One way to Give Mom a Heart Attack....

...SO, today I decided taht Anthony and I needed to get out of the house and just *be* together. We don't very often get the chance to do things just the two of us and I can always tell it has been too long when we butt heads on EVERYTHING and where everything he does just drives me up the wall (for no reason).

I took him to the pool and we spent close to 1h 45mins just playing and having fun and doing whatever it was that Anthony wanted to do.

What did he want to do? Well, first he wanted to jump from the diving board, no problem, he doesn't need a lifejacket cuz I know where he is going to land and can stop him from going too deep. Then he wanted to do cannonballs into the deep end with no lifejacket, again, no problem cuz he straightens out when he hits the water and can get himself to the surface because he isn't too deep. THEN, he decided that he was going to touch the bottom (he didn't tell me this prior to jumping in) oh, it's also deep (like 12 feet or deeper), so he does a pencil jump into the deepend! I nearly died. Luckily he thought it was great fun and was somehow kicking his legs to get to the surface as I was diving down to get him! I told him if he wanted to try to touch the bottom that we needed to go to a part of the pool that mommy could touch in. And we did and he never needed any help after that. He would jump in, touch the bottom, come up and turn to his back to catch his breath and then kick to the side. My little fish! I was SOOOOO proud of him (yes, even when he jumped straight down into the deepend!).

It was such a good afternoon spent with my oldest. I miss that time, and I know that he thrives on it. Lately it seems like he keeps getting pushed to the side because he is older and can do more on his own and he isn't quite as needy as his brother and sister. I know that's not fair to him and I am trying to make an effort to spend at least one day a week for 1 to 2 hours of just me and Anthony. He loves it and I love it and things just run so much smoother for the two of us when we get to have fun together.

Wordless Wednesday

Expectations and Paint

I'm not a big fan of expectaions. They tend to make an otherwise fairly laid back mommy into somewhat of a bear. This past week was rough on lots of different levels and a lot of it boils down to the fact that I had expectations that weren't met the way that I felt they should have been. Don't you just hate that?! I'm trying to learn that it's not my family that needs to be meeting those expectations, but God. We might have a lot of unmet expectations in this house before this mommy catches on....

I spent most of last week painting my bedroom for much of last week, just little bits and pieces now and then as I had time, but I really did want to get it done by Friday, I was tired of sleeping on the floor in the office and of having our bedroom *stuff* all over the top floor of the huose. So, I gave my kids popcorn and turned on a movie while Owen napped, EXPECTING them to eat said popcorn while sitting nicely and watching the movie......not really what happened. And looking back, it's hysterical that they decided to have a spitting contest with the unpoped kernals of corn, Friday well let's just say I was SO NOT IMPRESSED with the state of the t.v room when I went down to check on the shrill screams coming from that general area of the house(Anthony was eating popcorn out of Alexandra's bowl, and here I thought it was something important (like the t.v exploded or an axe waving crazy man had entered our house). But, I did finally manage to get the room finished and put back together so I could sleep in my wonderful bde come Friday night.

While I was painting, Alexandra felt the need to do the same.
Troy has been so busy lately that the kids have seen very very little of him and I notice that it is most definately starting to affect their behaviour. I attempted to take all 3 to the grocery store today and I have never in my life seen my kids act like they did today. I don't even know what happened or what started it or anything, and nothing I said seemed to make any difference to how they were behaving (seriously, if I had had a video camera...but I'm SURE the store clerks let out a loud and looooong cheer when I left the store, although if they had wanted me out faster, they could have offered to help me get everything out to the van as I'm sure I made a *lovely* picture pulling the cart (oh did I mention that there's a slight incline to get to the parking lot), while trying to make sure the 2 older ones don't get run over by car or cart and trying to balance Owen's carseat on my other arm (cuz the cart was too full to fit anything but groceries in it today). Again, it's funny now.....

But most of the Christmas shopping is done and wrapped (and Anthony and I got some much needed one on one time this evening as I took him shopping for a present for him to give to Owen, it was so much fun, I really do cherish and love that little boy, who isn't all that little any more) and I am sending out the last package that needs to go tomorrow or the next day. There are red and green paper chains hanging in my kitchen, kids are sleeping and life is filled with wonderful blessings (like little ones sleeping in until after 8am on Saturday morning for their tired momma!!)

Most exciting...Troy and I are ACTUALLY going on a date (I know, it's a good thing you were sitting down for that) on Friday with another couple to watch our university's hockey team play. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited. It has been too long since we have been out as adults, together, without little ones. I am looking forward to it (but trying not to have any expectations for the night!)

Good night and may God shine His face upon you and bring you peace this week.

An Award

I was reading a friend's blog at: Bales & Tales last night and she had been passed on an {honest blog} award from one of her friends. Much to my surprise, I found my name in the list of people she was passing the award onto.

It totally made me smile, because there are days when I don't feel like my blog is very honest, although, that being said, I always just sit and type and let the words come and (very rarely) do I ever go back and edit for content so....maybe it is reflecting my life in a more honest way then I realize.....

Anyway, if you haven't checked out Lindsay's blog go over and read it. Although I have never met her in *real* life, her's is one of the blogs I check (*stalk*) on a regular basis (and at this my husband would roll his eyes...but he doesn't have to understand it!). She is a wife, mom to two smallish boys and a teacher. And does she EVER write well!!!!!! (Her pictures are amazing too.....which is how I ended up on her blog in the first place and I just never left). She's *real* too.

Since I have been *given* this award, I am to post 10 honest things about me and then pass it on to 7 to 10 other blogs. So here it goes....

1) Being vulnerable with people TERRIFIES me

2) I often forget that there is POWER in having someone else pray with you, for you.

3) Anthony and Alexandra ate popcorn at 10am while watching Jonah so I could finish painting my bedroom.

4) I have much less patience than I should

5) I have a weakness for Swedish Berries (yummy)

6) Having a disorganized house makes me angry

7) I am already SUPER EXCITED about Christmas and am having to control myself from unpacking all the Christmas decorations and listening music!!

8) There are still *frozen* sheets on my clothes line from close to a week ago

9) It's 2:30pm and the kids and I are still in our jammies

10) I tend not to let people too close but am learning to.

So there you have it. And I am now passing this award onto:

Wendi

Lelize

Angie

Pam

And yes, I know it is supposed to be 7 to 10 but I don't read that many blogs *grin*! And if a link doesn't work, please let me know. . . I'm not very good with linking yet :P

Wordless Wednesday

Snowfall

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!

We got our first snow of the season today and we are LOVING it!!!!

Although...the clothes I've had on the line for 3 days (due to a broken dryer) are now frozen and covered in snow (and still on the line) but hey it snowed and Anthony and Alexandra had a blast playing in it!!

Pictures will come (because yes, I took just a few *wink*)

Owen Bean

This *little* guy will be 6 months on teh 19th and I have realized that the pictures have been few and far between. He's there when the older ones and I do all the other *stuff* he's just not usually right in the centre of it, but rather bouncing in his Jumperoo or rolling on the floor (trying to eat t.v wires). So here are a bunch of pictures I took the other day (while Anthony was at school) while it was just the little ones and I. He's adorable if I do say so myself, but I am also a little biased (and he's not so adorable every 30mintues all night long....darn teeth!)

Tea for Two

I told my kids that I needed 5 minutes to finish my lunch and clean the kitchen and they needed to *play nice* until I could play with them. And what did they do?
Pushed a chair over to the counter, got the tea set down, managed to unsnap it and then proceeded to have a tea party.

So I gave them water (er.... tea) and raisins. And who needs a table when there is a perfectly good floor? That is, however, why it was just water. And you know what, they played for 45 minutes... together and happy.

*side note, I FINALLY got photoshop installed back onto my computer, I am SO happy, not that it matters to all of you but it made me smile this evening :)

November

Where oh where is November disappearing to? I am finding it hard to believe that we are almost at the half way mark. And I must admit, I am getting a little anxious for November to end for once it does.....

I CAN PUT UP MY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS (who me excited...I don't know WHAT you are talking about!) I love Christmas, the smells and the joy and the closeness of friends and family, the memories that are made around a tree or in a pew on Christmas Eve. I love the soft white snow and the velvet black sky ablaze with stars that always seem brighter the closer we get to the 25th. I am love that we have a reason to celebrate Christmas (a deeper reason than santa and toys and the never-ending displays that seem to appear earlier and earlier each year) I love reading the Christmas story to our kids as we sit around the tree, the twinkling of the lights as the reflect off eagar faces. The smell of baking and the looks of happiness on my kids faces as we take said baking to neighbours and friends. I love the songs playing almost continually on our CD player, annoucing the birth of our Saviour, lifting up our praise as we sing along all covered in flour, or tinsel. Truly, this is my favourite time of year.

Sorry....rabbit trail, this post wasn't really supposed to be about Christmas but I just can't help myself. This weekend is the *santa clause* parade, the kids love the floats and the hot chocolate and the excitement. So we will be going and Anthony has asked to go out to one of the greenhouses in town and look at all their Christmas stuff and see the talking moose (the best reason of all to go if you're 4!) There are birthday parties and field trips and show-and -tell days, knitting projects and quilting projects and life as it happens.

My life is so full and I am so blessed yet, there are some mornings I wake up and am grumpy with EVERYTHING (including the playpen that I forgot to put away yesterday and tripped over this morning) One of those days when I could have easily gone back to bed and stayed there, the rain was drizzling, the heat hadn't kicked in and my darling children were squabbling over a chair (a chair, seriously... there are 5 others...sigh) But all that being said, I am thankful for the day, the weather and the squabbling children. I love my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I am glad that I had a friend who was willing to pick us up and take us to a pool so that little girls would nap today.

Enjoy this mid-November day, for it will be over before we can blink.

A Busy, Blessed Weekend

What a crazy, yet somehow, relaxing weekend. Aren't those the best kind? We were all so busy but there wasn't really any stress or worry or a sense of 'this HAS to get done'. Despite the fact that there was a lot this weekend that did, in fact, HAVE to get done *grin*.
Friday the kids and I spent all day cooking and decorating and making cards/arctic birds(it's an Anthony phase) because we were having a surprise party for Troy. Seeing as he turns 33 tomorrow (Nov 10). I figured I would suprise him by having a few close families over for some homemade pizza and cupcakes. Anthony choose wonderful pink, purple, yellow, red, green streamers to put up and helped by sticking the smarties onto the tops of the iced cupcakes (3 guesses why he volunteered for that job...and I'm SURE it had NOTHING to do with the fact that he just 'happened' to get icing on his fingers after evey smartie was so carefully (read shoved) onto the top, I LOVE that boy!) I figured Troy works hard during the week and has spent every weekend since Thanksgiving out hunting so he needed a little break from the reality of life to celebrate his birthday with friends. And then he went to set up tables at a community centre for me so the Mother's Market I organize for our MOPS group could happen on the Saturday! Isn't he GREAT!!! I mean seriously, he goes to set up tables FOR ME on the night of his surprise party....I'm so blessed :)
Saturday was the Mother's Market, and it went well. It was a busy day and I was EXHAUSTED by the time I got home from it but it was well worth the effort that was needed. Our MOPS group made some money and we are hoping that we will be able to send two of us to the next MOPS Convention. Which would be very neat.
Troy even ended up not staying out at his sisters place, so the kids and I got to hang out with him in the afternoon so we took a nice leisurely walk through our mall. The kids were so well behaved and full of life. It was such a blessing to just hang out as a family and not have an agenda that needed to be accomplished while we were out.
Despite the fact that Sunday is often considered a day of rest, well, rest was the last thing on my mind. Between church and taking BPA filled baby bottles in to be exchanged and going out to my sister-in-laws to pick Troy up from hunting there was no rest. But, that being said, my soul is most definately 'at rest' today.
I had the sweetest moment as the kids and I were headed out to the country. Anthony and Alexandra were both singing in the van. Normally when this occurs, one of them stopps singing and starts yelling at the other to 'BE QUIET IT'S MY SONGS TURN!' Not today. Alexandra sang I will make you "fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men" (over and over and over and over, complete with actions) and Anthony sang "made up psalms mom, they are psalms cuz I'm singing them to Jesus".
I sat there driving and my heart was filled to overflowing with the Truth and goodness and grace that was flowing from the lips of my kids to their Creator and Saviour. It did my momma heart good to hear those innocent little kid voices lifting songs of praise to the Author of Life.
Hope that your week is filled with unpromted or planned songs of praise.
Good night my friends.

Crossroads

The topic in the videos series our ladies group is doing is on David. Last night's broad topic was 'Redeemed' with the more specific one being "crossroads". Kay Arthur was pointing out all the times in the story of David and Bethseba that David had a chance to choose God's way, rather than his way (the crossroad). The very first such crossroad that David came to was when it came time for him to take his troops into battle and he choose to stay, instead, at his palace.

It really made me stop and think, it seems, in the overall plan of life, that it was an insignificant choice, that it shouldn't have mattered, but that one choice lead to lust, adultry, deception and murder, surley NOT what David was planning when he choose to stay behind.

There a lot of crossroads that I come to everyday in my life, some of which seem very insignificant, (like how I respond when my daughter tells me she was feeding her younger brother playdough yesterday) but where is it going to lead me when I choose my way, rather than God's? Sin will take us down the path farther than we ever intended to go on it and once we start, it becomes easier to make the choice for OUR path, when we come to other crossroads.

So today, I am struggling with that, with choosing the road that God wants me to be on, not necessarily the easiest or the one I feel like taking or the one I 'think' I should take, but the one that God says I should be on.
I am so thankful though that, despite veering off, God still places crossroads in our life and lets us have a chance to get back on track (His track). What a mighty, gracefilled God. My heart sings to Him, for I know He is Good.

Halloween Fun

She was a little scared of the pumpkin. It's the only thing I can find that makes her scared

(at least she didn't scream her head off this year!)

It's hot mommy (the candle was lit)

Not sure..... I'd love to get in his head and know what he was thinking

(and no, I don't wash my hair in the sink)

Anthony's JK party

Bobbing for apples

The Lion

Alexandra and Mikayla

The Dragon

Blessings

Life is good...after a rough weekend, life today is good and filled with a happiness and a peace that have been m.i.a for a while.

Memo

To the Moose:
This memo is to remind you that it is hunting season and it would be greatly appreciated if you could;
1) Make your presence known
2) Walk towards the hunters, rather than lumbering (crashing through the bush) away from them
3) Stand still or, at the very least, in a position that is benificial for being hit
I would like my husband back and the faster you put this memo into practice, the faster my husband will leave you alone and let you get back to life before the hunters invaded your forest.
That is all, thank you.