Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Hip Hip

Hooray!  Erin is done her finals!  In BC, they write provincial exams in some subjects in grade 10 and many subjects again in grade 12.  I don't really understand the system, but whatever.  She had 3, 3 hour exams this week, plus a Spanish one last week.  Yay she's done, and looking tired.  Now onto a fun semester of Foods, Sewing, PE, Metal Arts and Social Studies (OK not so fun).  How that all happened, who knows, but she figured she'd work hard the 1st semester and have fun the 2nd.

Now we can maybe all take a breath.  Christmas, and the break it gave us seems a mile away, and we just need a few moments to breathe.  To rest, to think, to allow Jesus into more moments.  I can see Him, but I seem far away the past few weeks, too busy to stop and focus, re-focus,  He is always there, always waiting, it's us who travels away and forgets to check in, read our messages from Him, have a long cup of tea together.

I've been wanting for days to write down some great words I've heard, and thoughts I've been thinking about them.  You know those times when you hear a few things all in a few days, that all refer to the same thing...  I've learned it means PAY ATTENTION!  I'm speaking to you.  I, the God of heaven, am speaking to you.  What could be more important than that?  Another load of laundry, get those dishes done, the kids driven places, quizzed for exams, check my e-mail.  What could be more important than that?

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Take that Lulu Lemon

So with volleyball season in full swing, and laundry season not happening like 3 times a week after every practice, there has arisen the need for more tight shorts. So we decided to try my hand at making up a pattern identical to the lululemon shorts that ALL the girls wear and are really hard to find in anything similar anywhere else that has similar function and no ride up quality. But who wants to pay the price? $49... for nothing? So we shopped for spandex and had this sweet patterned stuff on hand from a bargain bin, whipped up a little pattern and voila!

Here's me and my rock hard abs modeling this pair for you!
Who would know I've had 2 babies?
Cost ... $9 for both
(plus had to buy some stretchy needles, but caught the 50% sale)


And in other fantastic news, especially for KK, there's been an update and new look to
E's blog! I made it public momentarily, but can add you as a reader once we put it private again in a few days.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Gratitude on a Monday

233. I laughed at this funny view when I came around the corner Sunday, dedicated parents hanging over the railing watching their kids!

234. Machine free stippling - the last stage on this baby! Good thing I procrastinated so I could use my NEW machine! The rubber gloves are totally essential to the process!

235. Likely the last skate of the season on our rink, it's now a big puddle, but a fun day with friends!

236. Enjoying Martha's cupcake cookbook, thanks to Erin. "Blueberries and cream"


237. Watching 2 hours of volleyball and doing my Esther homework yesterday afternoon without interruption



238. The end of the Christmas baking- really I'm thankful it's gone!
239. A very funny boy, who coerced me again into walking with him on the paper route, it's good bonding time :)
240. New babies, some twins this week and the same day, KD's best man had a baby girl, his first at age 42! What a total blessing and miracle! Praying for a few more miracles in that department.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sunday Night Blues

You know the feeling, the end of the weekend. I used to get the Sunday night blues much more than I do now, when I was younger, less emotionally stable, more swayed by mood and the people around me. But it still some days it feels like back to the grind. If I only were a morning person, maybe it would be easier. Is it? You morning people tell me? The worst part about thinking of Monday morning is the getting up earlier than I have to on the weekend. I've tried, but my internal clock is just set for late night hours, and 3 out of 4 of our family members are the same. At least I'm not like my in-laws who are opposite - while one is melting and slowly turning into a pumpkin, the other is just getting going and ready for 3 hours of conversation. Something about the weekend is freedom, no responsibility, and looking for fun around every corner, not full of quite so many "have-to's".

So in preparation for another week of, " Do I have to go to school today?" here's a Monday morning pick me up:

Dreaming of summer days when it's not melty and slushy and snowy and wet out.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Randomness with a few special of yous in mind

I've been spending a few moments surfing...

RANDI, I thought maybe you could use this costume idea sometime, so funny and very Canadian

I am so trying these to go with my chai tea latte, sorry TARA, chai is the best, but I'll take Earl Grey as a close 2nd. Next time we're together, let's make these!

ERIN, my girl, this recipe is calling your name!!

JANET, it's calling us...soon soon. I'm thinking this for your kitchen, you said you wanted red. But definitely need to incorporate this maybe beside the fridge!

MISSY, you'll love creative this website, but in other exciting news for me, maybe not for you, Target is buying out Zellers.

MARCIA, I think the Okanagan is calling. It's time for reflective and uncontrolled.

MELISS, you're on my mind too, but this is all I've got for you :)

My blog has been kind of boring and colorless lately. This photo definitely should have gone with #230 on my thankful list.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Back at 'er and loving it

I am so excited to get back to my Esther study. I am so a person that needs schedule and routine to stay disciplined in my own devotions and study. Even though there is more "free" time over Christmas, the time slides so much faster, more family time and less alone time. So I'm so glad to be back, because I need the daily WORD. We girls reconvene tomorrow, and I imagine there will be a lot of Christmas catch-up news to share, and maybe not a lot of study going on, but the community is so good!

Some community just happens, but more and more it seems that I have to be intentional about creating it somewhere, or life just slides by without those deeper connections. I am praying for deeper friendships and greater community for my family for 2011. Extended family seems to create that for a lot of people instantly, but when you don't have a lot of that close by, there seems to be a hole. It takes being involved in something together that makes it happen easier, and things are spread out in a lot of different areas for us more than they used to be. 2 workplaces for me, 1 for Kevin, 2 schools, a big church, coaching responsibilities, a new committee I'm joining, 3 different sports teams/groups of people to deal with, and most of all friends and family. How to bring it all together? What are your thoughts on community? How have you found it in your life? What are the best times and places for it?

Sunday, January 9, 2011

1000 things...

212. skates gliding on ice
213. 1/2 price tea lattes between 2-5 this week
214. warm cozy duvets that are so hard to get out of
215. heat, no really, actually having a heated house
216. warm, fuzzy Christmas memories
217. a husband who can take morning coffee breaks at home
218. puppy dog eyes from my 12 year old boy, oh.. he can melt me and talk me into most anything (and it's paper route day)
219. glue sticks and bright colored paper
220. warm, fuzzy, new little boy (OK not so little boy) housecoat (I see a warmth theme happening)
221. a day that smelled like spring
222. ice crystals on eyelashes
223. surviving my first ski of the season on old lady knees
224. red heads
225. knitting scarves
226. my new little corner table for the lap top in the dining room, and keeping an eye on the kids on computer handier
227. trying to get my 2 to bed was getting later and later last week, and going to get them to turn off their lights finally and finding them both reading their Bibles at midnight in their separate rooms. What am I supposed to do? "Stop that Bible reading you children!!"?? Oh my heart melts, loving Jesus.
228. reading through Christmas cards and letters once last time before putting them away
229. new photos on my fridge of loved ones growing bigger each year
230. kissy, spongy horse lips
231. ducks waddling across the road not worried one bit about stopping traffic
232. our new Compassion Christmas "son", Elmer Noel from Guatemala (his name stole our hearts Christmas morning when we picked him out), waiting for his photo to arrive because it's not on the website anymore :)

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Making Difference

I'm bleary eyed from not enough sleep and wondering what really matters in a day? Why do we do the things we do? Which things that happen in a day are ones that actually make a difference? There are so many ordinary moments.. things that need to happen, like cleaning the bathroom and getting groceries and making lunches.. all so ordinary, done so many times over by so many Moms, so many people everyday. It's not like we can stop doing these things, but they seem all mundane over and over, and over. What in those moments makes them rich, makes them Spirit filled? Or are some of them never that way? Or can they all become that if our motive and attitude towards it is focused towards the greater love, looking for the moments? Thinking these thoughts, not in a negative way, just wondering, musing.

Did it matter that I mopped up an entire glass of apple juice on the hospital floor when I should have been driving home, but my heart wasn't happy about it? That the kids make it to where they need to be everyday at the right time, but in a hurry? Sometimes I just want to leave it all behind and follow a bigger plan, a wilder dream. But I know the ordinary moments would still happen, waiting for planes to exotic places, or needing to rally up a meal, or brushing shoulders with another stranger in some other place - would it matter whether or not I interact with them? The same questions, the same thoughts, the same me would be in a different grand dream.

So I continue striving, but not for striving's sake, to be more real, to love deeper, be more patient, laugh more often at myself, live with each moment.. in this place! In each moment, that's where I want to be. Pressing on is maybe a better word. Without fear that things will remain the same, so hard to change old habits, so difficult to make new plans or resolve new things. A new year with a new Word, fresh manna for each new day.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Overflowing - 40 things to do when I'm 40 (or older)

I am so overwhelmed with blessing. Especially how awesome and good looking my husband is. Overwhelmed by the gifts God has given. I am thankful for so many things and need to continue my list of gratitude, but first with it being a new year, a new decade, and my 40th year- a Biblical year- I wanted to do a list of 40 things I yet want to do with my life. And since I love lists, in thinking and dreaming of what lies ahead and because it's my first post of the new year here goes:

1. not leave my blog open and walk away, so my husband can write his own words into sentence #2
2. be a wife and mother overflowing with joy and love for my family, making their lives and home a wonderful place to be
3. travel to 2 more continents I have yet to see
4. live on land and have chickens and horses
5. volunteer at the Crisis Pregnancy center again
6. lose 20 pounds, but not just that #, but feel healthy and strong
7. go to weekly Bible study with women I love (oh- I already do :)
8. work at a hospital in Africa helping women, maybe this one
9. deliver a baby (not my own)
10. live with purpose every day
11. go to Paris and Italy and ski in Switzerland
12. sew a cute apron
13. horseback ride on the beach with Erin, cantering and galloping for sure!
14. grow more flowers, work in a garden center for a season
15. hold a new niece (or even another nephew)
16. take my kids to my Dad's grave, they've never been
17. see my children get married (not this year!)
18. see the Northern Lights
19. be respected by my children
20.boogie board some waves (this year would be nice)
21. teach a preschool class
22. make each person I'm with every day feel special
23. get a new set of dishes
24. have a window with a great view
25. make a difference in someone's life
26. go on a girls' weekend
27. find my high school best friend Barb and have a long lunch
28. learn to play the guitar well
29. ice skate the canals in the Dutch homeland
30. backpack with Kevin and the kids somewhere cool
31. keep my house cleaner without effort
32. spend more time reading my Bible than on the computer
33. lead people to Jesus
34. keep falling in love with my husband over again
35. go on Survivor
36. end child abuse and slavery
37. teach a Bible class
38. be more of who I am, although being able to make people laugh more would be good too
39. cuddle up by a big fire in a cabin in the mountains for a weekend
40. have everyone I love live on the same street!