come in the late morning, afternoon, or late at night. I've been convicted lately of my need to seek God in the morning before my day starts.

You see the challenge. If I'm not up before my children, I'm not going to have time for reading and prayer in a quiet room. After eleven years of motherhood I sleep through the alarm clock without hearing it. How am I going to consistently find that morning time if something doesn't change?

After six weeks, I can tell you that I have consistently had a good half-hour in the mornings to spend with the Lord. No, I'm not waking up to an alarm. No, my husband isn't waking me up. No, I don't make my children sit quietly in their rooms until it's time for the noise of the day to begin. It's been a very simple solution, quite honestly.

I started praying six weeks ago that God would wake me in the morning so that I could have that time with Him before the children get up. And you know what? He's been totally faithful to do so. It hasn't been the exact same time every morning but within a twenty minute window. I wake up and anticipate that time. Heading for the sofa in our south-east facing living room, I grab a warm throw and settle in with my Bible and journal. I shouldn't be surprised that God would wake me consistently but it is just so obviously not something I am doing on my own that it excites me. These times are fulfilling and quenching and intimate as I seek Him.

Maybe I'm becoming a morning person after all.

Sunday Night Musings

2008-09-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

Returned home a short while ago from our annual church picnic (rescheduled to today after the initial June date was rained out). Neat to catch up with a few people and enjoy a wonderful afternoon/early evening outside. Fall is settling in, with a crispness in the air and the changing palette of the leaves. I love this time of year but am often disappointed by how short this season is here. I wonder if there are "season chasers" similar to "storm chasers"? If there are, I would love to spend a year chasing autumn around the globe, crunching in leaves for days on end, and enjoying the mastery of God's paintbrush dotting the trees with the wonderful colours of fall. Perhaps I wasn't made for the Canadian prairies after all?

Last week was tough. After months of a more leisurely schedule, returning to a full week of activities, lessons, teaching seemed a bit of a blow. I am struggling with impatience within and am repentant for the ways this has spilled over in my dealings with my family. I have the same 24 hours to do my work as everybody else and I find that I get overwhelmed, let it pile up, and feel sorry for myself. Not a good cycle, huh?

Still plodding through my valley, working through some old hurts, and trying to get real life done well on a day-to-day basis. As you can tell from the previous paragraph, I'm failing sometimes. Miserably. And yet I know the One who is faithful to heal and restore and bless and I continue to chase after him.

Forget chasing seasons. I'm chasing after eternity.

A Special Meeting

2008-09-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

We had a real thrill Friday afternoon traveling out to my friend's country home to meet the new puppies. Now, a bit of sadness has fallen over this sweet tale as the puppies' mama died when these little ones were just 1.5 weeks old. I have to say that this sweet family is loving all over these little pups and just taking tremendous care of them. Enough chat, you have to see:

We've named him Caspian and are looking forward to integrating him into our home in just a week and a half.

{randomness}

2008-09-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's a new month and that means a new Scraptivity! kit. Here is one of the layouts I submitted for the Design Team reveal:

Journaling reads:

Homemaker - Homebody - Homeschooler - Stay-at-HOME mom. Not exactly the life I imagined. I thought I'd be a lawyer, marry late, and have 1 or 2 children. Make a real difference, you know? And now I'm pouring my life into what goes on between these 4 walls. Wife - Mother - Homemaker...making a real DIFFERENCE.

Isn't it amazing how you think you've got it all planned out? I've always admired women who are so settled in their path. I thought I was one. I'm really thankful that God planned differently for me.

Carrying on with Week 2 of our homeschooling year. I received two huge boxes of a curriculum order I placed last week. So many great titles to grace our bookshelves. Even my son's interest was piqued by a couple of the new books we unpacked. Reading Marguerite Henry's Justin Morgan Had a Horse
to my oldest two and we're all enjoying a good read. My 7-year-old is quite pleased with herself as she works through her Phonics book, thrilled with words like "skunk" and "plum". My youngest shows diligence and enthusiasm, for which I am thankful.

My eldest daughter is struggling right now with an infection on her leg as a result of a wipeout on her bike, an ingrown toenail, and a possible throat infection (we're awaiting the lab results). She's this stoic child who rarely reacts strongly to anything and is obviously dealing with a fair bit of discomfort and sadness as all parts of her body seem sore. I'm not always the best mom in these situations as I struggle not knowing what to do, how to fix things, and how much coddling/rebuke they need. I am hopeful that she feels at least a bit better in the morning.

There you have some randomness from me. It's just that kind of day.

Funny little quiz

2008-08-29T10:14:00.001-07:00

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Superior

Take the test!

Longer post later. This was a fun little quiz.

First Digital Layout

2008-08-28T12:26:00.001-07:00

I didn't think I'd ever try digital scrapbooking. I bought Photoshop Elements 6 in May. I had to have it. Then I didn't have a clue what to do with it. Small problem, right? After asking around a bit, I decided to take a scrapbook-focused Photoshop class at http://www.jessicasprague.com/. I have finished the Week One lesson and have my little layout for you to take a look at. What do you think? Surprisingly fun and I've learned how to do a lot in Photoshop (which maybe isn't saying much since I knew nothing, nada, zilch prior to starting the class). What do you think?

Thank you for all the kind thoughts and concerns regarding my last post. I can say that this is a necessary valley for me to walk through in order to move forward in my marriage, my walk with God, my ability to be an effective mentor, and just to live life abundantly. It's a dark valley, to be sure, but I came across this verse in my reading this morning and I think it describes what I'm clinging to right now:

Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy
Though I fall I will rise;
Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me. (Micah 7:8, NASB)

New Look?

2008-08-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Playing around with settings and such. Anyone know how I can stretch the template to make it take up more of the screen?

Started school this morning with some hostility from the masses. They'll get over it, I'm sure. I try to ease into our schedule, gradually adding materials and subjects as we move towards our full load. I'm desperately trying to stick to a wake-up time and basic morning plan for myself so that I can spend some time with God, make some coffee, have a shower, make the bed, that sort of thing. Years of getting up in the night developed a habit of getting up when the first child arose but I really need that time in the morning before they need me. Hoping to see a little more fruitfulness from the work of the day.

Personally working through some tough issues that have come to the surface this summer. Be encouraged to seek godly counsel (notice I did not say "counsellor" in the societal, pay-for-it, letters after the name kind of counsel) and work through anything that is hindering your walk with the Lord. I am in a valley right now but leaning on the promises of the Faithful One.

I completely enjoy this blogging thing. Thanks for taking the time to read this, dear one.

I leave you with a layout I recently completed:

Fleeting Days of Summer...

2008-08-20T10:33:00.001-07:00

I wasn't much of a summer kid. Plagued by seasonal allergies, I passed the summer in strange ways. Practiced penmanship by copying out the descriptions in the Sears catalog. Cross-stitched in the cool basement. Read countless books. Babysat. Longed for a tree to sit under (we lived in a relatively new subdivision with no trees to speak of). Daydreamed. Watched "The Price is Right" faithfully. Took swimming lessons. Fought with my sister.

The outdoors has grown on me over the years and there is nothing I enjoy more than providing opportunities for my children to be out in the sunshine. Maybe my perspective has changed over the years to an understanding of just how very long our winters are here. Maybe the years of having to get four children ready to go out the door for various things helped me appreciate sandal season (as opposed to snowsuit, boots, mittens, scarf, and hat season). Maybe our camping trips have taught me to appreciate nature. Maybe the break from homeschooling and teaching music lessons is truly needed.

Nah. I think it's the fact that my blond-haired blue-eyed blessings look so darn cute with those bathing suit lines separating their golden tanned skin from their lily-white bottoms.

Job 12:7-10

7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish of the sea inform you.

9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the LORD has done this?

10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.

A New Arrival

2008-08-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Nope, that's not our puppy that my youngest is holding in this photo from the church picnic over a year ago. That's Princess Fluffy and, last night, she gave birth! We are so excited that in eight weeks a cute little cockapoo will be joining our family. Not sure if I've lost my mind in its entirety but we did agree that this would be the kind of dog that would work out for a city family lifestyle. Our children, especially the one pictured, are over the moon with excitement and in a fair bit of disbelief that we would say yes. I called my husband at work this morning to give him the news and he said, "That's great. I think." Fun times ahead as we learn about caring for a real pet and sharing in a bit of responsibility.

Isn't she just the cutest thing? And her husband (yes, we attended the dog wedding earlier this year) is just as cute and ever-so-friendly!

Saying Goodbye

2008-08-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

I've been remarkably blessed as far as friendships are concerned. For as long as I can remember, I've had a close friend. Of course those close friendships have changed over time. Some have developed into lasting friendships that defy geographical and life situation challenges. Some have ended, just kind of faded as time progressed. Others have ended less gracefully; fortunately very few fit into this category, but still taught me something about having and being a friend. Hardest of all are those friendships that have been as close as a sister until God's calling leads to a physical separation. See, I've had extraordinary friendships but I've had to say goodbye more times than I'd like.

This weekend was no exception. We were thrilled to host a dear family in our home for just two short nights. The last time we spent time together was in 2003, shortly before they left to go overseas as career missionaries. In a country with limited access. Building a ministry from the ground up. Intense stuff. They do well to communicate as frequently as they can which isn't all that often. I know how busy life is for me on the Canadian Prairies where I have nearly every amenity you could hope for and I speak the language. They've spent the last four years learning two different languages, building relationships with their ministry team, and preparing for a more remote destination, all the while adjusting to daily life in a different culture and raising three boys, and raising them well. My heart swells with joy when I think of the choices they've made. Big-time difficult to let them go.

We talked. And laughed. And hugged. And cried. Knowing that this time would be short, there was no patience for surface chit-chat. The stuff of life, the stuff that changes us and how we view God and the world and our family and our roles. I waved goodbye to them knowing that we had used our time well.

And so we pray. For their safety. For their ministry. For their family. And for them to know just how very dearly we love them.

I am changed by God gracing my life with a handful of sweet dear "heart" friends. And for this I thank my heavenly Father with a heart of gratitude and joy.

This son of mine

2008-08-06T23:53:00.000-07:00

Eleven years (and some change) ago this child entered my life and set me spinning. What was I, the oldest of two girls, happily feminine, highly emotional, going to do with a...BOY? What began that moment is one of the sweetest turns my life could take. Imagine it: me, a boy's mom. And what a boy he is. Rough and tumble. Loud. Mischievous. Brave. Smelly. Challenging. But also thoughtful. Sensitive. Funny. Creative. And so very very original. Can't imagine life without this guy, who is so like his father in many ways and so very different in others. The man I married is an academic. Plays tennis. Sings Tenor. Reads. Strong. Thoughtful. On the quiet side.

When a boy like this is enthusiastic about something, he goes at it full tilt. My son loves football. He loves watching it, talking about it, and playing the game. He enjoys it so much that the grueling practice schedule doesn't phase him. He talks of living in rural Illinois and playing for either the Chicago Bears or the Green Bay Packers when he grows up. He's seldom seen without his Chicago Bears hat. He'll even forgo a second helping of one of his favourite foods to ensure that he doesn't go over the weight limit for his league. Season is in full swing now and he is going at it with gusto!

When a boy like this had an opportunity to meet a professional football player at a recent football camp, the gesture really encapsulates this moment. Here is our son with #96 of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Defensive Lineman, Scott Schultz:

Today is game day and my son and I will be at the field, on the 45-yard line, cheering for the whole team. But maybe just a little bit stronger for #96.

The Discovery of Podcasts

2008-08-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

We're not really known around here for having the latest and greatest gadgets. I suspect we might have been the kind of people in the 1950s who were waiting "for this Television thing to just blow over." It's not that we're skeptical of technology, just not overly quick to open our wallets and jump onto a bandwagon of any sort. We've got plenty of other things to open our wallets for. (Like pants. Pants are good. And somewhat necessary for things like church and shopping for other pants). That's why my own technological revelations have been a year or two (or more) behind the mainstream.

All of this to let you all know that I have discovered the wonderful world of podcasts! A girlfriend of mine recommended Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Bible Church in Seattle to me and I decided to check him out. After reading a few things online I decided to do the unthinkable and download a podcast. It was easy! John Piper over at Desiring God has a weekly podcast as well. And there are more. Just the tip of the proverbial iceberg!

What's so great about podcasts? It makes certain things in life a bit more bearable. Like yardwork. And walking for exercise. And accessing good solid preaching. We are under incredible teaching and leadership at our local church and I would in no way use an impersonal podcaster to replace that. Of all the things that technology can lend, however, I am downright enthusiastic about this new way to access good information. I'm not likely to listen for hours at a time (around here you don't do anything for hours at a time) and I can get some of my other work done while listening to something uplifting and challenging.

Okay, are you willing to share any of your podcast preferences with me? I'd love to know what is out there that you think is worth a listen.

Lately I don't feel like a blog post is complete without a photo, so I leave you with this photo I took at a recent wedding. I've been playing with some of the manual settings on my camera and am quite pleased with how this turned out:

Not Exactly Stellar

2008-08-01T20:31:00.001-07:00

That's probably how I would describe my day today. My sweeties and I arrived home early last night after spending a few days at my parents' place. I was thrilled to be coming home, we've been away enough. We left Gary behind this time as he's trying to hold onto a few holiday days and also wanted to work on some renovations we have underway. This man still makes my stomach flip and I was so ready to see his face. What I didn't expect was a fried modem, chasing after my firstborn's football coach trying to get equipment, and other such inconveniences. After spending time waiting on the phone with the modem stuff and finally getting the footballer outfitted, I was ready for an easy day today.

Not to be. One piece of football equipment didn't make it into the pile. I found an equipment store that carries the item we needed, tucked the fried modem under my arm, and piled the five of us into the van to get things done. Arrived home in time to get lunch on the table, dropped our athlete off at the university for camp, and headed off to the museum for cheap movie and popcorn afternoon. So far so good even in the 31-degree Celsius heat. Arrived on time to catch the last bit of practice with my three wilting girls in tow, picked up a sweaty son, piled into the van and....SMACK! Backed into another vehicle backing out at the same time in a crowded lot of impatient parents. Urgh! Minimal damage to her vehicle (a bit of paint scraping but no dent) and a slightly crumpled back bumper on mine. Exchanged information, drove home, uploaded some scrapping design team stuff that was due last night, and praised my sweetheart for preparing dinner before feeding the hungry and sending our son back off to camp.

I enjoyed a quiet couple of hours while my husband took the girls on a bike ride and decided to go to the field a bit early to watch the last bit of practice. Great idea but I couldn't find my keys! The two little girls had used them earlier to get something out of the van and hadn't put them back. Looked everywhere, phoned over to where the bikers were trampolining, and enquired after the keys. No luck. "Mommy, they're either on the counter or in the van somewhere." Gary quickly borrowed our friend's vehicle and started to drive home with his keys. I, of course, found the keys as soon as I got off the phone, scribbled off a quick note, and headed for the field.

Not exactly stellar. I told you. However, at the end of the day, we are all here: safe, weary, giggling, and still an intact family. I am thankful for God's hand on our family today and for inconveniences that are pretty small in light of the world around me. None of us were hurt as a result of my little collision, our footballer returned to us injury-free, we parented together and saw glimpses of His love for us. Not perfect, I know. But not that far off of a really good day.

I leave you with one of my latest scrapbooking layouts, revealed today as part of the Design Team release over at www.scraptivity.com

Above and Beyond

2008-07-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a pie maker. Oh, I like pie. My mother-in-law makes the absolute best pie. Herein lies the problem. Her pie is amazing and she can whip up a couple (or twelve) in no time and not even look at a recipe book. Ever. Her pie is flaky, sweet, often features fruits from her garden or the specialty produce store, and disappears fast. She's famous for her pie.

Last week we did a fair bit of entertaining and I wanted to make some pleasing desserts. I had some fresh peaches in the refrigerator and decided I wanted peach pie. I didn't really want to make it myself but no one else around here really stepped up to the plate. I have a well-equipped kitchen and a good collection of cookbooks. Betty Crocker is my go-to for basics like pastry and I thought I'd give it a shot. I snapped some pics to demonstrate my kitchen prowess.

It starts with the pastry, the rolling made easier with some of my nifty gadgets, especially that silicone mat:

The next step was blanching and peeling the peaches:

Mixing the filling:

At this point I'm getting a bit drooly, can't wait for that first piece:

I impress me:

The end result:

It was scrumptious. Really. I was quite surprised with myself and gained a lot confidence with the experience. Two days later we had more guests for coffee and dessert. I made a chocolate-laced pecan pie. Gary doesn't know who this woman is baking pies in his kitchen. He said to me, "This goes above and beyond. Really." With feedback like that, I'm thinking there will be more pie making in this kitchen in the not-so-distant future.

Strange situation

2008-07-17T09:41:00.001-07:00

Okay now, before you start telling me all the steps I should take, rest assured that we are in process with our phone company to put an end to all this. Now I'll fill you in on what can only qualify as bizarre. My attempts at humor are a bit tongue-in-cheek as this whole deal has me a combination of frightened and spittin' angry.

It started some time ago but I'll be going back in time to tell this one correctly. Monday night: while we enjoyed supper with Gary's brother's family our phone rang. Olivia checked the call display, it was a long distance number, so I told her to leave it ring and I would check the messages. Phone rings again almost immediately, I answer. This woman asks me why my number keeps showing up on her husband's phone bill and that I'd better tell her what's going on. I have spoken to her before, tell her I don't know her husband, she should take it up with him or her phone company, ask her not to call again, hang up. Phone rings again and my husband answers. Tells her that she's been asked not to call here and repeats what I said about neither of us knowing her husband, etc. I had a similar call right before we left on vacation and perhaps two other calls in the last few months of the same nature. Prior to that I've had calls asking why my number showed up on the caller's call display and indicated that it must be some mistake as I don't know anyone at that number or in the town the caller claims to be calling from. It's a cell phone. Called the phone company on Tuesday morning to find out what the procedure should be from this point. Last night, 10:15, phone rings again. I'm sure it's my mother-in-law as she likes to phone either before 8 AM or after 10 PM. Don't know why, she just does. I usually guess it's her and I'm usually correct. Last night, however, it was our mysterious caller. This time she calls my husband by his name. He gets off the phone after a similar exchange except this time he warns her that, if she keeps calling, he'll have to involve the police. Assures her that I am most definitely not involved with her husband.

Which brings me to think that I must be something pretty special. Apparently she has records going back five years. Whaaaaaat??

Last night, as my beloved drifted into a less-than-elegant state of rest (poor man has a horrendous sore throat), I start to realize that this might have some connection to the dozens of hang-up calls we've had over the last several years. Is this guy the culprit? My voice ranges from sultry to shrill, I'm thinking in the past few years it's been more on the shrill side as I've tried to keep up with my four little going concerns. What's the deal? I know that a lot of hang-ups are just telemarketers with automatic dialing. Am I leaping here?

Rest assured, I don't feel that this is, at this point, any real threat. If you're so inclined, would you pray for this woman? She sounds intoxicated when she phones. It saddens me, quite frankly, that there would be this much distrust in a relationship that she does not feel the liberty to approach her husband regarding this. Seriously, ask the guy why my number shows up on his phone. I have a hard time not laughing at the idea of something illicit going on. Come on, I barely have time to mop the floor around here...

I'm off to check out a woodpecker in the tree out front. So thankful for moments of tranquility.

On the road again...

2008-06-28T03:31:00.001-07:00

Can you believe that it is 4:30 AM and I am still up? It's very true and a bit disturbing. We leave in a few hours for our two-week stint away from home and I'm working hard to make sure everything is taken care of. We've offered our house to some friends for the time we're away as their daughter is getting married and their home is overflowing. I'm packing, working on some scrapbooking projects that I need to meet a deadline for, and tidying up the joint for our guests. This is a true glimpse into my tendency to procrastinate. Not so flattering, is it? However, it's pretty novel to see the sunrise...

Back soon! Happy Canada Day, 4th of July, etc. Oh, I am so glad I just wrote that! I need to pack Olivia's birthday gift...

Homebody

2008-06-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Leaving home again for another two-week stretch and, this time, I have very mixed feelings about being away so long. Somehow this next bit away really crept up on me and I'm feeling that there is so much to do here. My garden plots are filling out beautifully, the lilies are all opening up, work on our basement is chugging along, and my creative work is calling (or shouting) out to me. While our trip in May was a lot about rest and vacation and the six of us, this next stretch is pretty people-focused. We have wonderful friends and family that we'll be spending time with and I know it will be fabulous to reconnect with so many. I'm an introvert and really need that quiet and alone time to recharge and the reality of the next couple of weeks is that I won't get much of that. I tend to get a bit panicky and overwhelmed if I don't withdraw from time to time. I'm going to need to be cautious and realistic and I'm also going to have to remember that it's not all about me.

Why do I like being home so much? My beloved is a perfect match for me in that he is the only one that I feel I can really be quiet with. He totally gets that sometimes I need to just be still. I like my own imperfect space where there are chores to do and meals to cook and things to tidy and projects to work on. I feel like I get behind if I'm not at home most of the time. Get behind what? That's what I have to keep remembering. The work will be here when I get back. The projects will wait. Time with people is time well spent.

I am so thankful for the opportunities we have to travel and reunite with friends and family. We're off to our second year of family camp about 6.5 hours north of here. We'll spend a few days with Gary's sister and her family. We enjoy them very much and their home feels like the Hilton after camp with its warm showers and comfy beds. From there we will head to my parents' home where we'll spend a couple of days before Gary and I take off for a wedding on the west coast. Our children will enjoy an extended time at Grandma and Grandpa's, enjoying their company and playing with their wonderful neighbours next door. Good times are ahead.

All I have to do is breathe, right?

{in}consistency

2008-06-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the infrequent and inconsistent blogger! I am well on track to getting one post per month which, actually, would be an improvement over last year. Those of you whom I've met IRL know that I'm never short on words. What is it that keeps me from writing here? I suppose it's the fact that this has not become habit. I'm hoping to change that as I so enjoy getting words to screen/paper and the exercise it affords my brain.

Habits. I'm realizing that the lack of overall routine in my life has prevented me from developing good habits in some areas and encouraged the growth of some less favourable ones. I love structure and routine but this year has derailed me and I'm feeling the weight of the absence of good habits. I recently completed our homeschooling annual reports and submitted them to the school board. While we definitely made progress over the academic year, there were definitely some circumstances and events that affected me/us profoundly. Broken bones, sugery, illnesses. Difficult family relationships, stresses of ministry, struggling with forgiveness, severed relationships. Depression, renovations and good ol' fashioned lack of gumption. None of these things could have been avoided but the overall affect on the tone of our home could have been minimized by clinging to routine and falling back on good habits.

So, what am I going to do about it? A good and honest confession to my Father is the first step. One habit that hasn't fallen by the wayside is being in Scripture and clinging to the promises of the Word of God. I feel a tremendous need for cleansing. Commitment to pray for God to order my days is in order. Second, I need to get rid of some of the physical clutter that contributes to that overall feeling of life being too full. Third, a season of rest and rejuvenation, which is possible during the summer months, will benefit all of us. For this to work we need to deliberately choose to say yes to those things which will promote healing and no to the things that pull us away from priority. Fourth, I truly need to extend grace to those around me and receive grace from my Father. Some good habits to work on, no?

I thoroughly enjoyed being away on vacation with my family. I treasure my husband and our four children and the time we spent together exploring Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Our time in Chicago was exactly what we had hoped for. The five days we spent with my grandparents in small-town Illinois truly blessed us and, I trust, them as well. I don't have any scientific documentation to back this up, but my family truly rocks! I'll leave you with a pic from downtown Chicago, we felt like we lived there!

Library due dates are harsh and other organizational issues

2008-05-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I lose track of all the things I'm supposed to keep track of. I was most recently reminded of this yesterday when I owned up to some library fines for overdue books. I thought I could take care of this and keep it a matter of conscience, lesson learned. Unfortunately, while I certainly wasn't trying to be secretive, I neglected to let my husband in on the little charge that showed up on our online banking info. He is now referring to me as a philanthropist and sent me this message via email this morning:

I noticed that you made a donation to the public library (I looked at our account). You are a generous person.

Busted?? Or maybe this is what it means to be accountable.

Most of the time I really thrive under pressure. As a university student I would often have several research papers going at once and then, days before (or maybe just the day before), I would pull them altogether into something worth handing in. All that time letting things whirl around my brain seemed an almost necessary part of the process. I realize that in many ways I am better at short-term commitments (not relationships, just tasks). Tell me you need a specific goal met for a certain project with a definite deadline and I am your girl.

Sadly, this doesn't always translate well into everyday life as a wife, mother, homemaker, and teacher. Housework is definitely not something that I should leave "'til the last minute." Child-rearing seems to take some ongoing commitment. You cannot leave all meals until the end of the day and then cram breakfast, lunch, and dinner into one meal and get away with serving "brunchner." Just doesn't work. I'm continually looking for better ways to "keep at it." One of my favourite Christian writers, Elisabeth Elliot, inspires me with her "do the next thing" philosophy. Elliot was inspired by this poem, author unknown, as am I:

From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the doors the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DO THE NEXT THING.”

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing

Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.

I so need to remember this when I'm trying to get all the things in my head sorted out so that I'm not always working under pressure. Enjoy God's grace today as you "do the next thing."

New look, same great flavour...

2008-04-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, I played around with Blogger a bit today and managed to get that beautiful cup of coffee on there for everyone to see. Yes, that's a real photo and that's a very real mocha that I enjoyed at a tiny little coffee shop and roastery on a recent trip to Edmonton. I was also playing with photo settings during that trip and was surprised by a few gems when I uploaded my photos to the computer. Good times. Good coffee.

Busy day spent prepping our home to host care group tonight. Gary leads a weekly small group Bible study, has for several years, and we've been hosting for the last few months. I'm making it sound like work, and it is, but it's good work. These people are our FAMILY. We delight in knowing them and sharing part of our week with them. While it sometimes, like today, means an abbreviated seat-work day for homeschooling, we all work together to get the house ready. Olivia folded laundry, Noah vacuumed the carpeted areas, I dusted and baked a cake. If you haven't yet been introduced to the pioneer woman, you have to check this gal out! Tonight I served her chocolate sheet cake and it was scrumptious. A great way to spend the afternoon.

It's the eve of Sophie's birthday and I always feel a bit melancholy before one of my children's birthdays. I am hoping that we can make tomorrow a special day for her. Friday mornings are our mornings out for music lessons at the conservatory, errand running, lunch out (it will be Sophie's choice this week), library pit stop, and a couple of homeschooling co-op classes in the afternoon. We're having some of Sophie's "adult friends" over for dessert: her music teacher, a lovely lady from our care group, and a young woman who sometimes babysits for us. I hope they feel special to be singled out in this way, each has an important role in this little life.

Off to bed...before midnight! Hope your Friday is a great one!

When Life Gets in the Way

2008-04-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

I've found myself begrudging many of the tasks that have crowded my schedule, my desk, my mind over the last several months. True, it's been a season of increased activity for our home. You know what, though? Life has a way of, well, just getting in the way. I'm beginning to realize (yes, count me among the slow learner camp in this area) that no matter how refined my schedule, how organized my calendar, how "on top" of things I feel, I'm not the only factor in this equation. Years ago I shared part of my life story in a church service and started this way: "I would be the perfect wife and mother if it wasn't for my husband and children." Ain't that the truth?

There's more to it than that, though. In all of this falling short of my goals and ideals, and certainly falling short of the mark God has set for me, I'm learning some pretty valuable lessons. The biggest one, of course, is that God is using my insufficiencies to show He is beyond sufficient. I'm embracing the value of this calling called homemaking and chucking out some of the long-held but incorrect notions I have of what this all means. That motherhood, teaching, cooking, cleaning, and managing our home is one of the roles God values highly. That all these times of missing the mark can result in fertile teaching ground. And I do need to be taught. Desperately.

We started homeschooling our children 5 years ago. Starting out, I thought that we could really offer them a strong academic foundation in a time–efficient way. What I've grown to understand is that academics are such a small part of what we do in a day. All this character stuff is way more important. And I'm not talking about the children.

Since my recent track record on posting isn't exactly stellar and it's statistically improbable that I'll blog again before Friday, I'll leave you with a pic of my soon-to-be-7-year-old girl. I'd tell you how time flies and all that good stuff, but I suspect you're likely aware of that already.

I have the funniest kids!

2008-02-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, so you may have funny kids too, but I have to tell you about this crack-up conversation I had with Olivia the other night.

She was in her room, all snuggled into her bed on the top bunk, reading while I got ready to read with her sisters on the lower bunk. "What's a cupid?" she asked. At least that's what I heard. I answered, "You know, those chubby little naked angel babies who shoot love arrows on Valentine cards." "Oh," she replied, puzzled. "So, if it says that something is 12 cubits high..." Then I realized that she was doing her Bible reading. She's currently in the book of Exodus, reading God's instructions to Moses about the specs on the tabernacle. "Oh," I said, "you mean a cubit! That's a measurement for length." She looked at me and started to laugh. Hard. She said, "I just had this picture of a stack of those little chubby angels used to measure stuff." We laughed and laughed over that one. Valentine's Day is going to have a different spin. I imagine reading the Old Testament will too.

Oh, poor neglected blog...

2008-01-13T23:42:00.000-08:00

I have not been a good friend to thee. No posts. No pictures. No energy.

Oh, poor neglected blog.

Together

2007-10-28T23:42:00.000-07:00

This past month saw me go to Winnipeg for a scrapbooking convention called Canada's Crop for Kids. Loved it! Had an absolutely hilarious trip with two scrapbooking friends from here and met up with a precious friend in Winnipeg. The time zoomed past but I was glad to get back to my family. Not glad to leave my friend Tracy though. Sigh.

Gary was away this weekend and I really missed him. So many different things going on and I was left with a houseful of guests, a football wind-up, and two indoor soccer games to fit into the schedule. Schedules are a good thing to carve out some order but sometimes they have to be tossed for more pressing realities. Well, reality hit my poor little Sophie square in the face on Saturday. Right in the nose, to be more precise. If you can believe it, my 6.5 year old suffered a broken nose and a concussion in a cousin collision. I felt horrible for her, even moreso because I was at Noah's game when it happened. I was able to find a ride for Olivia to get her to her game but I missed seeing her play her first game with a new team. I relished the time holding a sleeping Sophie in the waiting room at the clinic. Sometimes the world seems to be moving far too fast.

This fall has been busier than I had hoped. We're ready to begin renovating our basement but haven't had much time to even think much about it. I'm so excited to be expanding our living space and very content with the plan to stay in this house rather than moving to something larger. With some changes to make the most of the rooms we have, this will really be the house we've always dreamed of. I really appreciate the fact that Gary and I are on the same page about that sort of stuff.

At the end of this weekend I am so happy to have my husband home. I am thankful that I have such a loving husband to walk through all this craziness with me. I am thankful for opportunities to get to see that we truly are a good match and that being together is the very best place for us to be.

{How Not to Blog}

2007-10-06T00:22:00.000-07:00

I think I could write a little dissertation on the above topic. Life gets in the way and I'm often not wanting to be introspective when I sit down at the computer. I'm looking for a break, man! This past month has been intense with the start of so many things: a new homeschooling year, music lessons, Bible study, Sunday School (as a student, not as a teacher), and a new major renovating project in our home necessitated multiple trips to visit our banker. One thing came to an end this past week: Noah's first football season. What an amazing finish he had! Playing for the city championship, the game was finally called at a 14-14 tie after eight, count 'em, eight overtime halves! These kids were amazing. I am so thrilled that Noah had this opportunity.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the nature of friendships and just what role friendships should play in the life of a 30-something-homeschooling-God-loving-wife-and-mother. I have been blessed with some amazing friends but I've also gone through some difficult friendships, some of which have needed to end at one point or another. I find this whole relationship balance stuff really challenging and I struggle daily to keep my priorities in the right order. There have been some hard conversations in this past month and I've shed many tears while praying for wisdom and courage to do the right things, not just the easy things.

Well, there you have a nutshell glimpse into what's going on in a few corners of my life. I had a neat opportunity to be the Guest Design Team member over at Scraptivity for the month of September. I'll leave you with a little glimpse of some of the creative work I've been busy with these past weeks:

Back at it!

2007-09-05T07:07:00.001-07:00

The benefit of being a more regular scrapbooker than I am blogger is that I have loads of projects waiting to share. This is a layout I completed several weeks ago and I think I'm getting to the end of our soccer season pics. I really don't know if Sophie will play soccer again. She's already said no to playing indoor this fall and winter and we're okay with that. She's an active kid but she's not very big. At six-and-a-half years old and about thirty-six pounds, I don't really blame her. There are easily kids twice her weight and I think it's intimidating for her to see someone taller and heavier rushing at her. Doesn't seem to stop her brother from taking her down once in a while though (*smile*).

Yesterday was my first day back teaching music lessons and it went surprisingly well. It's not the lessons so much that I was thinking about but how the kids would do, especially as I taught several lessons in the afternoon. My first three students are also homeschoolers and are familiar to my children. The moms would stay upstairs while I taught down in the studio and everyone was well entertained by the turnover of people through the house every forty-five minutes. I had one more lesson in the afternoon, a Grade 12 student I've taught for about seven years. She has heard just about everything in her years of coming to our home so I am not concerned if I have to excuse myself for a minute. I didn't allow any TV during the day but did let the girls choose a program to watch during this lesson time. It worked splendidly! I had just over an hour to get some dinner going before I started my evening round of teaching. All in all I taught eight lessons. Next week I add one more in the evening and I will add one more after that once the high school football season ends. Three new students, seven returning. It's going to be a good year. Busy Tuesdays but now I don't have any lessons to teach until next week.

Early start today with a workout before Gary left for work. I am trying trying trying to get into a regular exercise routine. I hear people say how much better they feel when they exercise, blah blah blah. I'm not a big fan of sweating and I count the minutes until it's over. Maybe once I start to feel some results I will have better things to say. Discipline, right? Why can't my body just be a slightly oversized temple?? Oh well. It's done.

Coffee? I think I'll start a pot right now. Have a super Wednesday!

Season to Season

2007-09-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

Our family travelled six hours north of here at the beginning of July for a great week of family camp. I was thankful for the very loose structure of the week, allowing us a lot of time to enjoy just being together and enjoying this beautiful piece of this province. Every morning the adults met for a time of worship and teaching and I so valued the timeliness of the speaker's topic. I found it coming back to me this morning as I prepare for a big week of transition into a different season of busyness.

For six mornings we looked at the book of Ecclesiastes. Hardly enough time to get a deep understanding of this rich book of Scripture, but a great chance to get a feel for this book, bits of it are very familiar as they lend well to political speeches, folk songs, and both wedding and funeral services. Basically the author explores what life would be absent from God, putting various pursuits in place of chasing after and focusing a life on the Lord. It's the same old stuff that people chase after today, all those fleeting things that just don't last. What I do see now is that the book smacks of a life off kilter. All these things have been given to us for our enjoyment and to enrich our lives - wealth and wisdom, for example - but putting any of those things in the place of most importance leads to a life of emptiness. It seems so easy to get a bit off track.

Why am I thinking about all this? Today I start teaching music lessons again. It will be a bit of an experiment as I have scheduled a few lessons during the day while my husband is still at work. I'm trusting my kids to do okay without me for short bursts of time, in cooperation with some other moms who have agreed to stay with them while I teach their kids. We started our fifth year of homeschooling last Monday, after a blissful summer of vacationing and enjoying a lot of play time. Church activities swing into full gear in the next couple of weeks. I've had a cool opportunity to be a Guest Design Team member on Scraptivity! for the month of September (I've asked Gary to refer to me as "Miss September" until that time is up). There are women in my life who I continue to meet and study with. Oh, and I have a household to tend to and children to raise. Any one of those things could easily shift the balance of importance. Most of all my desire is to stay on track, following Him through all the twists and turns of each season.

I wish you joy as you walk through whatever season you are in right now.

Oh, the canvas above is a project I completed a couple of weeks ago for a basketball-playing friend of mine. It was great fun to work on and the verse has special meaning for her. Thanks for looking!

I've been tagged in the Middle Name Game

2007-08-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by my friend, Kell. So, here it goes:

The rules:

You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name.
If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
My middle name is Marie.

M is for Mom. She chose the name. She is a great Mom and I hope that I am as good of a mother to my children.

A is for Artistic. There is an artsy side of me.

R is for relax, which is something I need to do.

I is for intelligence, a quality I greatly admire and am drawn to.

E is for empathy, which I am feeling right now for many people in my life.

Now I'm supposed to list the people I've tagged. Thanks goodness I don't have a longer name!

Let's see now....
Ara
Amy
Miriam Pauline
Vicki
and Caitlin!

Football Dude

2007-08-08T09:17:00.001-07:00

I have no idea how I gave birth to someone who wants to play football. It's not that I don't like sports, it's just the idea of spending 16 hours at a camp where they MAKE you run and sweat and take some hits, rain or shine, that I'm not particularly inclined toward. Noah spent exactly that, 16 hours over 4 days, learning some football skills. He's been after us to let him play for a year and a half. So many people have told us that this boy is built for football and that, if he wants to play, he should learn how to do so properly. I was skeptical, I'll admit, until picking him up at the field after the first two-hour session.

Me: How was football, buddy?
Noah: Best thing in the WORLD!
Me: Did you get tackled?
Noah: Oh yeah! But I took a couple of guys down too.
Me: Did it hurt?
Noah: Yeah, but everyone was cheering for me.

The idea of anyone hurting my baby isn't a pleasant one. I don't get guy sports. I like to watch football, I just can't imagine willingly putting myself on the field. This is where the gender difference between mother and son really stands out. I'm a better soccer mom. I'd better suck it up. Regular season is underway.

We interrupt this holiday...

2007-07-11T16:24:00.001-07:00

It seems right now that real life is interrupting my holidays. Kind of a nice spot to be in, actually. We had a great week up at Family Camp and are home for a few days, mostly to get the laundry done and enjoy a little down time, before entering Phase II of our holidays. The kids and I will be heading up to my parents' house for a week. All four of my children are now old enough to go to Vacation Bible School. I'll enjoy having a bit of a break in the mornings and we'll all enjoy an extended time with Grandma and Grandpa.

Hope that wherever your summer is taking you that you are enjoying some sunshine, family, and a healthy amount of ice cream!

I'll leave you with a pic of Georgia (with her Canada Day tattoo) enjoying some sunny beach time!

{ten}

2007-06-28T15:55:00.001-07:00

My oldest child turned 10 on Friday. Creepy, huh? The thing is, I totally remember my tenth birthday. I remember my party, that I got the soundtrack from the "Muppet Movie", and that my friends didn't all get along with each other. And now I have a child with 10 years behind him. 10 years of memories and experiences and hurts and triumphs. I've been a parent for 10 years. 10 years of worries and joys and frustrations and laughter. I had no idea how much my life would change with this one, much wanted, loving little boy. There have been struggles as I've had to, over and over, die to myself and suppress my selfish nature. There have been moments of take-your-breath-away realizations that this little person has been entrusted to us. I think the point of it all, in the beginning, was to teach him all he needed to know to live a life of significance. What I didn't know was just how much I would learn from having him around. I'm so very proud to be his mom.

This baby that I gave birth to 10 years ago is going to football camp as his gift from us. Thankfully it is just a day camp that runs at the nearby university. He is completely thrilled with this opportunity. It's taken a while for me to wrap my mind around allowing him to play a sport with so much contact and the potential of pain.

The journalling on this layout reads: June 22, 2007 Noah, you woke up this morning and you're 10! You'll have lots of choices, opportunities, and decisions in this stage of your life. Daddy and I are here for you to talk, to help, and to cheer you on. XO Mommy

Thanks for looking, this was a fun one to work on!

Lilies of the flowerbed

2007-06-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

When I was a child my mother spent hours out in the yard working on her flowerbeds. Every spring she would (and still does!) take me on a tour of her plants. I remember boring hours spent looking at annuals in greenhouses. I understand it now. I love peeking my head out the front door every morning to see if the perennials are growing in the early spring or if a bud opens as the plants mature. I breathe deeper in a greenhouse. I still have a lot to learn. It amazes me that God could think up so many colours and beautiful types of growing plants for our enjoyment. Butterflies, ladybugs, and other crawlies keep my children close to the blossoms. I get a small jolt of pleasure each time I pull out a weed and great satisfaction in digging in the dirt.

Enjoy these pics of our lilies, taken in this morning's sunshine. The bulbs were a Mother's Day gift from my husband and children several years ago.

{The Bride}

2007-06-26T10:47:00.001-07:00

As a little girl, I wasn't captivated by princesses and fairies and make-believe prettiness. I guess I've always been a cynic at heart. I suppose I went through a phase where I imagined my Prince Charming but he was more likely to be at a coffee shop than a castle and wearing chinos than armor. I know, not very imaginative or fantastic.

Enter my three daughters. Much to my chagrin they've bought this whole Disney princess thing hook, line, and sinker. They pretend to be mermaids or French girls with hunchbacked friends. They sing songs that start like, "I love being a Princess." Especially my youngest. She even sighs. I roll my eyes. This isn't what I want them to think beauty is about.

We spent this past weekend at a family wedding. Georgia commented to me at one point, "I didn't know there was going to be a bride!" The back table was, jokingly, I presume, decorated with a bride and groom Barbie in full princess garb. I roll my eyes. My daughter collects all the clear heart confetti she can find to make the Barbie princess even more shiny. She is captivated. I am not. Until the magical moment. Georgia asks the bride, my cousin's new wife, to dance. She says yes. She engages this child and connects with her in the most beautiful way. I am humbled by her sweetness and loveliness as she bends down to talk to this 4-year-old little girl. It's like they are the only two people in the room, on the dance floor. I stop rolling my eyes. I guess you really can have the whole package.

While I know better and the cynic in me doesn't even think I should type this, I wish them a happily ever after.

Tea Party Girls

2007-06-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

It was a weekend of "functions." The girls were invited to a tea party on Saturday afternoon, hosted by two young women from our church. These are not ordinary young women. They are the kind you hope your girls will turn out to be and the kind you hope your sons will marry. Sweet, generous, and thoughtful, they usually have a following of little girl admirers in between services on a Sunday morning. Several young girls were invited and the party was rounded out with women from different stages of life: some mothers, some singles, some grandmothers, young and old. The backyard where the tea took place looked like something out of a magazine with tables set with white linens and fresh flowers, shaded with lovely mature trees. The girls could hardly wait for the day to arrive and did not look back when I delivered them for their 2-hour party. What an investment these young women chose to make and what an impression it left on my girls. Sophie was concerned about how to sit, Georgia was counting the sleeps, and Olivia was excited to report that they won a garden decoration for having the most girls from one family. Good times.

I was too weary to post on Friday afternoon but I should have. There are such contrasts in the life of a mom and Friday really showed proof of this to me. My children are well-behaved, generally speaking. Friday afternoon we went out for our usual library date; the little girls go to a story time and the rest of us browse and read. Following that we headed to the grocery store and they were like aliens! My youngest wanted to be carried, my oldest was a pest, and the two in between asked for every other thing you could think of. I shop with them weekly, they know the drill. It was one of those humbling trips that I'm glad to leave behind. We'll do better next time.

Sunday evening was another fun event: the high school graduation tea for the four youth at our church who will finish Grade 12 this month. This is a big deal where the girls wear their formal dresses, walk out under an arbour, and each set of parents writes a tribute that is read at this time. It was really wonderful to celebrate (not to mention the decadent chocolate dessert that was served). At the end of the evening I had a chance to speak to my oldest daughter's Sunday School teacher. She's just a wonderful lady and we're so pleased with the quality of her teaching. She shared an amazing answer that Olivia gave to a question she asked. The question: "Why does God not always give us what we pray for?" The answer from my 7-year-old: "Maybe He knows that if He gave us that thing, we would love it more than we love Him and that wouldn't be good for us." And a little child will lead them...

We are on summer vacation! I'm hoping to have a little more time to post here. Enjoy your day!

Within reach

2007-05-30T13:56:00.001-07:00

The end of the school year is so close I can taste it! The kids and I just finished our work for today and it looks like we will be able to wrap up for the year on Friday. I am so excited as this is the first year that I feel a real finality to the work we've done, we're not just finishing because the calendar says we're done. I must credit these kids of mine for their hard work this year. I pushed them pretty hard and they are going to reap the rewards with a nice long summer break. Exciting stuff!

I am looking forward to a few things clearing off my schedule as well. Tonight is my last night of guitar lessons, our bible study group is on hiatus until the fall, and the few activities we do have left will be more manageable in light of these things falling off our lists. I am not sure if I yet know just what my capacity is in terms of scheduling. I do know that this year was more balanced than last year but I'm not sure if I can pinpoint exactly why. It seems to be a decision-by-decision thing and is much more complex than just what I have on my plate. Everyone in this household contributes to the balance of our home. I need to balance out my husband when he is feeling overwhelmed and I rely on him to do the same. When neither of us has any capacity for this, that's when we're in big trouble.

This layout I'm sharing today comes out of a neat encounter we had last fall at a big agricultural exhibition in town. This lady was so sweet in describing how she spins wool after the sheep are sheared and the girls were so attentive to her explanation. Cool moments like these make me very thankful that we are homeschooling!

More later.

My life as a musician

2007-05-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that I trained as a classical guitarist and now teach lessons out of my home a few hours every week. While I fell in love with classical guitar music, I did not initially intend to play the guitar. I wanted a piano so badly. I told my parents that I wanted to take piano lessons and my mother said, "But we don't have a piano." "Okay, I'll take guitar then." The teacher that I studied with during my years living at home interviewed his students before he agreed to enroll them in his studio. He said years later that my answer to his question of why I wanted to study the classical guitar (which was, candidly, "because my parents can't afford a piano!") was one of the reasons he agreed to teach me. We had a wonderful rapport and I owe, in large part, my devotion to this art to him.

I graduated from high school, moved to Edmonton, and then I had my chance to study piano! I spent hours in the tiny practice rooms off the music department. A frustrating experience, to some extent, as I thought my music background would translate into quick success. I all but abandoned my guitar during this time (except for a couple of bass accompaniment opportunities for the concert choir I sang in), focusing on the piano and enjoying my lessons. At the end of two years of study in Alberta I turned down a significant academic scholarship to return to Saskatchewan to study music. I felt like an impostor but I so wanted to and probably should have gone to that straight after high school.

My audition on guitar took hours and hours of preparation and I failed the theory exam disastrously. I was placed at the lowest level of entry for theory and struggled with those classes through my next 4 years of study. I got a very part-time job teaching music in a studio and I discovered that I have a real gift in teaching (fortunately you don't have to understand every in and out of the mechanics of music or I'd be sunk!). I studied piano as my minor instrument under a very accomplished pianist and had exposure to amazing performances and discussions. I became the first woman to graduate with a classical guitar major from the music faculty.

I didn't develop into a great pianist. I passed a piano proficiency test needed to complete the requirements of my degree but I'm not going to stun anyone with my piano performance. I've since had a classical guitar built for me by a wonderful craftsman and I continue to love to teach. This childhood dream, however, was fulfilled about 7 years ago when my inlaws moved from their farm into the nearby town. They had told Gary and I that we could have the piano as soon as we had room for it. My husband is classically trained and even competed at the provincial level. My oldest daughter is finishing up her second year of piano studies and has shown wonderful promise as a musician. It has become her thing. My second-oldest daughter recently started violin lessons. My son is learning to play the guitar and my youngest daughter is interested in pursuing voice lessons (or piano, or cello, or violin...it changes regularly).

Receiving this beautiful antique piano with lovely tone and a rich history is just proof to me that God cares about the desires of our hearts. The reality of having this instrument in our home speaks to the 9-year old in me and resonates the truth through my whole being that I am taken care of...not just my needs, but some of those wants too. I am so thankful.

Now Settle Down...

2007-05-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

I know. What is this craziness? Two blog entries in one week? Settle down! I told you I have things to share and I want to make sure I don't forget to do that. I also have a little request to make...

I'm currently working on a class concept and what I need from any and all of you is some direction. I am wanting to be directed to websites, books, articles, etc. that deal with spiritual issues. Not necessarily Christianity (although this is research for a Sunday School class I'll be teaching next year sometime), anything current and spiritual will do. I am particularly interested in the bestseller/high profile stuff. To get the obvious out of the way, yes, I have already read The Da Vinci Code. It is along those lines that I'm looking though as well as contemporary Christian stuff. Don't worry about analyzing anything for me, I just want to be pointed in the direction of stuff that people might be talking about or that you've seen in the media regarding spirituality and/or Christianity. I would be very thrilled with some suggestions.

Busy busy these days...soccer, swimming, piano, violin, art classes, music teaching, oh...did someone need clean underwear? Can't you just look in your sister's drawer or something? Okay, so we're not quite that desperate yet, but I do find this increase in outside activity to be taking a toll on my impeccable housekeeping. Okay, so my housekeeping is not impeccable. I've been getting my bed made and some semblance of a meal on the table. As far as anything Martha-esque, this is truly not the season to be looking for that.

I don't know what your schedule is like and I know that everyone has a different capacity for stuff like this. I just find that our home "feels" different when we're not in it very often. I'm not sure that I like this pace and I am glad that we've (mostly) chosen to keep things to a manageable level as far as outside activities are concerned. I love reading Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 for the clear picture those chapters give on the activities a godly woman engages herself in. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't interpret either of those to say that a woman should never leave the house or anything like that. They do, however, speak to a care for home and family that are difficult to exercise when you're not at home or with your family for a good amount of the time. Just some ramblings to give you a glimpse into what I'm thinking about as I drive from place to place...

Here is my latest scrapbooking layout. My youngest daughter is a true snuggler (as you may have surmised from my previous post) and she will come up to me at any point in the day and kiss whatever body part is most accessible: knees, elbows, neck, you name it! Not all of my children are this naturally affectionate and I am so thankful for her demonstrations of love. Hope you get a kick out of this:

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

I hope your Mother's Day, for all you moms, is proving to be a wonderful celebration of this unique role! No one else has been called to love, teach, and cherish your children in the same way that you have been. I have severe blinders on when it comes to my children - oh, not in terms of behaviour, but in status - and I think they are the most brilliant and fantastic creatures on the planet. I hope today you celebrate this precious gift you've been given.

My day started out rather uniquely. Sunday mornings are typically the one day where I need to be up and going as soon as that alarm clock sounds and, as a result, I don't always sleep soundly on Saturday nights. Last night, however, I was having a wonderful snooze and didn't wake up until the sun shone brightly through our bedroom window. It is getting warmer here and I thought at first that I needed to take some bedcovers off as I seemed to be a bit damp. As I woke up more I realized that my 4-year-old daughter was pressed right against me and she had wet the bed! Little turkey! Wet your own bed! Needless to say, I didn't need that alarm clock this morning. We were up and going before 7, I had a shower and Georgia had a bath, and I had time to braid her hair before church. My 6-year-old woke up and told me it was NOT Mother's Day. Oh my. Off to a grouchy start. I'm happy to report that the day has improved, I had 3 lovely strawberries on my plate at lunch, and my husband and children have gone off on a long bike ride, leaving me here to enjoy some quiet. The only thing that could really improve on this day to this point would be some chocolate...maybe in ice cream form??

The above layout doesn't need a lot of explaining except to tell you that the legacy of a love for the Word of God is the number one thing I hope to impart to my children. Seeing my oldest two (and only proficient readers at this stage) sit down with their Bibles without prompting and become absorbed in reading Scripture just makes my heart skip! I understand that there are decisions in life that only they can make, that their faith truly must become a personal thing. Seeing them on the right track gives me such hope that God will do mighty and powerful things in them and through them. I can't imagine a more satisfying answer to prayer than to see this scene repeated in our home over and over again.

As the vinegar and baking soda do their magic on my mattress, I'm off to the girls' bunk beds to read and enjoy the warm air blowing through the window.

Blessings on you as you start a new week!

I've been tagged...

2007-05-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Miss Velda has tagged me and it's probably a good thing because I seem to have forgotten that I have a blog. Wow, this is a busy time of year with some activities winding up and others starting for the new season. I have felt like a personal assistant to my children over the past couple of weeks and I do not like living by my day planner. This too shall pass...

Okay, the tag. I'm to share 7 random thoughts about myself. Most of you know by now that I'm pretty good at random. Here it goes:

1) I'm seriously into coffee. Not just any coffee. Good coffee. I'm thinking of getting my own plane just so I can transport in coffee from "transcend" in Edmonton.

2) Growing up I thought I would live in a huge American city, have 1.2 children, and practice law. None of those has turned out to be true.

3) I am a homebody. I don't plan on doing any paid work outside the home. I especially like being home when our house is in decent order. See #4.

4) I'm a perfectionist but this translates into bad things for my housekeeping skills. I'm an all-or-nothing cleaner and have trouble keeping up with the daily maintenance and organization of our place. I really want to change this.

5) I love to read the Bible. It would be fascinating to know more Old Testament history and I just love how the Word is so perfectly woven together over so many years. God's ways are so cool. Of this I'm sure.

6) There are days, AHEM, where I have a definite need for chocolate. These are not necessarily dictated by anything cyclical. Like coffee, I think quality counts but there is a candy bar that will do if I can't get my hands on really good chocolate. Did you know they make an After Eight bar? Dark chocolate, mint, decadent taste sensation. There's really no reason not to have one.

7) There are very few people that I'm comfortable talking on the phone with and I'm even less adept with answering machines. I usually run on and on and then get cut off by some obnoxious beep. If I've called you and not left a message, now you know why. I don't have a problem talking, especially about myself (yes, glorious ME!), but not so much on the phone.

And now, since you've all been so patient in letting me drone on and on about myself, let me feed your appetite for my creative work (yep, absolute genius, no self-esteem issues here this morning, are there) with a photo of a card I made this weekend. I've got all kinds of things to share with you as I've been nothing short of prolific these past few weeks.

If you've not yet been tagged, consider yourself "IT"! I'm off to get a move on this day. I think I'll clean our bedroom and get these little ones started on some schoolwork. Blessings on your Wednesday!

Coolness!

2007-04-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, before I tell you what it is that has me making up a word like "coolness" I just have to show you this layout. I've been wanting to try computer journaling with my scrapbooking for some time now and I finally gave it a whirl. I even copied a good portion of that text right from a blog entry with this same photo of my youngest scrumptious one! Ohhhh, somebody stop me, I can see this becoming a bit of an obsession.

The next thing is that I am super-duper excited to be having coffee with a friend I haven't seen in a while tomorrow night! Gary said at one point today that I probably wouldn't be gone all that long. I just looked at him. Hello? I haven't seen this gal in months and he thinks it's going to be a short little visit?? Hate to break it to you, honey...

Now for the cool thing...we paid off the balance of my student loans on Friday! I am so thankful to be finished with this monthly payment. I'm starting to think it might be fun to have, like, no debt. Ahem. Sorry about that. Momentary glitch. Debt that allows for a roof over your head and/or acquisition of stamping, scrapbooking, and stitching supplies shall hereby be referred to as "good debt." It's the bad kind of debt I'm talking about. Like a summer home on the Riviera or 20 pairs of designer jeans kind of debt.

Okay, I gotta get these little ones to bed. I need a yogurt to bring me back to my senses.

More later.

Wii are busy

2007-04-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

Wii would love to talk but wii are busy. Since Saturday morning, when Noah and I left the house at 6:30 to line up at Toys R Us, the Wii has become a new member of our household. What the packaging doesn't specify is that the term Wii translates to mean, roughly, "you, your immediate family, and any neighbourhood children within a 2 mile video-gaming sniffable detection range." Honestly, I think kids have a built in GPS for these kinds of machines.

So, it remains to be seen whether this was our smartest purchase. I've been the lone holdout in our home on these gaming systems. I caved on this one only because I've been assured that this system does not lead to couch potato-itis. I'll let you know. Wii have a bowling/badminton/baseball/golf/tennis tournament going on in the living room that might need some help for the high scores. Ahem, I mean, I'm going to go cheer. Of course.

Spring??

2007-04-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

Y'all probably think I passed out and have yet to recover after my weekend alone ended in the return of my family. Nope, I live to tell the tales of domestic life but we travelled this past weekend for Easter (Happy Easter, He is Risen!) and I was pretty intensely busy getting ready for that. We're home from visiting my parents and it feels good to be back after enjoying a weekend with my family. It is so cold here though that it feels like spring is a long way off.

I'm not sure when it happened but this place, this life, has definitely become what I call home. In my early years of college and university, even the first few years we were married, I delighted in going back to my childhood home. The smells, the familiarity of the house I grew up in, the taste of my mother's cooking. Gradually it all changed and the familiar grew to be where WE live, where I cook, where my children are growing. In some ways that makes me sad as I realize that I just don't belong in my childhood anymore and that the responsibility for those memories now rests with me. I struggle "going home" now and there is a tension of how they do things vs. how our house now runs. It's all part of that "leave and cleave" stuff of marriage but it makes me feel just...so adult or something. At any rate, going away convinces me that I am a homebody and that this, for better or for worse, is most definitely where I belong.

In thinking of all of this, I want to share a layout that I finished up during my weekend "retreat" while my dh and children were away. This lovely couple is my grandparents. They live far away, in Illinois, and I don't see them very often now. My grandfather is such a strong personality and I'm more like him than I'd like to admit at times. Interaction with him has shaped me, mostly for good. He has a passion for the Word of God that he's passed on to me. He feels intensely and gives the most amazing hugs. He also experiences some lows that are lower than what some experience. I share all of these things.

More later.

Serenity

2007-03-31T17:13:00.000-07:00

Do you remember on the show Seinfeld how Jerry's dad used to always shout out, "serenity NOW," when he was having an argument with his wife? I have lots of moments like that, not arguing with my husband, but when there is a lot of noise and activity around, when I just want a little serenity! Well, I'm enjoying my peaceful weekend and time to clear my head of all those serenity-robbing voices. It's not so much the noise of having a houseful of children that gets to me. It's all the other voices, the niggling ones, that induce guilt and tell you you're not doing what you should be doing, that there are better ways to spend a day, that busyness equals happiness. Those are the voices that steal my joy, that prevent me from being the woman I am created to be.

A dear friend of mine (Hi Margaret) has made this one of my favourite verses of scripture:

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

So powerful, isn't it? It seems so simple, all black and white like that. There are so many things that seem to try and crowd me off the path of walking with my God. Do more, get more, BE more...that's what I seem to hear in the voices that call out from the culture around me. I want what is good though, so I'll keep trudging along the path of justice, mercy, and humility.

Okay, enough about the voices in my head. You're all shaking your heads at this crazy woman's blog now! I've spent the day leisurely, enjoying some time to create. This layout of my son uses two pictures from his year of preschool. He was a BUSY kid in those days and I remember seeing these photos for the first time. They took my breath away! I loved that haircut, those soft rosy cheeks, and that cute baby face. He's nearly ten now and somewhere in between that little boy and the man he'll grow to be. Life just zooms sometimes, doesn't it? I'm so thankful for him!

More later, gotta get back to, well, just being quiet for a while.

Once in a while...

2007-03-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

Once in a while it's good to have a clear countertop for more than 15 minutes.
Once in a while it's nice to have a shower with no one coming in to use the bathroom or ask for something.
Once in a while it's good to have complete control of the remote.
Once in a while it's cool to just eat when I'm hungry and whatever I want, instead of being controlled by the clock and juggling the preferences of six different people.
Once in a while it's fun to be able to have some crafting supplies out without worrying who will get into what.
Once in a while it's nice to know that the laundry won't be reproducing at light speed, for a few days anyway.
Once in a while it's refreshing to pray without worrying if someone will wake up, fight, or otherwise interrupt.
Once in a while it's good to have time to complete those projects that niggle at your conscience.
Once in a while it's important to have some space to recognize the privilege of my every day role as a wife and mom.
Once in a while it's wonderful to look forward to not waking up in the night to a little someone or two climbing over my body to get "in the middle."
Once in a while it's good to breathe deeply and enjoy the quiet.

My once in a while is here. Gary and the children have given me a weekend home retreat. I'm not in crisis or difficult to be around, just taking the opportunity to enjoy my favourite place by myself. My favourite people will return on Sunday night and I look forward to having a rejuvenated me to give to them.

Once in a while we all could use a little space, don't you think?

This just in....

2007-03-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

a little potty conversation...

My youngest and I were just in the bathroom getting her ready for bed. She said to me, "I don't like that girl from the Bible, the one who ate the fruit when God wanted her to obey. She does have nice hair though..."

BWAHAHAHAHA!

X-rays and Finding the Balance

2007-03-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

That's right. Poor Olivia had her first meeting with an x-ray machine. I am happy to report, however, that no bones are broken. A legitimate soccer injury, she was kicked during Game 3 of her tournament yesterday. I chronically under-react to situations like this. I knew she was hurt because she cried. She doesn't cry very often about physical stuff, she's a pretty tough nut. After a bit of consoling, I sent her back to the bench and encouraged her to play a bit longer. I know, I know, not the winning mommy moment of the weekend. She did go out and play, like a trooper, but was unable to bear much weight on her ankle and wasn't out for very long at a time, coming off the court when the child who kicked her (okay, I know it was an accident but I feel a bit of hostility) was on the floor. It was, after all, the last game of the season. By the time we got her home, that ankle was a bit puffy. We iced it last night and she seemed to have a decent sleep. The swelling had gone down by this morning and we proceeded to church as usual. After the service and Sunday School, I solicited a friend of mine in the medical field to check her out. She didn't look at that ankle for very long before encouraging me to take her in today to have an x-ray. After lunch with friends, we headed over to the closest minor emergency clinic for a long wait, a quick consult with a very kind doctor, a short wait for the x-ray, and a diagnosis of a bad sprain. A few days staying off that foot as much as possible, icing it, a tensor, and a bit of ibuprofen should get this girl back into tip-top shape.

Other than our little medical drama, this was a very busy weekend. I won't bore you with all the details but a couple of meetings, some errand running, three soccer games, a bowling birthday party, church, lunch, friends, and a bit of enjoying the wonderful weather. So much of what we did was enjoyable but our balance of leisure is out of whack. With Gary traveling so much as of late, we all would benefit from some quiet home time. I'm not sure when this will happen. What is the balance like at your house? Do you fight against this culture of busyness or submit to it? I feel that I am constantly fighting for a balance that we never reach and I KNOW that our home is not as busy or scheduled as some. We have pretty decent capacity for activity and people and our children genuinely enjoy social activity. Where is that line of cultivating a healthy home life and letting too much outside stuff in? If you find it, let me know, would you?

The card above is one I made for the birthday party we went to yesterday for our neighbour and good friend. It was fun to get some time to create on Friday evening after a meeting. All stamps, inks, and papers are by Stampin' Up!

I pray you'll start the week with a healthy balance. More later.

Blogger Challenged

2007-03-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one who has trouble with Blogger? I have been having issues all week getting into my account! Finally seem to have managed to get here and I have to run out to pick up my children.

I'll leave you with a photo of a card I made this week. The papers, inks, and stamp set are all Stampin' Up. This set is called Heartfelt Thanks and it is one that I just fell in love with when SU first released it, but I've had trouble using it. Now that I have this nifty tool called a Stampamajig, my troubles are so far away! Expect to see more of this set from me. The brads are by American Crafts and I used a touch of Diamond Stickles in the centre of the flower. I like the contrast of the colours!

Wish me luck on being able to login again here soon...

The Starbucks Redemption

2007-03-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a great title for a movie, doesn't it? What you see in this photo is my (current) favourite Starbucks drink, a Java Chip Frappuccino. Here is the description provided on the Starbucks website: Coffee, chocolate and chocolate chips blended with ice, topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. It's my spring treat and I had a free beverage card because they forgot my order on one of my recent trips.

I planned to go to Starbucks yesterday with the children on our way home from the airport. I'm not sure what happened but bickering broke out in the back two seats of the van. What started as an attempt to begin our time without Daddy on a fun note quickly turned ugly. I gotta tell you, I wanted coffee. Badly. I gave a few soft warnings but didn't make the final decision until I had pulled into the Starbucks parking lot. I bypassed the empty parking spaces and headed for the exit, turned on the signal light, and voiced my decision that we were heading home sans treat. There were tears and a few, "No Mommy! We'll be good"s from the backseat, but I stood my ground. I know that I'm sometimes not very good on the follow-through. I want them to know that I'm serious when I talk of consequences for behaviour. But, ahem, I wanted a coffee! I think in this case it truly hurt me more than it hurt them.

We arrived home and I directed everyone to find something quiet to do until I called that we would begin school. I found something quiet to do as well. This instruction was followed surprisingly well, as was my call to begin schoolwork a short while later. Sometimes we all just need an opportunity to get back on track. I don't like being the disciplinarian and I know that I am softer with them than I thought I'd be. The results were worth it, we had a great day after our bad start.

And now, today. Schoolwork and music practice were completed in the morning with diligence and just a few complaints (hey, we're not perfect!). At lunch I suggested that we head to the library this afternoon and stop by Starbucks on the way home. This outing was completely different as I was accompanied by four well-behaved and respectful children. We had fun and brought joy to each other. The treat was truly appreciated and not an expectation. What a huge lesson we all learned!

Oh, and a definite bonus! I paid for a DVD we'd borrowed from the library before Christmas and thought we'd lost. I found it and was refunded $25.08. Sweet!

While I was typing this, I finished my Frappuccino....sluuuuurrrrppppp!

More later.

Role Reversal

2007-03-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Just amuse me for a minute as I pout. Gary has a business trip later this week and is going to spend a few days at a wonderful resort in the Rocky Mountains. I am not begrudging the fact that I will be home as a single parent for three days, the kids and I actually do fairly well while he is away. Here's the thing: Gary is not wild about traveling, staying in hotels, or eating out. Oh my stars! That is my idea of heaven on earth. Did I forget to mention that this place has a spa? I did investigate the possibility of traveling with him but it just did not work out this time.

This serves as a great reminder to me that we all have aspects of our jobs that we don't particularly enjoy, even though those might be the very things that others think would be "job perks." It's that "grass is greener" thing creeping in again. I have a brother-in-law who works as a pilot for a major airline. He flies to exotic locations and has the opportunity to stay in hotels and eat out regularly, see different countries, escape the cold climate (okay, arguably this CANNOT be counted as a negative, no matter how you look at it!). After talking to him about the reality of his job, which he really enjoys, it's a whole lot less glamorous than I initially thought it would be. I really need to remember this:

...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13 NIV).

Good old Paul! His circumstances sure changed over time and yet he seemed to be able to shake it down to the truly important stuff. I wish you much contentment in your role today, whatever that may be!

More later.

Acknowledging Leadership

2007-03-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

The Grade 4/5 Sunday School class students bring home a new assignment sheet every six weeks. They can earn points for attendance, bringing their Bibles, completing reading assignments, service projects, and Scripture memory. Once the student earns 50 points, he/she receives a prize of a movie gift certificate and a token for a free DQ sundae. Noah has been motivated by these assignments and I challenged him to complete all the assignments this time to achieve a "blackout" which entitles him to a double prize. He's taken me up on it and we have all learned as a result.

This session focused on leadership and one part of the service project was to do something to honour a leader in your life. Noah chose his small group leader at the midweek kids' club our kids attend and decided to bake some cookies to give to him. We decided to expand this to include the two middle girls' leaders as well. We worked together as a team baking some yummy ginger molasses cookies and deciding what to say when presenting these to each leader. Noah gathered all the ingredients, the girls took turns dumping, and I operated the KitchenAid mixer (wonderful appliance, like having an extra pair of hands). I was impressed by how they stuck with the task until the cookies were in the oven, each taking a turn to roll a batch of cookies in white sugar. They turned out beautifully (see above) and we wrapped them up in red cellophane, tied them with a black gingham ribbon, and waited for the time to come to leave the house. It was decided collaboratively that each child would go up to their leader and say something to the effect of, "Thank you for being a great leader to me." Since it isn't a holiday or the end of the year, I hope these leaders felt singled out and really special for the gift they are giving to these children. As a family, we are tremendously thankful for individuals who are helping us in our job of training our children, especially in guiding them spiritually.

Before the cookies were made, earlier in the day, Noah knocked my socks off. I have to explain that he is not a child who likes to do household things. Okay, let's be honest: the kid has an almost allergic aversion to cleaning and work. He'd much rather play his Gameboy, play outside, watch a movie, eat a snack, write a story, or...well...anything. I caught him coming out of my room and his face lit up as he said, "Mommy! I made your bed and tidied in your room!" When I asked him why he had done that he said, "Well, partly for my class and partly because I wanted to." I was blessed big time by this act of kindness and definitely felt the honour of being a leader in this young life. So many days as a mom it can feel like there is no return for the investment of time, work, worry, and energy. We shouldn't concern ourselves with what we will "get out of" parenting. The rewards, however, are sweet and this was a moment for me to remember.

More later.

Wait

2007-03-06T09:51:00.002-08:00

Growing pains are hard. We've had a couple of disappointments in our household the last several days. Some experiences are inevitable but I do try to protect my children from disappointment as much as possible. They still experience it, I just don't want them to be subjected to it unnecessarily. They are good kids and don't ask us for much. I don't exactly know where that comes from, maybe just an understanding that we will give them opportunities but not at the expense of our family. So, here's what happened.

Story #1: I broke my own rule. I excitedly registered Olivia for an art class that was to start in a couple of weeks. Registering online was easy and, against my usual policy, I couldn't wait to tell her about it before I got the confirmation email. She was thrilled, moreso when I told her that one of her little friends would be in the class with her. Fast forward to the next day when I received an email stating that both the class and the waiting list for said class is full. Ugh. Sinking pit-of-stomach feeling. Several emails and phone calls later, this class is just not going to happen. Break it to Olivia that I can still get her into a class but it will be in May, not March, and it is not the one her friend is registered in. Disappointment. I don't blame her, but it still hurt. I wanted to surprise her with something fun and interesting and I kind of blew it by telling her about it prematurely. She came around, is still excited about the class, and my friend is going to move her daughter to the later session. See, it all worked out, but there was still some pain in the process.

Story #2: Noah was invited by the neighbour boy to go with his family to play laser tag. We had already made some tentative outdoor plans for Gary and the kids to meet up with another dad and kids to skate. We told Noah to go and, if he was back in time, he could still go skating. Well, Gary left with the girls 5 minutes before Noah's return. Gary forgot the cell phone. The skating park they went to is too far of a walk. We have just one vehicle. A disappointed Noah was not appeased by me pointing out that he already had the opportunity to do something fun. He wanted to do both. His 9-year-old brain does not process logic the same way mine does. He was good about it, but disappointed and sad. He felt left out. He didn't let it ruin his day, but he didn't exactly brush it off either.

As you can see from the above pic, there is all kind of growth happening around here. Sometimes I have growing pains as I think of how quickly these short people are growing and changing. The journaling reads:

Could you just maybe slow it down a little? I'm not ready for what I see in this photo. See, it's you, only...you look...well, a bit big to be my tiny little Sophie. You're still such a busy girl, always touching stuff, pretty noisy, you cry a fair bit. But...here is this concentration, this girl with something to say. So, I'll listen but...could I catch my breath? Because you're growing a bit too fast.

You know what I like about journaling? I am aware that many find it to be the hardest part about putting a layout together. I like it because it doesn't have to be grammatically correct or a wonderfully structured paragraph. Just try to put down the thoughts in your head. Let them flow onto the page and then you have really captured the MOMENT.

Papers and Die Cuts by Daisy D (Modern Romance line), Stamps by gel-a-tins, stamping ink by Stampin' Up!

More later.

Practice Joy

2007-02-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

I've had an ongoing conversation with a dear friend of mine (waving to Margaret!) about the difference between joy and happiness. Imagine my pure delight to stumble onto this thoughtful section in, of all places, a homeschooling book I'm reading called Help for the Harried Homeschooler: A Practical Guide to Balancing Your Child's Education with the Rest of Your Life by Christine M. Field:

One of the best ways to dispense with discouragement in your life is to practice joy. How? By learning to love your life just as it is....God never promised us that life would be all sunshine and happiness. We know as Christians that we are not entitiled to "the good life." By God's grace, he gives us what he gives us....Joy comes in tiny segments. If we deal with life as it comes, moment by moment, one step at a time, we'll find it. Now is all God asks us to handle.

I wish I had the skills to communicate how much this concept has transformed my life. I've struggled with worry and perfectionism and control since I was a young child. The idea of practicing joy tells me that it is something that can be learned and that it is a choice I can make, to live my life joyfully. It says nothing about my natural disposition and neither does the Bible qualify those who are promised joy as the "sunshiney perky crowd." I am so thankful for this and I have begun to experience true joy in my life, despite circumstances, as I've looked at it as something I can actively seek and practice.

The first area that I have seen the effects of this change of attitude in is in my approach to mothering. Practicing joy means putting off chores when a child asks to be read to, playing a marathon-length game of Monopoly on occasion, choosing to care for a sick child with kindness instead of impatience and irritation. I think, I hope, most of the time this is something that can't be seen as I know that the person it impacts the most is me. It affects the memories I'm building of my time as a mom to young kids and I want those to be sweet ones.

Practicing joy hugely impacts my marriage. As Gary and I approach the anniversary of our first date (yeah, we're sappy and remember stuff like that), I asked him recently about how he is feeling about our relationship. His comment that I seem more settled and less confrontational is a huge compliment to me. Through the choice to practice joy God has blessed my marriage. I am so thankful for that.

Right now I'm off to practice quiet. Gary and the girls are off skating and Noah is outside playing with a neighbour friend. A Sunday afternoon nap just might be on the schedule.

More later!

Issues

2007-02-27T08:27:00.000-08:00

I've been having Blogger issues and could not log in here for some time. Good grief! Isn't technology supposed to contribute to our leisure? Glad that I could finally get on here to post!

We have come out of our extreme cold spell and into normal winter conditions. Still pretty cold but not too cold to prevent outside play. Towards the end of our 3-week cold snap (with -30C temps and colder), my children just had to go outside. We bundled them up so just their eyes were showing and out they would go, delighted to run and play and jump in the snow. It amazes me how strong this need for play is and how many different ways I see our culture discouraging this natural way of learning. Ours has been a much happier house with some more fresh air and stretched out muscles.

Another sad goodbye yesterday. A young married couple who have become sweet friends of ours have made a very significant life change in moving to SE Asia as career missionaries. We bid them farewell at the airport last night and I displayed my Olympic-calibre ability to shed tears. I admire these women who hold their emotions in so well or who have a few dainty little tears roll down their cheeks. Not me. I go straight for the ugly cry. Thrilled for them and the people group they go to share life and Jesus with, sad for us as we live life without their nearby friendship. I'm telling you, this is a hard place to live in terms of having to say goodbye. And I'm not good at it.

Thank you for the kind comments after I shared my personal journey of motherhood. I'm always cautious about revealing stuff like that, especially online. I think, generally speaking, that we aren't real enough with each other about parenting. Pride gets in the way of sharing how difficult it can be at times. Shouldn't something worth doing cost us something? I know I value the relationship I have with my children even more for the struggles I have had. My goal is to be one happy and doting grandmother!

The above layout is one I worked on at the women's retreat I attended the weekend before last. I so enjoyed having some time to visit and create on Saturday afternoon. I'm convicted even more of how precious it is to be around like-minded women from different walks of life. I missed my family more than usual though and was thrilled to arrive home to Georgia's "Mama, mama, mama!"

More later. And not as later as last time, I promise.

{Love Multiplied}

2007-02-14T13:55:00.000-08:00

Four. Seemed like a nice number that January evening as Gary and I discussed our plans for the future. Recently engaged, there was a whole world of topics that we needed to discuss and decide on, seemingly that day. It wasn't even a hard number to come up with. Gary is the youngest of seven and I am the oldest of two. We both wanted something different than we had experienced and four just seemed like the right number.

Then Noah arrived. And rocked my world. Not in a good way. Those first months of parenting were so desperately difficult. I'm not sure who cried more, the baby or the mother. A difficult birth followed by difficult times. That conversation from the January night years before seemed to mock me. How did I ever think I could do this? Was God angry with me? Why did some women seem to ease into motherhood with such grace and everything in me screamed out for the life I felt I'd lost?

Still, we knew our family was not complete. Olivia came along, an exhilirating birth experience and an easily comforted baby. Not the mother though. Still struggling with fears and worries and sadness beyond my ability to control. Anger and disappointment towards my husband who could not pull me out of this pit. Silence is what I perceived as God's response.

Then came a diagnosis of depression from a wonderful and understanding doctor, a surprise pregnancy, and a peace inside that I had never experienced. An understanding developed of the blessings in my life: my precious kids, an incredibly patient and supportive husband, and a God who had not abandoned me. Another surprise pregnancy followed shortly after Sophie's birth and, with Georgia, we reach the number: FOUR.

There were those who suggested, meaning well, that maybe we should stop having children when we had TWO. I am so glad that God saw fit to bless us with TWO more. There were lessons I needed to learn...in fact, I think the lessons were all part of this bundle of being a mother of four. Life has mellowed. I still struggle. There was a bit of a grieving process over not being this "natural mother." But, you know, I've grown into it. Matured into it. I had a lot of "self" to give up along the way, but I've found a me who is a whole lot more comfortable in her own skin. Happiness is fleeting but joy is everlasting. Love multiplied.

I hope you are having a wonderful Valentines Day. I've been sneaking Hershey's Kisses to my children at different intervals throughout the day, "kissers" as Georgia calls them. Know today that you are loved, dear ones!

On Saying No

2007-02-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

Saying no has never been something that I've been very good at. Give me an opportunity and, for the most part, I will jump at it. An opportunity was presented to me on Thursday with some flattery attached. Initially I thought I would go ahead and accept this but I asked for a few days to talk it over with my husband, think on it, and pray. Once I sorted everything out, I came to the conclusion that this is not a good time for me to add anything more in my life. God is showing me that there are other things filling my life right now. I am feeling a contentment with homeschooling that I haven't experienced in some time, if ever. While I finished teaching the women's Sunday School class in December, I am still actively involved in ministry in a few different roles. Gary has ministry responsibilities that tend to carry over into my life. He is coordinating a class this term and I continue on with my music students. Life is full right now but not in a way that makes me panic. It was time to say no.

So why is it so hard? Why was it hard today to go to this individual, look them in the eye, and say that I cannot do this right now? I think the fact that someone had specifically requested me to fill a role had something to do with that. This request came through a third party and I specifically did not ask who had mentioned my name as I thought that would likely sway me further. Gary has been so good to free me up to do some things outside of caring for our family and initially was encouraging me to accept this, until he heard how settled I am feeling right now. This will be a season (and who knows how long it will last) of a bit more restfulness for me. I'm enjoying the settled feeling I am experiencing at home, not having so many things taking up room in my head. Having enough emotional energy to pray for the things that I do have going on right now. And having the peace to wait on God for further direction.

And that is why I need to sometimes say no.

Yearning for Summer

2007-02-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

It was fun to choose some older photos for this layout. This was our first "real" family vacation. I say "real" because we had been places to visit people for events and such, but this was the first time where the vacation was the point. It was still a combination, as we stayed with my sister and brother-in-law, but we had so much fun going to different places and enjoying some great summer weather. My sister and her husband had just built their first home, a lovely one, in a subdivision with a wonderful lake. It's a man-made lake but designed to be as natural as possible. They hauled in granite for the lake bottom, there is a wonderful sandy beach, and some terrific play structures which we used and abused. It is a "residents only" facility, meaning they pay a yearly fee for access, but we could get in if we were with them. There are even kayaks and canoes available for use. Noah was so funny! He just loves the water and had to be the first one in each time we went, yelling like a banshee all the way into the water, shocked at the initial cold but fully immersed before it really hit him. Good times!

Certainly a contrast with our -20C and colder weather. No break in sight yet. I'm trying to think of a creative way to take our minds off it this weekend. Not sure how to do that yet. Maybe Gary and I will use one of our Christmas gift cards to go out for a pre-Valentines Day dinner? Maybe we will stay home and stage a luau? Maybe we'll just blast the furnace and go through the weekend in t-shirts and shorts? Stay tuned!

Oh, yes I did watch Wife Swap, for those of you who were wondering. Not a stellar program, I doubt you need to be told that. My favourite line was this motocross mom telling the environmentally aware family that "for the next week we'll be throwing our garbage in the garbage can, like normal people." My composting husband (not that he himself is compost, he just has his own bin) got a good eye roll out of that when I related that line to him. (Just to be clear, I'm sure he'd want me to let you know that he doesn't watch the show, nor does he really approve of others watching it either. There. I've given my media review and reprove for the week.)

Off to make this place look like a bomb did NOT indeed go off before Gary comes home from work. Our weekend begins now as he is off tomorrow! More later!

Thought I'd have something to share...

2007-02-06T22:22:00.000-08:00

but I don't! I received a cool book in the mail today that I ordered a while back. It's Easy Patterns for Scrapbooking put out by Creating Keepsakes. Really detailed patterns for creating several different layouts and wasting very little. My kind of thing, I like to have a pattern. I cut all the paper for three 2-page layouts and started putting one together. It turns out that it calls for machine sewing, which I've been wanting to try on a layout for sometime. I take a deep breath and head downstairs to where I've had the sewing machine set up since my mom and I hemmed a pair of pants on New Year's Eve. Someone took the spool of thread off.

I know, doesn't sound like a big problem. This machine, however, is ancient and I no longer have the instruction manual. My mom and I spent a good chunk of time threading it (is that what you say with a sewing machine?) when she was here. I don't remember how we eventually got it to work properly but I thought I would just leave it all assembled with this nice neutral coloured thread. Apparently one of the short little imps around here had a different idea. Hoping to devote some time to this tomorrow. I vow to conquer that machine once and for all!

Everyone seems to be feeling better here. Certainly a strange virus going around, this high fever thing. It's bitterly cold out this week and the forecast shows little change. By February we have just had it with being shut inside. The kids have been quite eager to get bundled up to play outside once they hear the school bus returning their friends from across the street. I'm all for it! They say that little groundhog didn't see his shadow and spring will be early. What does that mean in Saskatchewan? Like May 31st instead of June 1?

More later.

Perfect night of TV viewing...

2007-02-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

In Style Celebrity Weddings followed by an episode of Wife Swap. It doesn't get any better than that. Glimpses into real marriages? I think not. On both counts.

{Personal Space}

2007-01-31T09:48:00.000-08:00

I know of a woman who is a close-talker. She must not know she is, surely you would take a step back if you did know. It really bothers me to have my space invaded like that, to have someone stealing my air. I've always had a keen eye for social conventions and feel for people who are less aware (if this sounds sanctimonious or if you've noticed, for example, that I have a social issue like, I don't know, extreme body odour or halitosis or something, let me know). There are whole characters built around those who are less than comfortable in their own skin or who make others feel this way. I've always enjoyed a good comfortable distance, thank you very much.

Back up to this weekend. After spending about 44 out of 48 hours with a fevered child in my arms or against my body while sleeping, I couldn't take it. These are children who like to burrow. At one point, Sophie had tucked her face right into my armpit to sleep. I asked her if it was a bit smelly to sleep like that and she said, "No, it just smells like shirt." Apparently we can knock extreme body-odour off as an offense, at least against my own family. I told Gary that I just needed a bit of time without anyone touching me. He sent me to the bathtub after dinner with instructions to bring a book and lock the door. I turned on the bathroom fan to block out the noise and filled the tub with steaming water. I stayed in until I was a poached lobster look-alike, read a chapter of my novel, and emerged a very refreshed, if not prunelike, and restored mother.

Last night I was just about ready to climb into my bed when I heard Georgia crying from her room. I went in to find a feverish little girl who couldn't tell me why she was sad. I picked her up and sat with her for a while and she relaxed and went back to sleep. Knowing defeat when I see it, I just tucked her in between Gary and I and spent the night with my own personal heater. No space yet again.

Feeling a bit too close to my family as I woke up this morning, I began the day in avoidance. And then it hit me. It has been years since Olivia has fallen asleep in my arms, even longer since Noah has wanted to have that kind of closeness. My 5-year old has no front teeth. My opportunities for snuggle sleep are fleeting.

Personal space is overrated.

Birthday Banner

2007-01-30T06:53:00.000-08:00

After a half-day at the spa with my husband, I walked in the door of our home to see this banner. The kids popped out from behind the wall and said, "That's just the start, we cleaned the whole house!!" And they did. With the help of their sitter, they tackled every room, vacuumed the living room, and did some major tidying. I could not have been more pleased. They could not have been more pleased with themselves.

I'm just struck over and over by how much we all value work and doing a good job. I am a pretty relaxed homemaker. I know that this is a season of my life, this time at home with little ones but I do get stressed out when I start to feel like "things" are out of control. I have never been a pack-rat and I'm not huge on shopping for household stuff (crafting supplies...well, that's another post altogether). One of my first impressions of Gary, after meeting his roommates and visiting his apartment, was of how little "stuff" he had. I was so drawn to that as it flew in the face of what many of our contemporaries were doing with their apartments, dorm rooms, etc. Nevertheless, life comes with stuff and kids come with even more stuff. I struggle to stay on top of the paper, the clutter, the toys. I am more and more convicted of how we all benefit from being able to walk through a room without stepping on something and I am constantly looking to organize our stuff better. This is not a large home, it's even a "smallish" home by today's bigger-means-better standards. We long to stay here, in part to ward off the collection of even more stuff.

Literally two minutes after our sitter left on Friday, sickness invaded our home. A weekend with little on the calendar changed into a weekend of constant care of our two youngest daughters. I was able to escape for a bath on Sunday evening after holding one or the other of them for about 40 hours. Ahhhhh, that felt great. I've not seen either of them that ill for a long long time. I just rearranged out schedule today, canceling an afternoon lesson, so that I can just focus here again today. Serenity now! Poor Georgia, she wanted to be at the dinner table last night but could not hold her head up to even take a bite.

Speaking of stuff...I got a great order of stamps and accessories from Stampin' Up a couple of days ago. I've assembled all the stamps and now just need to carve out some time to create. Easier said than done.

Have a great Tuesday! More later.

Natural Performer

2007-01-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

This layout is of Olivia's Christmas Recital last month. Poor kid, I didn't bring her music because she had both of her pieces memorized. What I didn't understand was that she planned to play them both as duets with her piano teacher. I was just happy we all got there in time and hair was brushed, come on! It didn't phase her in the least, she got up and played her two songs beautifully. O Come, All Ye Faithful and Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine were heard through the house for a good part of December.

Being a musician myself, I struggle to know the line between encouragement and nagging. I don't want to be a controlling mother but, honestly, this is a talented child. My oldest plays the guitar and is doing quite well. My third is already lined up to start taking violin lessons by this fall (she has an incredible ear and may prove to be the most talented of all of us). However, Olivia has this drive and dedication that will see her go far. I don't think I've asked her more than a handful of times in the last 18 months to practice. She is diligent and thorough, much more than I can say for my own approach. She has a marvelous attention span. Just need to keep myself in check so I don't turn her off.

If I don't show up tomorrow, don't be concerned. I'll just be adjusting to my new age. Yes, another year to celebrate. My husband has terrific plans for the two of us. We're heading to a nearby city for lunch and a long soak in the mineral spa. He booked a massage for me at 3:15. We plan to be back here by 7 to eat cake with our children, put them to bed, and enjoy a quiet evening. I cannot wait!!!

WIP Wednesday

2007-01-24T07:36:00.000-08:00

It's a Stitch-a-thon Week at Cross Stitch Crazy, a message board I have been a part of for almost six years and a place where I've met some dear dear friends. I try to participate and actually have had more success this past year since the curse of the SAT has been lifted from me. In years past, it was inevitable: SAT meant I would not have an opportunity to even look at my stitching during that week. The last couple of nights it has been wonderful to snuggle up on the couch and enjoy some quiet stitching after the little ones have gone to bed. This is my progress on Thoughtful Heart by Shepherd's Bush. Stitched with one strand of silk floss and oodles of delicious specialty stitches. Gary gave this to me a couple of years ago for my birthday or our anniversary (can't remember which) and I've finally decided to stop hoarding these kits and use them up!

Feeling a bit sad today as I know my friend is leaving for BC and her new home there. Sigh. Seems like this is a common occurrence in this city, saying goodbye. We have practiced this several times over the last eight years that we've lived here. This city seems to be just the right size for transition: people move here from a smaller centre and use it as a stepping stone to where they really want to go. We have other friends going through a tough time, faced with some decisions. I had a good little cry last night and a conversation with my husband about how I need to guard my heart. It's great to be invested in others but I cannot feel responsible for their decisions and I cannot let it affect how I function. A bit too tender, perhaps. So, I pray and carry on with my own life which needs enough attention. Finding that balance between sharing burdens and becoming incapacitated by things I have no control over will likely be something I struggle with my whole life.

School. Oh yeah, I guess we should do some! Have a great day! I so appreciate the kind comments left on here. It's wonderful to know that you find dropping by here worthy of your time! Blessings on your day.

Morning Meeting

2007-01-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3 (NASB)

After a few tough days of busy schedules, demanding children, feelings of inadequacy, and endless tasks, this is how the Lord chose to bless me this morning. Before the school day had started, I glanced over from the computer desk and saw this most beautiful sight. She's seven years old. She plays the piano and loves crafts. She's easily frustrated with herself and uncommonly merciful with others. She was my reminder, as this week began, to focus my time on things of eternal value, that this is the WHY in answer to the question about the choices I have made. Let no one look down on you because you are young.

Doesn't this verse fit perfectly with my "one little word" for 2007, LISTEN? How cool! I am planning to do a scrapbooking layout that focuses on that word, but I'm not sure what it will look like yet. I am in need of some general type cards, I used up five cards this weekend so it's time to replenish the stock. Besides, then I have stuff to show you, right?

A couple more things have cleared off my schedule and I'm wondering what that means for opportunities over the next few months. I had agreed, last year, to be a part of the worship team for the upcoming womens' retreat at our church. A good friend of mine has led several times over the last few years and I turned her down last year, just wanting to go and participate, but I promised her my services for this year. She hadn't contacted me about it so I asked yesterday and found out that someone else is leading the music and she is leading a session instead. Woohoo! No rehearsals or extra pieces to learn, the retreat is just weeks away and that is cutting it close for me to feel prepared. Yesterday afternoon I met, for the last time, with one of the young women I've been mentoring since May. She's moving to BC on Wednesday. I am so excited for her but it was a very difficult goodbye. I've grown to love her and am so delighted to have had the privilege to watch her mature in her faith over the last several months. So cool. There are a couple of rumblings of ministry possibilities but nothing concrete as of yet. Maybe I'm entering a more relaxed season. Or maybe there is something around the corner that I cannot yet see. I suppose at this point my role is to listen and "eagerly watch."

The Manicures

2007-01-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

My Mom is a really good mother but she's an even better grandmother. When Grandma comes the girls know that certain things will happen: there will likely be some kind of shopping, she will sing to them at bedtime, she will give them their baths, they can go down to her bed in the night instead of coming to our room, and nails and hair will be done. They don't ask me to do this, but it's a given that Grandma will. I know that she buys certain shades with them in mind and they are so excited to see if the selection has changed. One by one they make their way to the table to be filed and polished and fussed over. The girls are only 7, 5, and 4, but this has been going on for years already. She has even inspired some of her friends to start this ritual with their granddaughters. I love that she does this and the way the girls respond. Absolutely priceless.

I often think that Proverbs 31 speaks of the inner beauty of a woman, the character that makes a godly woman worthy of praise:

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (vv. 28-30)

The passage certainly does speak to what endures but it certainly doesn't speak against physical beauty and attention. Look at v. 22:

She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Do you think she might have, given the opportunity, polished her granddaughters' nails? What I do know is that these little manicure sessions are about a lot more than getting the nails done. There is lasting relational stuff going on during these moments. And that is truly beautiful.

li-s&n

2007-01-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

Main Entry: 1lis·ten
Pronunciation: 'li-s&n
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): lis·tened; lis·ten·ing /'lis-ni[ng], 'li-s&n-i[ng]/
Etymology: Middle English listnen, from Old English hlysnan; akin to Sanskrit srosati he hears, Old English hlud loud
transitive verb, archaic : to give ear to : HEAR
intransitive verb
1 : to pay attention to sound
2 : to hear something with thoughtful attention : give consideration
3 : to be alert to catch an expected sound
- lis·ten·er /'lis-n&r, 'li-s&n-&r/ noun

I especially like the thoughtful attention bit in #2.

{two}

2007-01-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

Two. The number of sympathy cards I made last night to send out to members of our church family. The first to a sweet lady who lost her husband. A hard-working farm couple, they had not yet fully retired and I am sad for her. Sad that she has lost her companion after many many years of marriage. Sad that she had no idea that his life would end with a sudden heart attack just after Christmas. Thankful that she has the assurance of seeing her husband, who lived a faithful life, again when she enters heaven. Thankful that this earthly body is just a shell and this earth my temporary home. A reminder to spend time on things of eternal significance. I'm praying for her as she reorders her life in the days and weeks to come.

The second card goes to a young couple. A couple married, I believe, less than two years. A couple overjoyed with the impending arrival of their first child. I'm not certain that I've seen a couple more excited to welcome a little one. Just six weeks shy of full-term, this precious child's earthly life is not to be. Grieving for them and praying for God to help them through this difficult time. Unsure of what to write inside this card, words seem inadequate. Covering them in prayer and for them to know the love of a Father who can handle even their biggest wounds.

This has been a weekend full of thoughts for me. I am faced with saying goodbye to a young lady who has become an important part of my life, a dear friend, and a motivation to grow in my spiritual life. It is time for her to make a significant move in her life and it has been so cool to see her wait on God for this direction. I've had the sweet pleasure of meeting with two young women as we walk through a discipleship Bible study together. As a mentor, I expected work, questions, and feelings of inadequacy. Instead I've received unspeakable joy as I've been challenged and motivated by these new believers seeing parts of the Bible for the first time. It has been a privilege to meet with them and pray for them, to cheer them on as they pursue this relationship. Our meetings will now consist of {two} of us instead of three. Amazing how God stores away unexpected blessings for us just when we most need them. Wonderful how He is right there when we LISTEN for His voice.

Blessings on your week. I'm looking forward to no extra meetings or commitments. Hopefully more crafty posts to come!

Road Trip Layout

2007-01-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

Our first camping trip this summer was enhanced by a few road trips (and a welcome escape to the indoors). On this very hot day we made a drive from our campsite in Cypress Hills to the T-Rex Discovery Centre in Eastend. I had not travelled this corner of the province much before and there are definitely more cattle than people! We had a great day, the centre itself is a firstrate attraction, and we enjoyed exploring this little town after our tour (and had a great meal at a local restaurant called "Jack's"). All in all, this week long trip was a huge success for us and we are looking ahead to planning another camping trip this summer.

Funny I should write about this trip today as the weather is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. At 2:30 PM my thermometer is showing -27C (about -20F). We've managed to escape the blizzards that ripped through most of the province yesterday but this is curl-up-by-the-fire-with-a-good-book-and-hot-chocolate kind of weather. Hard to convince me of global warming on a day like today. And don't bother sending me links to the contrary. Until I can pick a lemon from my own tree in this yard I will remain unconvinced.

I am challenging myself this year to use up more of what I have in craft supplies, both stitching and scrapbooking. I may have already cheated a bit since I have a few orders coming from various sources that were placed before I made this admirable decision. However, today I stumbled across these great albums: http://www.americancrafts.com/subcategory.php?id=21&sub=72 and now I have to have them. I have one more album to fill up (one of a set of two I purchased at Costco a few years back, nothing special) and then I am going to make the move to these Modern Albums. How cool that the covers are chipboard! Just think of the possibilities. Okay, deep breath. I was going to try and do 50 layouts with no purchases. I think I can say with relative certainty that that is just not going to happen.

My parents are visiting this weekend so I'm off to scrub things. They have more of a penchant for cleanliness than I do. Without a doubt.

A Publication Ban

2007-01-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

LISTEN. I've decided that is the word for 2007. You know, I think I am a pretty good listener. To a select group of people. Ahhhh, therein lies the problem, especially since the bulk of that select group is not composed of immediate family members. Oh, I hear the requests for juice, snacks, stories, etc. but I'm not sure that I am a very good listener to what is behind those needs. I pretty regularly say, "I don't even want to HEAR it!" when there is a dispute going on. Well, truth be told, a lot of the time I don't, but I do want to truly be a listener to my children, my husband, my friends and...well, most importantly, my God. I have a love of the Word that surprises me, a true wonder at the perfection of Scripture. But I don't always listen to what God is saying to me, telling me, asking of me, commanding me. That's my word, my goal, my prayer, my heart's desire for 2007.

Okay, I'm pretty sure that the Youth Criminal Justice Act of 2003 (formerly known as the Young Offenders Act of 1984) prohibits publication of the name of the juvenile offender in our home. This individual, age 5, is being charged with Disturbing the Peace and, more seriously, Crimes Against Humanity. Seriously, this child has been sent to teach me a myriad of lessons: mercy, patience, discernment, how to breathe, the importance of having a bathroom door that locks, the value of good chocolate. There is a true struggle within me as I look to parent this child well. The other 3 are much more textbook but this one defies all conventional wisdom. She is talented, beautiful, and so so intelligent. She's small, weighing in at only 34 lbs., but she can make up for that in volume and attitude. This one is driving me to prayer (which is a good thing). I so desire that these 4 have a wonderful friendship when they are grown, that they truly enjoy being with each other. This one may have to turn from her criminal tendencies in order for that to be realized.

I have a sadness and disappointment about something outside our family that I can't really get into. I am so very thankful for the leadership my husband is shown, that he is a faithful friend and compassionate man, but that he is a man of integrity seeking after the heart of God and is unswerving in his pursuit of that. No more really needs to be said.

I have a scrapbooking layout and a stitching WIP (Work in Progress) that I will share soon. Stay tuned. Oh, and if you see the juvenile mentioned above, she is not considered to be a threat to the community. It's really just the immediate family that we need to be concerned about.

More later.

Time to Breathe

2007-01-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhhh, what a glorious afternoon! We're still on holidays from Sunday School and were home from the first service at church today by 10:30. We had an early lunch, cleaned up, and I dashed out to Costco to pick up some photos. Gary and the kids went out when I came home, for several hours! They went over to skate at our friends' house and then over to the church to set up for the Perspectives class that starts tomorrow night. I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet, it's been quite some time since I've had the house to myself. Took me a while to get into a groove but I did manage to create this layout. I am excited with how it turned out and I even tried some different things with it. Very fun.

So, have you chosen your word yet? I'm still working on mine. I'm thinking it might be MOVE. As in MOVE your body, make a MOVE, MOVE in relationship. I don't know. There are too many words that could work. I'm the most indecisive person I know. Maybe it should be MAKE, as in MAKE up your mind...

This was a wonderful weekend. We planned very little as Noah had a soccer tournament scheduled. They lost their game on Friday night 3-1 and then yesterday afternoon 6-5 (a total nail biter, a terrific match) so they were out of the tournament earlier than we thought. That left last night and this afternoon free. I went for a walk last night. I'm happy to report that I walked 3 times this past week. Maybe I'm getting back into a good habit? I might even head out again yet tonight..

Ohhhh, the mystery event! Well, we were asked to a do a short bit of filming for an upcoming announcement for the ladies retreat our church is holding in February. They do some pretty snazzy announcements from time to time. Basically they shot four very short snippets. The first was Gary and I standing in the kitchen and he says, "Honey, you go for the weekend, I'll stay home with the kids." The next scene is Gary standing in the middle of the kitchen with all four children (literally) running around him in circles screaming. The next bit shows Gary pointing directly into the camera saying, "Men, I challenge you to a weekend alone with your kids!" The last bit shows me running out the front door and down the driveway with my luggage with the kids watching silently from the doorway. I thought it might be run in the service today but it sounds like we will have the worldwide premier next week. I'll let you know how it looks once edited and if it goes over well. Our kids had an absolute blast participating and it was great incentive to get the house cleaned up on a Friday afternoon.

This week marks our return to routine: homeschooling, music lessons, teaching for me, etc. I hope that your post-holiday reality check is revealing blessings in the everyday. I'm praying for patience and wisdom as I head to the kitchen table with the children to resume our lessons tomorrow. Oh, and I think I'll come armed with a full mug of coffee, just in case.

{evidence}

2007-01-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

I promised and I deliver. Here is evidence that I really do stitch. This is my current work in progress, Thoughtful Heart by Shepherd's Bush. It is stitched with lovely Au Ver a Soie Silk fibres that I delight in working with. Wonderful. I did mess up the Ukrainian Satin Stitch in the upper right corner block and will probably go back and correct it. Hard to work white on white though and I just didn't have the patience to correct it last night. This is stitching up quickly. When we left for my MIL's on Christmas Day, I had only stitched A, B, and C. Wonderful project and I am really enjoying the peace it is bringing me to work on it in the evenings.

THE FUNNIEST conversation in the van yesterday. We were discussing polar bears as there had been a short news talk bit about how the climate change is impacting animals of the north. Noah and Olivia started asking questions about extinction and I could just see the wheels turning in Georgia's head. She said, "How do they get extinct? By a skunk??" It took me a while to realize that what she was hearing was the "stink" part of the word. Oh man! She is very offended if we laugh at her but Gary and I had an absolute roar about it last night. So funny how they process words and figure things out.

I've been thinking about direction for 2007...I've always resisted the whole resolution thing. It just seems destined for failure right from the start for an undisciplined gal like myself. I read a neat blog and newsletter by a superb scrapbooker named Ali Edwards (see her blog here: http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/). I love the idea of choosing a word for the year for focus in scrapbooking. I'm throwing a few words around at this point: home, create, simplify, thankful, purpose. I'll let you know what I decide.

Neat reprieve from real life today. I thought we had to jet off to the conservatory for a piano lesson but checked the notebook last night to find that we don't start back until the 12th. This afternoon will be grocery time and Noah has a soccer tournament that starts tonight. Other than his few games this weekend and a "mystery event" tonight that I can't tell you about yet, our weekend is relatively light. Hope you are looking forward to some relaxing moments over the next couple of days!

Christmas Decoration Critique

2007-01-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

I went for a nice walk last night while my husband finished preparing dinner (I think he walked in and saw the look on my face and suggested I go for a walk all in about 8.9 seconds...perceptive guy). Southern Saskatchewan currently gets about 8 hours of daylight, from 9AM to 5PM, give or take. It has been beautiful here, above freezing even, and I enjoyed getting out in the twilight. It gave me a great opportunity to take a neighbourhood inventory of Christmas decorating and I thought, in good fun, I would offer my thoughts on what's tacky, what's classic, and what's just wrong. Here it goes!

Plastic Santas and Mrs. Claus (the light-up variety): tacky
Nativities that don't include the above couple: classic
Nativites that do include the above couple: just wrong
Huge inflatable snowmen or santas: tacky
Swirly lighted trees: classic
Icicle lights: so 1998
Garland with or without red bows: classic
Red bows for no apparent reason: tacky
Upside-down Christmas trees: don't get me started
Lighted reindeer on the lawn: surprisingly classic
Multi-colored Christmas lights: classic (purple and pink are borderline, however)
Fake huge candy-canes: classic, unless they are carving a path to the manger, then tacky
Snowflakes in the window: classic, even better if they are paper cut-out snowflakes
Strings of lights with 3 or more bulbs burnt out: tacky and incriminating
Wreaths: classic (I saw a cool gumdrop wreath posted somewhere that I am soooo going to try for next year)

Okay, this is all just for my own amusement. I do find it interesting to see how people choose to celebrate and the memories that flood back when you see different styles or items. What are the best and worst of what you saw this season?

Card Box and the New Year

2007-01-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

This was such a fun project! For some unknown reason I felt I had time to do this in the few days leading up to Christmas. I guess I needed to do something more creative than wrapping gifts for a couple of hours. This box was a class I missed at my local scrapbooking store. I doubted my competence but altering stuff with patterned paper is turning out to be one of my favourite things! Another surprise to me is that I am drawn to funky retro papers. When I look through magazines and galleries, I just love the distressed look. Duplicating that look seems to be less successful for me than I thought. Still finding my own style.

January started in a less than pleasant way: either the mix of foods I consumed yesterday didn't agree with me or I caught some kind of a stomach bug. My parents left after visiting us for a few days and I was looking forward to having some time to scrapbook or cross stitch this afternoon and evening. However, it was not to be and I spent a lot of the day not feeling well. I'm starting to feel a bit better now and I'm hoping for a good sleep tonight.

I have been stitching! I'll post an update soon. I've been working on Thoughtful Heart by Shepherd's Bush and am loving working with wonderful silks again. I always think of Holly, my SB partner in crime, when I work on a SB kit or design. I needed something to do while at my MIL's from the 25th-28th and managed to get a few good hours of work in while my children were entertained by their cousins.

Hope your week is off to a good start. Are you making any goals for yourself this year? I still need to think this over for a bit but I am definitely doing some reflecting this week. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy New Year!!!

2006-12-31T21:48:00.000-08:00

Oh my stars, what happened to the last 10 days? I hope your holidays have been as full as mine. If you are like me though, you're ready for "real life" to return. With a most sincere heart I wish you a Happy New Year! May blessings and lessons be showered on you!

Simple Baby Card

2006-12-21T07:04:00.000-08:00

More and more I find myself drawn to clean lines and simple images. This is one of the first cards that looks like what I had pictured in my mind. I tend to use a lot of ink and have always liked "dirty" or shabby looks, but this clean and simple thing might be more up my alley. Sure didn't take long to make!

I used Bashful Blue Craft ink to stamp the square with Great Shapes. The sentiment is stamped in Chocolate Chip and is from the Graceful Words set. I used the "Welcome Little One" stamp from Riveting, stamped it with Bashful Blue Craft ink, then punched it out with the 1-1/2" circle punch, filled the centre in with a button from Fresh Favourites. I added a bit of glitter with a Sakura clear gel pen and found the soft blue ribbon in my stash. The paper is gorgeous Fabriano Medieovalis, wonderful to stamp on and work with. All supplies from Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

I have a card to make as a thank you to a friend who picked up a bookshelf for us earlier this year. I have a bunch of Tim's gift certificates to put in it but I just seem a bit stumped with the card. Hopefully I can get it together tonight and post for you tomorrow. Today is cleaning day around here, the kids and I go to get our hair cut (and a bit of colour for me) this afternoon, and then tonight I am meeting a couple of girlfriends for dinner. Only 4 more sleeps!!!!

Gingerbread Joy

2006-12-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

I have a lot to share today! Obviously these are pics of our gingerbread construction session. All I can say is "Hail the Costco buyers" for bringing in these $9.99 kits. We had a great time putting this together and there wasn't even any icing to mix, just a bag to submerge in warm water for a short period of time. Everyone worked cooperatively and we are quite pleased with the results, it even smells like gingerbread in here! Georgia did have some trouble during the assembly. "The candies keep falling in my mouth, Mommy!" Darn gravity. Never works the way we want it to.

New topic: Olivia's piano recital. Olivia played on Sunday afternoon at her Christmas recital. She chose to play "Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful." Okay, I know this is going to sound like your typical mother bragging session but can I just say that this child oozes talent? She is this cool little cucumber who walks on the stage and plays like she has been doing this her whole life. This is her second year of lessons and I am so delighted with what she has accomplished. She finished her Suzuki Book One at the end of November so will be moving on to new things after Christmas. The recital was piano and violin. Here's the thing: Sophie wants to play the violin. The violin is a pain-inducing instrument if the recital we listened to is an accurate measure of what we can expect. Gary and I both have well-trained musical ears and we were cringing at some of the pitch issues. Sophie seems to have excellent pitch, based on her singing voice, but I'm not sure if we're up to this or not. We'll have to wait and see on that one.

Packages are mailed, including a Neighbourhood Round Robin cross stitch piece that is winging its way to Pam (if you're reading this, Pam, it was sent express post on Monday night). Tonight is my last night of music lessons before the break. I have some more baking to do and wrapping has yet to begin but I feel a sense of peace about this whole season. The Sunday School class I was teaching ended on Sunday and it was just excellent prep leading into Christmas in understanding why Jesus came and the beauty of God's plan of redemption woven through Scripture. Good stuff! No, perfect stuff!

I'll have a baby card to share tomorrow for some friends of ours in Ontario. You start to feel a bit old when your friend's children start having babies...

'Twas the Monday before Christmas

2006-12-18T08:34:00.000-08:00

and all through the house, all the children were hyper, you couldn't hear a mouse. The stockings were hung with lackluster care, in hopes that Miss Sophie would stop sticking things in there.

Seriously, the girl checks her stocking every morning, "just in case." We are full tilt into our last week of Christmas prep. All the Sunday school teachers have been given their tins of caramel corn, Christmas cards (22) were stuffed into church mailboxes yesterday morning, and stocking stuffers were purchased last night at the now 24/7 Walmart. I have yet to mail my packages or out of town cards, a little backwards, but hope to get those things out in the next day or so. We have a gingerbread kit ready to be assembled sometime today and I have a bit more baking to do, stuff we will keep instead of giving away. The only thing in question is the state of our laundry. Last time I checked, it still hadn't learned how to do itself.

I bought some Mod Podge yesterday at Walmart. I have some biggish chipboard projects in mind that I plan to use it for. Not sure if I will get to play with it before Christmas or not but a pot of glue?? How cool!

Wishing you joy, love and peace as you enter into this last week before Christmas!

{Bethlehem Journey}

2006-12-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night's tour of Bethlehem was so neat! The kids did a great job remembering their lines (Noah and Olivia had a lot to remember!) and Sophie looked angelic (remember...looks can be deceiving!). It's always exciting to see the kids dressed up and part of something. Especially as homeschooled children, I just love to see them jump in and be part of the group. Let me tell you, my four bash all of those "socialization" fears right out of the water. They are in there like a bunch of dirty shirts!

Such a timely production, this drama really was an encouragement to me to follow the star, to chase after something more in Christmas than what the mall has to offer. We just returned from our weekly Costco trip and had to stop by the mall downtown for a couple of things (including an adorable coat for my youngest girl, but I digress...). I remember standing in our kitchen a few Christmasses ago, preparing breakfast for my family, thinking that it wasn't that much different than any other day. I was struck then at how meaningless and trivial it could all seem without the eternal value of celebrating the Christ child. Jesus has always been part of my Christmas but that was a moment of adult clarity, of knowing that the gifts were all opened, the food would soon be consumed, and hours of work would be exchanged for a few minutes of holiday fun. How very thankful I am that Christmas follows me through the year, that the Bethlehem star is one I chase every day, and that the baby born so many years ago didn't just come to give us a good December celebration, that His primary focus was, in fact, our Easter redemption. I hope your Christmas is about more than what you can find in the mall, even more than you can find at Hallmark!

I have to show you a pic of these cookies I made. I'm not sure what drove me to try this magazine recipe (the current Canadian Living) except that I had a few lemons in the new fridge. These might be the only "Martha moment" I have this year. I was thinking about that as I garnished these beauties yesterday and decided that Martha likely would have made her bed. Please note: they taste as good as they look!

Christmas Tags and a Card for Fun

2006-12-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

It was so nice to sit down last night and get a few of these gift tags out of the way. I am pretty good at making sure we have enough wrapping paper in the house via end of season sales. Gift tags, ribbons, etc. always seem superfluous...until I'm wrapping a gift. Not this year! I got the jump on these tags last night while relaxing with my dh. After I had finished making about 16-20 of them, I felt like watercoloring something so I stamped the house and decided to make a card just for fun. This won't be one I'll mass produce, too much time, but I really like how it turned out. We have a gingerbread house kit waiting for assembly, maybe tomorrow. All supplies are from Stampin' Up, except for the cardstock for the gingerbread card. That is stamped on some yummy Fabriano Medioevalis paper I ordered from StarLit Studio.

Tonight is a Christmas play at church. My oldest two each have a fairly significant speaking role and Sophie is an angel (typecasting, I know). It is an interesting format. There are 5 times of 3 "travellers" who will take groups on an "interactive tour of Bethlehem." The "travellers" (Noah and Olivia are both cast in one of these roles) have a dialogue that they perform while escorting a group through the church to various locations (ie. Bethlehem Inn, the census registry, the manger, etc.). They've had extra practices for several weeks for the speaking parts and we have been rehearsing at home. Energies are high here today!

Evidence of wildlife?

2006-12-11T19:14:00.000-08:00

In the last two weeks we've had a lot of snow. I know, that shouldn't surprise me, this IS Saskatchewan, after all. It seems like this is the land of extremes. We had a gorgeous fall and in a matter of just a few days we were rudely catapulted right into winter. Frozen rain followed by deep freeze temperatures. Driving around the city you would think that we imported our citizens from a tropical country, such is the icy road amnesia that afflicts a good portion of the population every time fresh snow falls. I prefer to stay in.

When I do have to venture out, however, it's always a bit of a thrill to see the brilliant diamonds sparkling on yards where the snow is untouched. A sheet of white blankets yards connecting houses in an uninterrupted twinkling whiteness. Over the past few days, temperatures have begun to rise but most yards remain pristine. Except ours. As my husband said on our way to church yesterday morning, "It looks like a herd of buffalo stormed across our front yard!" Happy to say the rest of the neighbourhood, save for the corners of one or two lots, remains in perfect snow sheet condition. I think I've seen this particular herd before. They are the same creatures that track loads of sand across my kitchen floor during the warmer months. Peculiar migratory patterns but I think we'll just let them continue on. Our lot may not look as pretty but it's all evidence of fun.

"Isn't She Lovely" or Thank You, Stevie Wonder

2006-12-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

This isn't the shot I was going for. I was trying different settings with the camera, pretending I know a lot more about it than I actually do. Quite honestly, I was a bit annoyed that this particular 4-year old couldn't leave me to do "my stuff" for a few minutes so I tried to snap around her. And then this is what I upload. If I could freeze her right now, at this very age and stage of cuteness, I would be very tempted to do so. Thanks, Stevie Wonder. What other song could I have going through my head looking at this photo?

Several envelopes are addressed. I'm beginning to think this Christmas card confession was good for more than the soul. Canada Post, lick your chops, I just might be contributing to your bottom line this year. I bought 4 lbs. of butter at Costco today in preparation for the Caramel Corn production line of 2006. At last count there were 12 gift tins to be filled. I'm off to look through my stamp sets for possible tag images to finish off these festive tins.

Just a warning: tomorrow is Saturday. A Saturday in December. Avoid shopping if you can. It's just not worth the aggravation and there is no possible way you will find the perfect gift. Even if you did, I'm sure someone would ram you with a cart. I'm telling you, it's not worth it. Stay home. Make some hot chocolate. Make a shopping list if you must. Just don't risk catching the wrong kind of Christmas spirit.

Tie me down!

2006-12-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

This Christmas resolve is getting out of control! I finished, yes I did say finished, assembling those Christmas cards last night. Now comes the hard part though...writing in them, addressing the envelopes and mailing them out. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting down last night and putting them together. Of course, I can't post a pic here. That would ruin the surprise. Just trust me, it's cute! We zoomed through school this morning so we could do a good cleaning/rearranging of the living room before lunch. This afternoon the kids and I put up the tree, decorated it, and put out the Christmas ornaments. Such fun memories and it was delightful to see my four working together as a team. Makes me a wee bit sparkly excited.

Growing up, we always did exactly the same thing on the tree decorating day. We drove out to this trailer park north of the river, picked out a tree, shoved it in the trunk of the car, and thanked the man in the coveralls for the Christmas orange. We'd come home, get the tree set up in the living room, and have a dinner of chili and bread. Then, after the dishes were done, we'd decorate. A couple hours later the tree would fall down and we would reassemble. I'm quite serious when I say every year. My parents are like that.

Last night, my husband and I were discussing our schedule over the next few weeks, deciding when school would end before the holidays (we homeschool), and he suggested that the kids and I decorate the tree today. There were a number of reasons why I initially thought that wasn't a good idea but I didn't verbalize them. Mostly, I thought this should be an evening event, I should be making some chili, is a girl even ALLOWED to string the lights on the tree?? By lunch today, with four very eager children, I knew that his suggestion was a great one. We have few evenings free over the next couple of weeks and we really want to relax when those do happen. While Gary enjoys the end product, I'm not sure that it makes or breaks his Christmas to unwrap each and every little treasure. I've got four happy children, currently watching Elf, who can hardly wait to show their Daddy what a good job they did. I should listen to my husband. At least once a year.

Pictures to follow when I capture that elusive beautiful tree shot.

Christmas Card Confessions

2006-12-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to make Christmas gifts for years but rarely get the time to do so. I haven't received many homemade gifts either but, when I do, they are absolute treasures. I hope the things I give this year will be able to convey how I feel about the recipients. These bracelets are my late night work from last night. I bought bracelet kits from 7gypsies, used Crate Paper and BG Fruitcake, and Crystal Effects. It was so much easier than I thought! If they don't want them, I'll gladly take them back. Especially the Christmassy one, I think it's my favourite.

I'm determined to not let this Christmas stuff get complicated but to also not let this year go by without doing the special things I want to do. Enter the Christmas card secret I've kept hidden for some time. Deep breath....I haven't sent out cards since 1999. What's worse is that I spent a small fortune on supplies for cards 2 years ago, made the cards but didn't assemble them. There are 40 of them. They're cute. It wouldn't take a long time to put them together. Deep breath. I can do this. If you would like to be on my list and think I don't have your address, please email it to me and we'll work it out. This Christmas or next. For sure.

Mornings are too early

2006-12-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

We're at that time of year here in the serene north where daylight hours are precious and few. The sun doesn't rise until about 9:00 AM and my children usually rise earlier than that. The sun sets before 5:00 PM. It is the time of year of much yawning and coffee, my chosen performance enhancing substance. It's either that or go to bed early. Who would want to do that? The hours after bedtime for the younger set in this household are blessedly quiet and demand-free. I can fold laundry at my leisure. Read a book quietly. Work on my Bible studies. Have a cold drink that I don't have to share. Talk to my husband (should that be further up the list than laundry, likely so). Watch a television show without a cutesy theme song and a talking animal.

Crafting, both cross stitch and paper crafting, speaks to my need to create in those late hours. After a full day of endless tasks (aforementioned laundry, meal prep and dishes, housework, child washing) and demands on me to teach and engage (wonderful activities, I know), I crave a little time to use another part of my brain. To use my hands to make something lovely instead of something loving. Just for a while. That's what fulfills the "me me me" that feels need to be heard. I've been thinking about this as I know there are some who think that, at this stage, outside pursuits are frivolous, that all energies should be focused on children and homemaking. Indulge me for a moment as I work with this thought...is it possible that this need to create comes from being made in the image of our Creator? The Genesis account of Creation attests to the diversity of what God made. All things were purposeful but, maybe some creation was for the purpose of beauty and His enjoyment? I heard a cool sermon once (that's about as specific as my memory is of late) that we will never be satisfied here because we were, in the image of God, designed for perfection. I wonder about the connection between this and the need to make something with our hands, something that just speaks to that desire of beauty, symmetry, loveliness.

Okay, serious need for coffee. Above is a card I made a week or two ago with a new Stampin Up! set. The heart is chipboard that I covered in patterened paper and then sanded the edges. The buttons are SU! and the matted edges were distressed with...wait for it...the edge of my fingernail. Enjoy!

{Big learning curve}

2006-12-04T07:13:00.000-08:00

I've never been quick to embrace "the latest" in anything. I'm thinking I would have been one of the ones to say that television was "just a fad." In the last month or so we've purchased both a digital camera and a new computer. A MAC no less. Can you say "big learning curve?" I feel like parts of my regular routine--checking email, posting on message boards, even checking the weather--require a lot more brain power than they did just in October. I wonder if it's a waste to have this fancy machine and not know much about it. Then I see a digital pic like this and I wonder what we were thinking in delaying.

These hands belong to my 9-year old. The photo was taken at Agribition, a huge agriculture and livestock exhibition we spent a day at just over a week ago. The chicken people have a nifty display of newborn chicks that they allow the children to hold and my 4 are fascinated by this. However, this photo is not really about the chick for me. It's those hands. Those hands that I inspected when they were just a few hours old, counting the fingers and marvelling at their perfection. Those hands that started to hold things, those little fingers that curled around mine. Those hands that were washed countless times in a day after eating finger food (like spaghetti), playing in the dirt, and touching everything they could. Those hands that slipped into mine to cross a busy street. Those hands that curled around a pencil to write a name for the first time, to form the letters of the alphabet. Those same hands now play guitar, write whole stories, have the ability to hold a lot of candy at a time. They rarely slip into mine to cross a street anymore and he can wash them himself, although not always as thoroughly as I would like. I am the mother of those hands and the half grown person that is attached to them. I still love those hands.

Here's a pic of what I've been working on:

2006-12-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

These terrific tins are from Maya Road, all stamped images are Stampin' Up. These will be gifts for the children of special friends. I'm really pleased with how they turned out.