Not only did my handsome hubby and amazing children get me some beautiful gifts but I also was blessed to spend it with all my children and handsome hubby.
We spend Christmas morning together enjoying being around each other, taking our time opening presents and just being our family. Then we all headed in town to see my side of the family. My Mom and Dad, two sisters and their hubbies and my brother and his wife ( whom came all the way from Thailand for the season) were all their. Some various nieces and nephews as well.
This time was precious. My parents are both in their 80's, my brother and his wife I haven't seen in 3 years. How wonderful of a day could it possibly have been you ask? Pretty darn wonderful I say.
( I will be posting pics soon as I get a chance to sit down and upload them)
Then the next day we headed to Rob's parents for another Christmas celebration. This time it was all of Rob's family except a niece and our middle son was there. ( I probably should mention that with only missing two members the entire family that was there was 10. Two parents, two sons, two spouses and two kids to each brother and two missing. Sounds like a trend. :) )
This was also a blast. Lots of laughs and time spent being with each other.
I have spent a lot of time this season being surrounded by family and honestly I loved all most of it. Memories were made and memories were remembered. Times that I know I will look back on with love and treasure forever.
Thanks be to God for making this happen, for giving my hubby the time off, for making sure my brother and his wife could be down, for having not only my parents but also my hubbies parents still alive and well, for giving my the chance to spend Christmas morning with the five of us and for most of all sending His Son to die for us.
What a wonderful time!! It is the night before Christmas and I finally have a few moments to enjoy. I have just a couple more things to do and then it is bedtime for me.
I am blessed to have my whole family home for Christmas morning. It also looks like we will be spending the day together at my sisters. My parents, my brother and his wife ( who currently live in Thailand and whom are home for the holidays!!! ), my two sisters and their husbands plus my hubby and kids!! Going to be a fantastic time with a tremendous amount of laughter and love in one room.
Wherever you are spending the day and with whomever you are able to spend the day with make sure you take time to celebrate the fact that it is Jesus's birthday!!
Ok this is a little funny. I started this post as a Wordless Wednesday and as I was waiting for my photo to upload I realised it was actually Thursday. Oops!!
However being thankful is pretty easy this time of year.
Right now I have two of my three children home and the third is due home tomorrow!! Can I hear a big Yahooooooo!!!!!!!!!
I am so happy that I will have the whole family for a couple days together! I love spending every second I can with them.
I am so thankful that in just a few days we will celebrate Jesus's birth! What a glorious time of year to celebrate such a blessed event!
How lucky am I to have the ability to celebrate this with my loved ones. I am able to shout it out from the rooftops with no fear of punishment or death. Sure there might be individuals that scorn me and all that I believe in but I have no fear! I believe!!!
It really is the most wonderful time of the year.
I love being with loved ones and celebrating Christ's birth with them.
I love the anticipation as I am confident that the gift that I managed to find is going to delight each of them. ( ok maybe not the boys this year and their gifts are much more adult gifts and not so much fun gifts)
I love getting together with both my husband's family and my family as we celebrate together.
I love the traditions that Rob and I have made with our children. Traditions that they look forward to every year and start to talk about in November.
I am so happy that Rob and I have managed to make such a wonderful family together.
I am so fortunate that he will be home for Christmas this year. Something that I know will not always happen.
As I look forward to this last week before Christmas and enjoy every moment I have, the last bit of business, I pray that I continue to make many memories and cement our family even closer together.
As you celebrate this last week before Christ's birthday make sure you also take time to show the ones you love just how much you care each and everyday.
As I contemplated what I would write for my Thankful Thursday many different ideas popped into my head.
Such as my amazing hubby who works so hard to provide for this family.
For my wonderful kids whom the Lord has blessed me with.
For my continual growth in my spiritual walk.
For the fact that the weather has been very good so far this year even if it means we might not have a 'white Christmas'.
These are just a handful of the ideas.
However when I went to sit down tonight to write this post, two main ones popped into my head.
First.
My sister. I actually have 4 sisters. There is 6 siblings all together. One boy smack in the middle of us girls. However the one sister that I am referring to tonight is the one closest to me in age. She is the one that had the honor of tormenting me as I grew up. She is 6 years older than me ( I am the baby). She told me to eat mud pies cause they taste just like chocolate. She taught my how to drive a standard. She gave me the "talk". She was always around for me whenever I have ever needed support in any shape or form. Now here is when I do let you know that I love all my sisters very much. We all have our different and unique relationships however Barb and I are a little bit closer than the others.
Tonight while I was waiting at dance my phone rings and here is Barb on the other end. Now I must also add now that lately I have been bummed and also just not feeling the greatest. Today I even had a nap which is very much unlike me. So now here is Barb calling me. She also had a terrible day. But by the end of the conversation we were both laughing so hard. She totally lightened up my mood and made me feel loved and cared for. I only hope I was able to do the same for her.
Second.
Now this is kind of a funny story sort of. As I have said my daughter dances and she had dance exams this past weekend. On Friday morning she had jazz and away we rush to her dance. Now jazz is her strong one, she loves to move that girl. Anyway on Sunday morning her and I head off to her tap test. I realise that we had not prayed for her jazz test so I asked her if she would like to pray for her tap test. She says yes she would like to very much. So on the way to town we pray. Now tap is something she struggles with a bit. So before her exam she is nervous, misses up on a question and gets even more nervous. Then into the test she goes. After the exam she comes out all smiles. Tells me she felt great and that she felt she did way better in her tap test than her jazz test. Now Tuesday rolls around and she gets her exam results back (which she did really well on both by the way) and her tap results were higher than her jazz results.
So me being my took awhile to process this so this morning before school as I am waiting for her to come to join me on the couch to have our morning prayer all the sudden I realise that we had talked to God before her prior exam. We had invited Him into our lives and we had asked Him to be with Sarah during her exam and of course He was. It sometimes takes me a bit to realise just how much I need Him and how He is ALWAYS there for us not matter what. He was there to comfort her and keep her calm and focused when she needed to be.
I love aha moments!
I am linking up with a wonderful lady who has a fabulous Thankful Thursday post herself this week. Come over and join her at The Marathon Mom.
Part of the reason is of course the season and the other part is me. When I get depressed I pull into myself and tend not to want to interact with anyone.
So here is the latest.
We did not get the house. However we will be trying again after winter and honestly I was not overly looking forward to moving that close to Christmas and in the middle of winter to boot.
We are almost done our Christmas shopping and I only have a couple more things to buy then wrap and I will actually be ready. Whoohooo!!
Sarah had her dance exams and did really well so almost done that for this year only a few more dance days left.
I will leave you with this wonderful conversation I had with my daughter last week.
We were driving into dance and we were discussing a friend of hers and what she had wrote on facebook. We were talking about the swearing in the status's. She said she just could not understand it. To quote Sarah she said " come on people like grow up I mean how old are you like what 13???"
I love that my 'baby' is mature enough to understand that she doesn't need to swear just to be grown up.
So we found a house that will work amazing. It is in town but on the very outskirts. It has 4 bedrooms so plenty of room.
We made an offer and it was accepted. Then off to the bank and so far so good. We do not have 20 percent down only 5 so we have to be approved by the CMHC. That is where it sits now.
I am so nervous about this. I am constantly praying that everything goes smoothly and most importantly for patience and calmness during this trial.
I am also excited. I am constantly planning how to decorate each and every room. The problem there of course is money. Always money. LOL Maybe I can find that money tree somewhere.
Anyway if you could think of myself and my family in the next while I would love prayers. Thank you so much.
Wow it is that time again. The first of the new month. I am especially excited for this month as I absolutely, completely, head over heels, in love with December.
But enough about that for now. Today it is my 3 in 30 post.
So I wrapped up November with a lot of excitement and plan to do the same for December.
My goals for last month went decent.
1. Start some of my Christmas presents.
Well this one I sort of did. I have pretty much figured out what I am getting everyone. I have managed to pick up a few gifts for my daughter and have got about half the stocking stuffers. I hope to get more on Saturday. However with everything that is going on this month I have decided to scrap the quilt gifts and hopefully make them next year.
2. Keep working on my Christian growth.
This is always a work in progress. I am starting a study today called Lord teach me to pray. This will of course always be an on going goal. I do not know of anyone that could not use to grow in their own growth.
3. Be a better spouse.
I hope I have done this. I love my husband so much and he deserves all that I can be for him. This is something that I plan to do again in the new year. I love writing him little notes or letters. I love letting him know how much I care for him and how much I appreciate him.
Now on for Decembers goals.
1. De-clutter my house.
This of course is a given as if all goes well with the house we could possibly be moving 4 days before Christmas. So I need to pack, throw away and clean all in 3 weeks. I actually am really excited about the possibility and even if it falls through my house could definitely use a de-clutter.
2. Have all the Christmas stuff done by the 21rst.
This also is a no brainer. If we move can you imagine trying to unpack, find the stuff, wrap, and have it all ready and me not insane by Jesus birthday?
3. Learn to relax.
I am going to have to really work on this one. I have to learn to not stress so much and focus on what is great and amazing in my life. I need to learn to always give thanks to God in everything even if I am not feeling very thankful.
Wow it has been so long since I have had a chance to sit down and write. I have missed it so much. Unfortunately I have also had no time to read anyone else's blogs. Insert sad face here.
Hubby was home last week and as unusual we did a whirlwind of activity. From helping good friends move into their new home to business meetings, to birthday parties to Christmas parties to our very first ever house viewing.
Yep you read that right we have officially started looking at houses to buy. After 20 years of renting and moving around we are settling down. It feels so weird to be doing those. I am torn equally between excitement and nerves.
Hubby and I looked at the first one on Monday and then I went today and looked at 4 more. (Hubby is back to work)
We have been torn between living in town or out on an acreage. Too be honest the acreages have always appealed to us. We have snowmobiles and quads (4 wheeled vehicles) and a holiday trailer, so not only do we need room to store it all we also like to be able to drive the outside toys straight from our house. However we have been looking on line for quite some time now and there just hasn't been anything for sale that we like or in our price range.
About two months ago we decided to get serious and start looking in the spring, do up all the bank work and contact a Realtor then. However two weeks ago i decided that I am done with all the driving back and forth to town so we decided to get serious now. So off to the bank and then met with the Realtor and started to get the ball rolling.
I feel so grown up. hahahaha
Well I guess I should run and go to bed.
I have lots to do in the next few days but I will make sure to keep you all in the loop.
I just praise God that he is opening up doors for us.
I love being a Mom.
Even when they are driving me up the wall, I am still thrilled to pieces that I am a Mom.
God blessed me with 6 pregnancies and 3 beautiful children.
I have often in the last 20 years spent many moments where I just fell in love with watching them grow. Whether in size, mentality or spiritually.
Right now because my daughter is the only one home and we are also homeschooling we have spent a lot of time together. This can have it draw backs as I am a person that needs some alone time to function. However it has had way more advantages. I am learning so much about her. I am also able to teach her things that I might not have otherwise. We have many talks sometimes about nothing and sometimes so meaningful they blow my mind away.
Example: This past spring we were driving to town for dance and we were discussing some of her friends and that they were wearing heaving make up already. ( They are 13 and younger) I asked her if that was something she really wished she was able to do. She replied no I know that I am beautiful without that stuff. Wow I mean wow. Makes my heart grow.
I know how hard it can be to be a young teenager and want to fit in with all your friends so I am so happy that she seems content not to bother with all that.
She is growing so much this year spiritually as well.
We have been doing devotions morning and night and often I get asked many thought provoking questions. Such as : Has God ever spoken to you?
She stated yesterday that she felt that she was as close to God as she wanted to be. I love that she desires to grow in His Word.
This morning we were reading our Daily Bread Devotional and it was from Jonah 1. All of chapter one actually. When I stopped reading from the bible she wanted to more about the story, she wanted me to keep reading on, since we were leaving the house right away I let her use my phone which has a bible app on it so she could read it later on in the day. She has since told me several times how much she enjoys that book. (Coincidentally it is one of my favorite books as well. )
This is such a special time for her and for me. I am loving every minute of it. ( Even when sometimes I am not liking it. LOL)
Well with the snow this week also came the colder temps. I don't normally mind till it gets down to -30 or so and then brrrrrrrr.
This past week has actually been pretty good. I love the fact that I am setting goals for myself that benefit so many around me and making myself into a much better person. A much better Christian.
1. Start some of my Christmas presents.
Ok this is the one thing that I am lacking a bit on. I have started Christmas shopping but not the homemade gifts as of yet. I did buy some beautiful fleece to make my son's girlfriend a blankie for her birthday and also another panel and back to make another baby quilt. I just haven't been inspired yet. Hopefully soon though. I might have to scrap the idea of blankets for each of the kids for Christmas though. I for sure want to make the boys a couple of tablecloths even though they might never use them except when Grandparents come by they might appreciate them in years to come.
2. Keep working on my Christian growth.
Now this one has been interesting. I did start my Monvee pack this week. The first thing you do is watch a video. It has 6 segments in it and I am on segment 4. All I can say is Wow!! It really hits you. The other thing that I have been trying to do is leave myself open for what God is saying to me. Such as what other women have said either in person or in their blogs that hits me personally. It has really made me think a lot about my growth and how I would like to be as a Christian. I will admit there is a good amount of fear in this. Change is very hard and being able to accept the change so I can grow is harder.
I have also made sure that not only are my daughter and I doing the Daily Bread Devotionals in the morning before school we are also doing her teen devotional before she goes to bed. Talking with her and teaching her as well as her teaching me as been a wonderful experience. I am so grateful for this time with her and for her willingness to learn more about His Word.
3. Be a better spouse.
Ok this has been fun. I am not a great spouse by any means. I get grumpy, I sometimes let the little things drive me crazy, I take it out on my handsome hubby when I don't mean too, I tend to focus more on what is happening in my day to day life then his.
This month I have been working harder and harder to change that. I have been emailing him letters, I am making sure that I do not complain about him, I talk about how lucky I am to be married to him.
The letters I think are the best part for me. I love that he knows that I love him and am sooooo thrilled to be called Mrs Rob Davidson!! In our vows I stated that I would obey him. Now he will joke about that now, but what I really wanted to get across with that statement is that I would submit to him. He is the figure head in my family. I will defer to him. I love him and I trust him wholeheartedly. He is my angel that God sent for me.
I am one lucky bird. :)
What about you? How did your week go? Are some of you ladies like Sam and have ideas for next month already? I am linking up with Ashey at the 3 in 30 weekly challenge. Come stop over and check out some other fantastic blogs and cheer them on.
It amazes me how God can use some of the most trying things in our life to show us some wonderful things.
You all know that we have been having struggles with our adult sons. Helping them grow up and move out. Be successful adults. Trying to find that sweet place between helping them out as parents or letting them take full responsibility as adults. Such a tough place.
Well in the midst of all this both their vehicles break down. We have one extra vehicle that my hubby uses while he is home but our oldest needed to borrow it while his was getting fixed. Our middle son was using his girlfriends. He has decided to scrap the vehicle he currently owns and buy a new one, so he needs somethings else to drive in the meantime. Lucky for him our second vehicle is now back from our oldest and Brandon can now use it.
The decision to use this vehicle came from my hubby. His idea the whole nine yards. This may not seem like a really big deal but this truck is his baby. His vehicle. Something all for himself. I am so proud of his unselfishness. I know he will do anything for his children but I also know that this must have been hard.
As it turns out the timing is also great as my hubby can drive home his next days out which also works great for us as I am unable to drive up to pick him up as well as to drop him off.
This is most definitely God's timing. The more I turn to HIM the more HE teaches me.
My name is Sherri and I first started to blog simply as a way to share. I honestly never expected to get to know so many wonderful women but I thank God very much that I have.
1. What is the nerdiest/geekiest/weirdest thing about you?
Hmmm that's a toughie. I guess it would be that I love numbers. Before my iPhone I was a walking phonebook. Now I rely on it way more. I am sure my kids could come up with a ton more weird things about me though.
2. If you could live in a fictional universe from any book movie or television show, what would it be?
Hmmm ok I guess it would be Heartland. I am a sucker for the living that lifestyle. I would love love love to live on a ranch somewhere. Preferably in the foothills or the mountains.
3. Little or big, practical or frivolous, what is one of your favorite items in your house.
Well other than my new Canon rebel and my veggie steamer,( Ok maybe I am more of a nerd than I thought. :) ) is my antique organ that my mother in law gave us. It was in her family since new and when they moved they knew I wanted it so they gave it to us.
Sorry about the terrible pic quality. But I was lazy and just grabbed my phone.
4. Do you like animated movies? If so what is your favorite?
Yes I do a lot actually. My favorite for all time is Veggietales, but then my second favorite is Lion King and recently I love Tangled and of course Shrek. I enjoy for them mostly for the comedy but also they each have a great story with them.
5. What is your favorite household chore?
Laundry, hands down!
Although cleaning as a rule I don't mind at all. Cooking however not so much.
6. What is your favorite thing to get at Starbucks?
Yumm yumm yumm I fell head over heals in love with Peppermint white chocolate mocha's last Christmas. They are sooooo good. In the spring and summer when they are not around I ask to add the peppermint because I love them so much. However this fall I tried the Pumpkin Spice latte and HELLO they are amazing as well!!!!! They are my new fall drink!!! My hubby and I used to drink French Vanillas at Tim Horton's but then I managed to almost convert him ( at least while we are together) over to Starbucks.
7. What is your favorite pizza topping?
Pineapple, mushrooms, and pepperoni. Delicious!!!
8. Waffles or pancakes.
Waffles hands down. But only when I can smother them in whipped cream and strawberries or else really neither.
9. Do you like to play games?
Yes very much. I grew up playing many card games such as solitaire, crib, canasta, honeymoon whist, etc. Now we incorporate a lot of outdoor games in as well such as crochet, bocce ball, horseshoes and recently we now play redneck golf as well.
10. Have you let anyone win a game?
On purpose? Yep probably. I like to win but I also love to see the joy on others faces when they win as well.
11. Have you ever dyed your hair.
Oh yea. Before it was for fun, now it is because of the greys showing up. I like to have my hair done.
12. Do you make your bed every morning?
Maybe not every morning but every day I do. I love climbing into a nicely made bed. I also love the look of it made when I walk into my room. Something about it just gives me cheer.
13. Picasso or Norman Rockwell?
Picasso I guess although I would probably say neither. I much prefer photographs or my son's art work. He is one talented young man.
14. Do you like carpet, tile or hardwood floors.
Hardwood by far except in the bathroom and entry ways. If it I had it my way it there would be no carpet in my house at all. Only throw rugs.
15. If you could put one thing in a safe under your bed what would it be?
Hmm I do have a safe right now and it is currently holding our passports. Other than that I would through my memory cards in.
16. What is your favorite condiment?
I love homemade relish. I used to have just relish and butter sandwiches. Yummm
17. Have you ever thrown up on someone? (other than when you were a child)
I don't believe so. I might have when I was in the hospital with our middle child. I don't honestly remember I was so sick. I have been thrown up on by my beautiful children. :)
18. What is the last thing that made you laugh?
Well my daughter can usually always make my chuckle but my last full blown laugh was when we had coffee with our son and his girlfriend. Brandon and his dad were talking about a guy that they both might know so they were describing him to each other. Brandon said to his Dad well he is whiter than you are Dad. I burst out laughing. Yes my hubby is getting whiter but he is FAR from being white enough to notice. It just cracked me up.
19. Think fast what is the first song that pops into your head?
The one song I have been singing over and over in my head lately is the "This is the stuff" by Francesca Battistelli. I heard it on the radio about a week ago and it has been in my head ever since. I just I can just totally relate to this song.
Well that's it. I finally managed to answer all the questions. Now if you managed to stay around long enough to read all the them please feel free to peruse around my blog. I love to get to know more people and love comments as well.
Ok I know that many of you might think that I could possibly be a little challenged with that statement but boy how I love the snow!!!!
I am thrilled that it is finally starting to snow. I love the freshness of it. The cleanness. The fact that my kids still love to play in it. Of course so do I.
I however am not fond of the cold crisp temps that also arrive with the cold. It was -17 at 7:30 tonight. Brrrrr.
However now with the beautiful snow it also makes me itchy to start decorating for Christmas. Time to get really serious about Christmas shopping. And of course time to rejoice on Christ's birth.
May everyone be having a wonderful start to the season.
This pic was taken in BC on the way home from our recent holiday.
So yesterday at church our pastor asked us what we were keeping our eyes on. Were we letting the many distractions of our daily life get in the way of the big picture.
Wow sometimes the Lord just has to shout in my ear for me to listen. Talk about amazing timing.
Yes I was getting really focused on what was happening around me. With the boys and their vehicle issues, the money that is involved with getting them all moved out and starting life on their own. It was really getting me down and I was getting very much involved in that instead of focusing on one simple fact.
Jesus died for our sins!
He used yesterday's sermon to scream at me. It made me start to really appreciate even more the things around me. I have so much to be thankful for.
On that note hubby and I went to town tonight to have a coffee date with our middle son and his girlfriend. It was amazing!! We talked and talked and laughed and laughed. Made some plans for a couple weekends away for them to hopefully come out, watch the grey cup ( we love our football in this house), and hopefully set up the tree. I must say I am looking so forward to it!!
Plus he let us know that he would be coming out Christmas Eve to spend the night so it will be for sure at least the four of us and hopefully our oldest can be home as well.
Ok if you have been reading my blog the last few days you will already know that things have been a little crazy for me. I have been in a bit of a funk and trying to fight my way out of it.
Today was different. Hubby worked outside for a good junk of the day, unloading quads, hauling garbage to the dump, going through the sheds, etc. I kept myself busy with inside chores such as cat litter, garbage, cleaning the disgusting garbage can, sweeping and washing, etc.
I was feeling pretty content with life, then...we find out that our middle ones vehicle is giving him some serious issues. Now if you recall just two days ago I was rambling on about when to let them sink or swim, etc.. Turns out my handsome hubby is struggling with the same issues. For me that made me feel a lot better, strange I know but it did. I feel happier knowing that we are dealing with the same issues and it is not just me feeling crazy.
Now saying all this I have now been able to truly find things that I am very thankful for.
Hubby being home when all these vehicle issues are happening.
That we do have one extra vehicle while we are waiting for our son's vehicles to get fixed.
That we have made some decisions regarding our future.
That I am married to such an amazing man that he cares so much for our children.
That we were able to help out a friend whose kitty had ran away. We found it today at our house, playing with our kitty.
That I was able to get out camper mostly winterized and ready for the snow that is going to hit any day now.
That it has managed to stay cold enough that when it does snow the roads should not be a complete disaster.
That I have an amazing God who knows exactly what I need every time.
That I am slowly learning to listen to Him.
That we have amazing friends and family.
That none of us is currently ill other than minor colds or flues.
That many men and women have sacrificed so much for my freedom. The freedom to be able to wear what I want, speak how I would like and mostly to worship whom I desire to worship. The one and only Lord.
All in all I have a million things to be thankful for. I just have to remember that some days.
Ok I will admit yesterday I was pretty depressing. Sometimes this parenting thing is so hard. But today I was determined to be in a better mood.
It helped some with hubby getting up with Sarah and doing the morning routine with her and making sure she started school. It was so nice to be able to sleep in and know that he had it all under control.
He even made phone calls this morning to start working on getting our sons vehicle fixed. Unfortunately he realised he is unable to do it himself so it will be a costly bill but at least it will get done and we can have our spare vehicle back.
Hubby and I have also finally made some decisions on houses, babies etc which I will share more about in the coming posts.
Until now I am doing my best to focus on the positive things in my life. Such as my relationship with God, my wonderful amazing handsome hubby, my beautiful children, a roof over my head, etc. I have both my parents living still and both of Rob's parents living still as well. I am a very blessed lady.
Well things have been pretty crazy around here lately. What with extra dance classes for Sarah and the boys both starting new jobs it makes for some exciting days.
I am so happy that the boys have finally got decent jobs, however for this month until they can get some decent checks it means that we end up paying for everything.
We had to pay for new gloves, new work boots, thank goodness Rob had some coveralls that they good use, however one also need new rain gear. We are paying for their fuel, their insurance payments, some food, and then Matt's truck breaks down. So now he not only is using our other Rob's truck but now we also have to pay to get his fixed.
Ok I know now that I sound like I am whining but honestly I find this hard. The oldest had been working for two years and living at home with no real bills before he quit and waited a month before getting a new job, the middle one has been working a while before changing to this new job, however he lives out on his own.
I feel like I am caught between a rock and a hard place.
I don't know when to let them either sink or swim. I know that eventually they will be able to not need us as financially before but I have to wonder if we are doing the wrong thing by not just letting them figure it out themselves.
I told my hubby tonight that I think being parents of adult children is harder than being parents of young children.
I think it just boils down to the fact that this parenting thing is hard no matter what age.
Good thing I truly do enjoy the rewards so much. :)
1. Start some of my homemade Christmas presents.
Well did not do any of that this week. Hoping to maybe buy fabric tomorrow and get started Monday.
2. Keep working on my Christian growth.
Well I did not look at my monvee pack yet however I checked out an app I already have on my phone called the YouVersion Bible. As I perused it this week I noticed that it had reading plans so I started one of those so at least I can keep reading and learning beside my daily bread.
3.Be a better spouse.
Ok so again got off to a late start this week with this one, but I must say so far I am so thrilled with the results. Hubby is away at work so yesterday and today I emailed him letters. First one was telling him how happy he chose me and how happy I am to be his wife. ( I also let everyone on facebook know how happy I am that his handsome man asked me to be his wife) Second I emailed him and told him how much I appreciate all that he does for me and his family and then I listed off a few of the things he does that I truly appreciate. Each day I get a phone call with him telling me how much he loves me. Now I must wonder why I do not do this more often. I married an amazing man, just exactly why did I not let him know how much I love him and all that he does for us all the time. And not only the stuff he does for us, but the stuff that he does for our elderly neighbour or even how dedicated he is at work. I am such a lucky woman and he needs to know that.
I hope all your 3 in 30s for November are going well.
I am linking up with Ashley at the 3 in 30 challenge. Head on over and check it out if you have never been.
As I was thinking today about all the different stuff that I could write for this post, I realised just how lucky I am. So I thought that instead of writing about just one thing I would start just listing some of the things that I am thankful for.
I have an amazing life.
I have three beautiful children.
I have three babies waiting for me in heaven. (this may seem strange to say as a thank you but without ever losing these three to miscarriage I would never had the empathy that I do now. Nor the ability to share my story when needed)
I have an amazing husband, whom I love more and more each day.
My husband has a great job. His wages pay all our bills and allows us some extra expenses sometimes, like our recent trip to Vancouver Island. It also allows me to be a stay at home homeschooling mom.
I have a very reliable vehicle to drive.
I have a stable roof over my head.
I have running water and electricity.
I have a inside washer and dryer.
I have super amazing friends.
I am meeting more wonderful people that I know are going to be very good friends one day.
I have started this blog and through it have gotten to know some wonderful ladies that I only wished I lived closer to.
I am growing everyday in my relationship with the Lord.
I am proud to be a Christian.
I live in a country that I can say that without harm to myself or my family.
That I have finally figured out what has been making my tummy so upset for so long and the change to being gluten free was actually pretty easy all in all.
My grown boys have both found great jobs.
I have a excellent church and a fantastic pastor and his wife.
Ok I know there is actually a trillion more but these are just some of the top few.
I live a great life.
God has blessed me in so many ways that leave me in awe all the time.
Now before I leave I have to leave you with this little tidbit. I was driving my daughter into town for dance tonight and she was talking non stop, chattering away. I was trying to think and plan in my head for the upcoming meeting that I was attending tonight. All the sudden she asked if she could turn up the radio, ( I keep it tuned to the Message channel) I said sure and what song is playing?
This is the stuff by Francesca Battistelli.
Now if you have not heard this song please please listen to it.
As soon as I heard what was playing I knew this was a God moment. I even chuckled to myself at how he was using my daughter to get my attention.
Love it!!!! I have been singing the song all night. :)
I don't always make supper, sometimes we eat out, have leftovers or what my daughters favorite thing is fend for yourselves night.
I very rarely make breakfast. Instead my three kids have survived on cold cereal, microwave oatmeal or frozen waffles.
I would love to have the laundry always done, folded and put away as soon as each load comes out, however this is rarely done. I have smartened up and each child has their own laundry basket. That way when I fold the laundry into their basket it goes. Now do they always put it away right away? Nope.
I would love to have make my own laundry detergent. I really really hope to one day. But for now it is Gain for me.
I would love to always be happy and lovable the kind of Mom that even when she corrects her children she doesn't lose her temper. However I am not. I sometimes stay calm, not always though.
I love organization, my home even runs better with it, however I often fall of the track even for only a few days but it always seems harder and harder to get back on track.
I would love to get up early and read my bible every day. This summer for two months I even managed to do that. But then this drasted cold weather and dark later every day hit and my bed just seems WAY to comfy to climb out of.
I would love to have the house where it is always dustless and fingerprintless. But I do not.
I read blogs, or articles or even my friends facebook status's and I feel lazy. How is that they managed to get up, bake bread, a dozen pies, do 5 loads of laundry, make pancakes for breakfast, have their house cleaned, have 2-3 small little ones running under foot and this is all before 1 in the afternoon. Argh here I am sometimes still in my jammies after we have 'schooled', maybe a load in the washer and possibly something in the slow cooker for supper.
I would love to be a much better Mom, wife and woman. But alas I am not.
The thing that I have to constantly remind myself is that God loves me for who I am, imperfect and all.
I am imperfect and that is ok.
I read a blog yesterday from a blog linkup that my friend Jenilee is having. ( You need to go check out her blog it is amazing and there is also some fantastic ladies that have linked up)
However the blog that I read reminded me that too often we spend too much time comparing ourselves to others. We are made unique and individual.
I am sorry that I can not remember that lady's name and blog. I had all these blogs lined up that I wanted to add and comment on and then my computer went kitty wonkas and shut down. When I went back today to look I was unable to find the right one. So Jenilee if you read this and know which lady I am referring too can you please email her blog address. I loved her blog and would like to read more. Thank you.
We had an amazing time on hubbies days off. We reconnected with some old friends which sadly live about 5 minutes away and we had never been to their place, we made new friends, (well new to me, my handsome hubby works with him), we had lunch with great friends and even managed some alone time.
However great this all was, it still left me wondering why I have not heard back from the two adoption agencies I emailed asking for information. I have waited and waited thinking they both might be busy, but now I think it is time to call and see what is going on.
We also are praying right now that the right for us house comes on the market in the price range we can afford and in the location we desire. I know we are asking for a lot. I must say I am just so done with all this driving. Also I really would like to own something of our own. Put our stamp on it and honor God with it.
I also have great news that both our sons received new jobs. Better paying, better hours, jobs. Jobs that will have them both living independently I am so excited for them.
Well it is off to bed for this girlie as I woke up Saturday morning with a bit of chest congestion, Sunday and Monday was laryngitis and today it just a nice deep nasty cough. Unfortunately handsome hubby also caught it and is now back to work suffering with it.
I am also enjoying the link up party with Jenilee over at Our Goodwin Journey. for "just because" link up.
Hop on over and read some new and wonderful blogs.
It is hard to believe that it is already almost the end of October. This month just flew by. Now it is time to start to settle in and get ready for the winter weather.
This week went much smoother as far as my goals went.
1. Finish reading the bible in 90 days.
Whoohooo I am so happy to say this is going to be accomplished. I have only two chapters left of Revelations left ( which I will finish before bed) Than for the first time in my life I will have read through the entire bible.
This has been such a learning experience for me. I found out so much I did not know and yet I know that even though I read through it all I only skimmed the surface. However now that I finished this reading program I am searching for a new one. If anyone has any suggestions feel free to leave me a comment.
2. Stay off of glutens.
I did it!! 8 weeks gluten free! I feel so much healthier! I very rarely have an upset tummy now. My gas is almost completely gone. I am starting to have a lot more energy, and my cravings are disappearing. I think that I will start making bread again for hubby and the kids and get back to making more homemade goodies for them. I just also will make a few 'goodies' for myself as well.
3. Get more organized.
This has been a hit and a miss this month. I feel better and more together than I did last month but realize that I need to work on this more. The lists help a lot which I already knew so just have to remember to keep making them.
As far as the next 3 in 30...
Well....
1. Get some of my homemade Christmas gifts done.
I plan to hopefully make each of our children a quilt for Christmas and to do that I must get on that pretty soon.
2. Keep working on my Christian growth.
I plan to do my Monvee pack and figure out where I need to study and how.
3. Be a better spouse.
I read on another ladies blog that those this was one of her goals for the month of October and I loved the idea so much I decided that I wanted to do it for November. I am married to an amazing man and I think it is way beyond time that I show him just how much I appreciate him and everything he does for myself and our family.
I hope everyone has had a great month and I am looking forward to reading every ones goals for the month of November.
This is truth Tuesday a day late.
My excuse is that hubby came home last night. We watched a movie with our son and his friend and then off to bed.
So my daughter and I have been fighting a lot lately. I find I am shorter with her, have way less patience and some of the really minor things really bug me.
In turn she has been more sullen and has gave way more attitude. She has been sulky and not at all herself.
Now some of this can be blamed on hormones. (for both of us). I have mentioned that she is 13 right.
However Monday I thought I figured out what was wrong. We were not starting our day with God.
As you know we are homeschooling this year. Up until hubby and I left on our holiday, Sarah and I were starting each school day with a daily devotion, a small talk about what we had read and then wrapping it up with a prayer.
When we returned from holidays I never started that up again. 6 full school days later I figure it out.
Now as much as I like to tale credit for this you know this is ALL God. My daily bible reading yesterday morning took me to James 1 19-21.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. (James 1:19-21 NIV)
How's that for him screaming at me.
Ok Lord I get it.
So we started the morning back with our devotionals, talk and prayer and lo and behold it was immensely better. We were both calmer and happier. Even her dance went better.
I find I must wonder when am I ever going to learn that I can't do it myself. That I need Him to survive. Not just to survive really either but to thrive.
I hope I finally figure this out soon.
On a side note I am very close to being done my B in 90 days and I am looking for another daily bible reading plan. Any suggestions??!
I am linking up Truth Tuesday with Sharla over at AThe Chaos and The Clutter.
We stopped at the Last Spike to take some pics and hopefully get some souvenirs for the kids. We couldn't find souvenirs that we were happy with but managed to take tons of pics. I snapped this pic of my handsome hubby. I am really learning to appreciate the fact that we both have decent cameras now. I love seeing his prospective on stuff.
How I love this man.
I guess turn about is fair play. He grabbed my camera as I ran to the washroom and as I walked out he took a few of me.
I love the angle on this one. Not necessarily the subject. Hahaha
Fresh snow on the top. Brrrrr.
I wish I had this view everyday. Might just have to frame it and put it on my dresser so I do. :)
Well that is it folks. I took so many more and so did my handsome hubby. In fact I have not even had a chance to look at his yet.
I am very pumped up for tomorrow as my handsome hubby will be coming back home. He was gone 10 days this time. We all miss him around here so much when he is away at work. Although we have tons planned for his days off so time will fly at least it will fly while we are together.
Wow can it really be 20 years ago that this handsome young man was born?
This is the boy that made me a mom.
I always spend the days leading up to my children's birthdays, the day of and sometimes the day after in reflection of what was happening 'x' amount of years ago.
So I thought I would reflect with you this year.
As I said this is my firstborn, he is my first experience with full term (and over by 10 days) pregnancy and labor.
The 21rst we had a small blizzard here. Hubby and I lived outside of town and our vehicle was not overly reliable so we were mostly staying at his parents place. That day we decided to go out to our place and grab some more stuff. Well...I did mention that it was snowing and profusely blowing right? So hubby decides to take a back road that was snowed in. Here we are 4 x 4 ing jumping over drifts and I was overdue.
Well the next day (22) I'm feeling tired not quite myself. No pain but no energy either. We were shopping with my mom in law and I decide that I've had enough and so I went over to my sister's for a rest. We decide to have supper there and spend the night. My sister made a great supper and for dessert I requested ice cream and homemade chocolate sauce. So off to bed at about 10 we all go.
At 11 I wake up with some pretty darn good labor pains. Now I also should mention that I had a month of false labor and waking hubby up for them to just disappear. So now when I wake up Rob he tells me to try and go back to sleep. I know this is not happening and he very quickly realizes that it looks like the real deal so he runs and gets my sis so she can drive us to the hospital. I do not remember how she seemed to me but I do know she ran a red light getting me there. :)
Now I won't go into all the details here but suffice to say it was fairly fast. I was sick to my tummy and I'm also allergic to Demerol so they gave me a shot of gravel/morphine mix which I loved.
At 2:32 am a very healthy 8lb 7.5oz baby boy was born.
We off course were so thrilled.
It was also made extra special for my hubbies parents as their firstborn grandson was born on my father n law's birthday, 55 years later.
Matthew Robert you have made me so proud! I love you so much. You have turned into an amazing man and I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for you future!
Well this has been an interesting two weeks. I can hardly believe how fast time is flying by. Before you know it, it will be December and Christmas.
Ok so I have some good days and some bad days.
1. Finish reading the bible in 90 days.
I must admit shamelessly that this was really hard while we were on holidays. I was so exhausted at night that I would only read a bit of the daily reading so was falling farther and farther behind. It is not overly a bit deal to me if it takes 90 days or 100 days just as long as I read it through. However since we have been back home for the past week I have been reading the full amount required each day and feel so much better because of it.
2. Stay of glutens.
This is going amazing!!!!! I was really concerned when we went on holidays that this would be extremely difficult and I will admit it was a tad challenging, but I did it!! They had pizza for the wedding supper and I had chili she had made from the night before. My husband really supported me through this all and that made it also alot easier for me. I am feeling WAY better and although I have only lost 2 pounds I am losing inches. My wedding ring actually came flying off today as I was wiping my hands on my shirt. My tummy feels better and when I do bloat up I immediately try and figure out what went wrong. My energy is slowly coming back which I am also grateful for. So far so amazing! I am just finishing up week 7. I will admit alot of the cravings are going away. I even made homemade gluten free pumpkin cookies today. They were sooooo good. My daughter kept stealing them. :) Looks like time to make her the regular cheaper version.
3. Get more organized.
Ok this is so funny I know that when I am organized that things just run more smoothly. I am more content and easier to handle. However since we got back I am having a hard time getting back into the routine. This is most definitely a work in progress for me. I am doing it bit by bit. One step at a time.
I am thankful for the fact that we have had no snow so far. Do not get me wrong I love snow!! I love when everything is so fresh and clean. However with temps still above zero everyday snow would be messy and dangerous right now. Although it would not stay for all winter yet, it would make driving treacherous.
I will most willingly wait until the temps start staying consistently below zero everyday. This by the way is zero Fahrenheit for my non Canadian friends. :)
I am also thankful that the farmers were able to get their crops all off and all the fields cleaned up in preparation for next spring. This is not always possible every year. A few years ago we had snow October 10 and it stayed all winter long.
All this being said I will treasure when we do get snow. I love looking at it fall, being out in it, playing in it and also being inside on a cold blizzardly day all snug and warm under a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book.
Time for some more pics.
I thought I would throw in a few today from the ferry. We managed to arrive at the ferry terminal in just the right amount of time. While waiting the small half hour for the ferry, hubby went to the restroom and I ran and grabbed Starbucks (yummmm). Then it was time to load and away we went.
Here we are!!!!!!
The market where I ran into to get some Starbucks!! Yummmmmmmm.....
Driving up the ramp into the ferry. I took about 6 pictures of this I was so excited. I think my handsome hubby thought that I had lost my mind.
Another ferry similar to ours.
Looking out over the pier at my gorgeous ocean. Oh how I have missed you.
I was taking pics of my hubby and the outside when he grabbed the camera and told me to pose.
The ferry heading back to the mainland. Not so excited this time, but content none the less. Can you see the rainbow in the background?
God's glory for all to enjoy and believe. There was a complete arc of a rainbow that I attempted to capture but had difficulty. I managed on my cell phone to get it in threes.
I think this pic might find its way blown up and framed in our home. For a born and raised Saskatchewan girl I find such peace in this picture.
Well that is it for part two. Hopefully within the next day or so I can post the rest.
As you all know my handsome hubby and I managed to squeeze in a little holiday this past week to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. What you may or may not know is that for 5.5 years we actually lived there. My daughter was born in Campbell River and both my boys started school in Sayward.
I miss it so much there it hurts sometimes. I miss the smells, the air, the scenery ( not that I don't love the scenery here it is just different there) I guess I should say that I miss the green as well. Any of you that has experienced island life will understand that statement.
I have a sister and her husband that still live on the island as does her son and her daughter and her family. We also have some amazing friends on the island. Friends that both my handsome hubby and I share. Here it is more my friends and his co-workers.
I went to a fantastic church there. My daughter was dedicated at it. I joined that particular church ( the only one that I have ever joined). I had a great Christian support group there.
We left for one thing mainly and that was in search of enough money that we could support ourselves. We were a family of five and were not making enough for a family of one.
Now my husband has a great job, we have more than sufficient funds and I am lonely.
I have some networks of people that I know, mostly sporting/dance parents or old work acquaintances. I attend an amazing, wonderful, soul satisfying church. However I only have a very small handful of friends.
I have a couple great amazing fellow Christians women that I am friends with and then I have a few fantastic non-Christian women that I am friends with.
However I tend to hold back from them all. None of them know all about me. I am scared to become to close. I tend to hold back just a little.
My Christian friends do not see the crazy adventurous side of me and the non-Christian know nothing about the Christian side of me. I tell them yes that I am Christian, they know how much it means to me. I plan other events around church and church activities but of course we are not able to connect on that level.
You, my blogger friends whom I have never even met know more about me than they do. You understand my burning desire to know more about his Word. To become a better parent and build a deeper connection with my children. You know my struggles and my triumphs through home schooling. You also know that I love to be a bit adventurous. That I love to quad, sled and camp. That I tend to do the jumps and attempt some tricks with my outdoor vehicles. You also know how much I love to photograph.
So why do I have such a hard time sharing with my 'friends'? What exactly am I scared off?
Wow this is quite an in depth look into myself this week.
Hope I haven't scared you off.
I thought I would start and sort through some of the pics I took tonight. I will not post any wedding pics as I do not have permission from the individuals to post them. However suffice to say they are hilarious as it was a themed crazy hat wedding. As I continue through my pics if I find some of just myself or my hubby I will post them. Until then you will get scenery pics as I am getting used to my new camera. ( Have I mentioned how much I LOVE it!!!! Thank you so much honey!!!)
Hubby and I drove up island the day after the wedding to Campbell River. We lived in this community and close to this community for 5.5 years. It is where I feel very comfortable and a drive around was needed to reminisce. Hubby took me down one road to see if I would get lost (his fav thing to do to me as I have NO sense of direction and drive mainly from landmarks). When we came to this spot I had him pull over so I could take some pics.
It was a bit of a blustery day and we spent quite a bit of trying to take pics of leaves floating around. I loved the look of them stirring about on the road.
Love how this leaf is just caught on this branch.
Love the color of the moss. I also love just how much moss is on the trees.
I love this pic of my handsome hubby. I am such a lucky lady.
The sunrise on the ocean the next morning.
Roberts Lake up the island towards Sayward. As a family we used to camp at this lake so it was really nice to stop and take some fall pics here.
Shoreline.
Love the raindrops on the leaves and branches.
The road in.
I think that is it for tonight. Hopefully more tomorrow. Off to the orthodontist tomorrow for Sarah. So much fun so little time.
Wow I was so excited to find out today that Sharla at The Chaos and the Clutter honoured me with the Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you so much Sharla, I feel very honored. I started out this blog as just simply a diary of sorts for me but it has grown into so much more for me. I have learned so much about myself and have grown into a better woman because of it.
So here it goes.
The rules for this award:
-Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
-Tell your readers 7 things about yourself.
-Give this award to 15 recently discovered bloggers.
-Contact those bloggers and let them in on the news.
Seven things about me that you might not already know:
1. I come from a large extended family. I am the baby of 6. My mom had 14 brothers and sisters and my Dad also came from a family of six siblings. My husband is from a small family. He has one brother, his Mom has two siblings and his Dad also has only one. This can make the family dynamic interesting. As you can imagine at our wedding my side was full and spilled onto his side.
2. I have always wanted to be a Mom. When I was little I used to pray to God just to give me a baby. I was going to have four children, two boys and two girls. Names Donald (after a favorite cousin whom I lost way to early), Brad ( after my only brother), Grace ( after my aunt who passed away when I was three) and Isabelle ( another aunt who had passed away but she was only a baby herself).
3. I love outdoor activities. I love to quad, sled, swim, walk, etc.
4. I also love to take pictures. I am not the greatest but I am teaching myself. I pour over different websites looking for ideas and then attempt them with my camera. My handsome hubby recently gave me a new camera and over the course of a week of holidays I took tons and tons of pics.
5. I sometimes think it would be amazing to have lived in the 1800's. I do not mind hard physical labor and I love the sense of community that you had. With the big barn dances, celebrating together and worshipping together.
6. My husband and I have been married for 20 years. I met him when I was 18 almost 19 and we were married exactly 14 months after we first met. Although our road has not always been smooth by a long shot we have grown so much together and I am more in love with him now than I was 21 years ago.
7. I love decorating for the holidays. Any holidays. I love them all. I love getting together with family and celebrating every one. I enjoy being in my house when it is decorated for whatever the season. (Although I must admit, Halloween and Christmas are my two favorites).
Now for me to choose 15 blogs might be a bit of a challenge since I only have just recently started blogging and reading blogs but here it goes. These blogs are ones that I really enjoy and go back anxiously every day to see what is on their mind. I truely believe that if I lived nearby some of these wonderful ladies we would be fast friends.
