Priorities

At the start of this year, our pastor talked about looking back and considering our priorities, and about pressing on with confidence (Philippians 3:1-16). As I thought back over the past year, I realized I had learned some things about my priorities. My dad always told me to make sure I had my priorities right: Keep God at the top, and everything else will fall in place. His priorities were very clear, and he stuck to them.

For myself, one thing I have stopped doing recently is using the word “busy”. It dawned on me one day that somehow I manage to find time to check text messages, to go on Facebook and Pinterest, and to watch my favourite television show. I told myself that if I can find the time to do those things in my “busy” days, then I can make a priority of finding the time to pray and to read God’s word. In doing so, I have experienced God’s presence in new and amazing ways in all areas of my life. I have experienced a contentment, a sense that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, even during the craziest moments and the most exhausting days.


As for pressing on with confidence, my goals are as follows: Pray more. Help more. Love more. Encourage more. Be more and do more, not in the sense of making my calendar super-full, but in the sense that I want to do the things that God wants me to do, and live the life that he wants me to live wherever I am and whatever I am doing: at church, at work, at home, at the community centre, at Tim Horton’s, at LCS, at the daycare, and the list could go on.


Christian education continues to be a strong priority. I see how being educated in Christian Schools has formed my own faith. I see the importance of having our children learn in a Christ-centred environment. I love hearing and seeing our children’s faith and learning grow and blossom through stories, songs and lessons they have learned at school. These moments are good reminders of why this is a priority for our family.


The above was written for a newsletter. What follows are a few other thoughts:

Another theme that has popped up in different areas of life is balance. Everyday there seems to be some extreme argument for what we should or should not do in parenting, in medicine, in education, in church, in business, in our personal devotions, in farming, in politics, and the list could go on. However, so much of life comes down to balance. When the pendulum swings too far to one side, something has to give. 

When there is a balance, I feel healthier because I am eating and exercising properly, students learn well because they are receiving a balanced education, churches grow because people are working together, and children feel safe because they are being loved. The utmost important balance, is the balance I experience as a Christian. I know that God is the ultimate balance. He has everything in his control, and for me, that gives everything balance. When my prayer life is strong, all areas of my daily life feel stronger.

At this point in my life, I am not pretending to have it all figured out. In fact, I feel like the more I know, the less I know, or maybe the less I want to know. If I went back to my 20 year old self, and told her that this is what I would be doing and where I would be, she probably would believe some of it, and she would probably not want to believe some of it.

Nevertheless, I have so much to be thankful. I have an excellent church, wonderful colleagues and friends and family, and an awesome God. I have a full life, and I am truly blessed.

Reflections

This morning in church, our pastor talked about looking back and considering our priorities, and about pressing on with confidence.**

With it being the end of one year, and the beginning of another, I have been reflecting on the past year, and looking ahead to 2015.

As I think about last year, here are some of my thoughts:

* In February, I lost my dad. Someone so full of faith and love and life. He was not a perfect man, but he was an amazing man. I miss him so much, and have heard the sound of his voice on my birthday, through all the Christmas carols he used to sing, his jokes and silly comments, and in so many other ways. What I wouldn't give to have coffee with him again! I have great memories, and my kids still talk about him often. I struggle with seeing other people with their dads, and grandkids with their grandpas, wishing my dad was still a part of our lives: watching games, coming to concerts, and just being silly while visiting. I know that I will always miss him, but do imagine him watching those special moments from heaven. I also realize that I have been blessed to have my dad as such a strong and wonderful role model for 35 years of my life.

* I have read some great books in the past year that have had an impact on my life:
   - Francis Chan's "Crazy Love" which challenged me in my faith.
   - Bob Goff's "Love Does" which reminded me so much of my dad, and challenged me in my faith.
   - Alvin VanderGriend's "Love to Pray" - which pushed me in my prayer life.
   - "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio - which is a great read about a pre-teen's struggle.
   - "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park - which had me in tears at the end.
   - "10 Mindful Minutes" by Goldie Hawn - which focused on the importance of quiet reflection.
   - "Seeking God's Face" by Philip F. Reinders - which I will read again this year.

* I was involved with some neat things this past year:
   - OMLTA Conferences, love going every year, connecting with colleagues, and learning more
   - Joining a new church, love the MRCC
   - Running the Read4Success program at my school, I loved learning with the families that attended
   - Going to Jamaica with friends, good to get away and relax
   - UGDSB Learning Fair, loved hearing Pinball Clemons speak
   - Having a "While You Were Out" experience planned by my husband and mom
   - Wingham Homecoming, love being a part of a small town
   - My sister-in-law's wedding, such a beautiful day for a beautiful couple
   - And lots of great times with my kids, family and friends (going through my Facebook feed from the last year, it was great to relive those memories!)

I truly believe in life-long learning, and I learned a lot this year. I learned a lot about prayer and how important it is. I learned a lot about myself and what is truly important to me. I learned a lot about being a teacher. Most of all, I learned about the importance of faith and family and friends and community.

As I look ahead to 2015, I have some goals:
- Be more organized, which should be more specific...
- Spend less, which has changed to: use money wisely.
- Eat less, which has changed to: eat better.
- Exercise more.
- Pray more.
- Help more.
- Love more.
- Encourage more.
- Be more and do more. But not in the sense of making my calendar super-full, in the sense that I want to do the things that God wants me to do, and live the life that he wants me to live wherever I am and whatever I am doing.

Here's to another year, full of new experiences. I feel a bit jaded after last year. My usual excitement for a new year is lessened as I lost my dad last year. However, I see grief in a whole different way now, and I hope that I can be a better support to others as they grieve. I also know that my life is rich in so many ways. My dad always used to say, "We may not be rich in money, but we are rich in love." I have used that quote with my own kids now too. My life is full of people who love me and care about me, and I them, and that has made my life so rich and full. I realize that there are people out there who do not have that kind of support, I want to become more aware of those situations, and I want to help or do something. I am not sure what that will look like, but I am open to new possibilities.

Blessings to you and yours in 2015!

**Philippians 3:1-16 - The Message: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+3%3A1-16&version=MSG

New Years Day & French Onion Tang

It's a new year, and with a new year comes new thoughts and wishes and hopes and dreams.

One year ago today, I spent the day with my mom while my dad, my husband, my brother and his father-in-law went to the Winter Classic in Detroit. The Leafs versus the Red Wings. The game of the century, and an experience never to forget. Little did we know that just 2 months later, my dad would have a stroke, and would end his journey here on earth. That day is now a beautiful memory for my brother as he was like a kid in a candy store, and he got to be there with our dad. I was at home with my mom, where we were nice and warm, eating yummy Dutch treats, and watching the game on television.

A year later, I again spent the day with my mom, this time at her house, this time with my sister and brother and their families, and with my uncle and aunt. It was great to start the year together. A new year with new hopes and dreams and ideas and prayers. We enjoyed time to chat, time to listen to babies babble, time to watch the kids play, time to watch the wind blow and the snow fall, time to reminisce, time to laugh, and time to eat. Of course, we ate, and we ate a lot: chocolate and pie, pancakes and popsicles, and croquettes and oliebollen (Dutch treats too oily and greasy to be anything but bad for you but they taste amazing).

My mom is amazing, and crazy, but good crazy. She really should write a book, but today I had to chronicle a little thing that is just typical of her, and we love her for it. She is a great grandma, and loves to let her grandkids do things that their parents may consider unthinkable - for example, eating freezies one after the other all day, eating chocolate for breakfast, cutting the grass at a very young age, you get the idea. Today, though, it was a simple matter of having my eldest son "help" her. After breaking an egg on the floor, and quickly wiping it up, she had him stirring the batter, and the pancakes would be cooking shortly for lunch.

Next, it was on to making some Tang. If you have made Tang, you know how simple it is: just throw the crystals in, mix in some water, and bang, you have Tang. Sweet, sweet, yummy, delicious Tang. However, in my mom's kitchen things sometimes get a little mixed up. So my son dumped the second bag of crystals in, and started to mix up the drink, but something didn't look quite right. My mom took a look at it, and let out a, "Whoops! Oh dear!" Sure enough, that second package was not the regular Tang crystals, it was a pouch of French Onion Soup Mix that had gotten put in with the Tang pouches. Needless to say, that French Onion Tang headed down the drain! My mom, being the quick-on-her-feet grandma that she is, had the next batch of Tang ready to go in no time, and the grandkids' thirst was quenched with some sweet, sweet, yummy, delicious Tang!

Thanks for a great day of great memories, Mom! I love you! Here's to 2015 and all that God has in store for us.

It is time...

I have decided that it is time for me to blog about my latest goal. I have not blogged about this in the past because I feel like if I don't put anything out there, it won't matter if it happens or not. But it is time. I have a goal, my goal is to lose twenty-five pounds in the next 10 weeks. I feel in some ways like it is impossible, but I also feel that if I don't try, I will never know! Also, if it ends up being 20 pounds, I will be happy with that, but I thought I would aim high. It will be hard, especially with Christmas around the corner, but I won't know if I don't try, right? :)

So why am I doing this? Well there are several reasons:
1. I want to feel good and be in good shape.
2. I am going to Jamaica in February which I think it's good incentive.
3. I want to wear the summer clothes I wore a couple of years ago, and I would like to get some new clothes for next summer.
4. I am going back to work in February.
5. It will be about 9 months since I had my baby when 10 weeks are up.

How am I going to do this?
1. I am in the process of doing the "Bikini Body Mommy Challenge", and plan to continue for the next 2 months as it is a 90 challenge, and I'm about 3 weeks in. http://bikinibodymommy.com/2013/09/02/bikini-body-mommy-challenge-fittest-workout-day-1/
2. I am going to set weekly goals. I have some people out there keeping me accountable, and couldn't do it without them. I will blog at least once each week, possibly more depending on the day. I hope I can brag about how great things are going, but I might just talk about the challenges I'm having.

One thing I have learned is that losing weight is hard work. All the claims out there about easy and quick weight loss seem pretty far-fetched, and I have learned that even if they do work, they are temporary, at least for me anyway. So here is to hard work and much success in the next 10 weeks....

Goals for this week:
1. 5-7 fruits and veggies each day
2. No post-supper snacking
3. 8 glasses of water each day
4. Exercise each day (Challenge workouts)

Butterscotch Banana Muffins

Today I made Butterscotch Banana Muffins. I found the recipe for these at:

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/10/butterscotch-banana-bread-recipe.html 

I made it as muffins, and I'm sure it be great as bread too!

They smelled wonderful as they baked, they looked wonderful when I took them out of the oven, and they tasted wonderful when I ate them!

Thank you Six Sisters!

Phases

There are so many phases in life, some short, some long, some fun, some hard, some crazy, you get the idea. At this point in my life, I'm working on being content where I'm at, no matter what the phase. I find that when I get into a good groove, something changes and we're on to a new phase with new adjustments. My oldest son has taught me a lot about phases, parenting, teaching, kids, life, and patience. I have heard that about every six months, kids go through a change, and parents can expect things to be a little rocky for a period of time. I think there is some truth to that. I feel like the changes happen a lot and really quickly when they're babies, and then they spread out to this six month to a year mark as they get older, at least, that's how it is with my older kids at this point anyway.

This morning my oldest boy had a rough morning. He had a great night's sleep last night, but when he woke up, he was grouchy, and he did NOT want to go to school. Other days he has felt this way, he usually shakes it off after a bit. This morning, I had to fight to get his clothes on, fight to get him to eat his breakfast (and then he was mad because I was going to "win" at eating our cereal!), fight to get his coat and hat on to get to the bus, and then fight to get him on the bus.

I walked down the driveway with the two of them to make sure things would be okay. Next thing I know, he was walking out into the field, and the bus was approaching. It was about 1-2 km away still, but I could see it was coming. So I pulled out the big guns: "I'm going to get daddy." I asked my daughter to take the boy's backpack on the bus, and I hoped and believed that he would get on the bus without too much trouble. I then started the walk back to the house. I kept looking back, and told him that he would be in big trouble if he did not get on the bus. By the time I got to the house, the bus had arrived at our driveway, and I gave one last yell, "You get on that bus!" I'm pretty sure every hunter in the neighbourhood heard that one.... Then I stood and watched, as he took slow steps, and... got on the bus! Phew! I shook my head, looked up at the sky, and thanked God for our crazy boy who keeps us on our toes! I came inside and told my husband that I had just witnessed the definition of reluctance.

It's all about the little things in the middle of this beautiful mess! Blessings to you today!

Time change musings

This weekend we had to change our clocks for daylight savings. For some reason, I can't figure out the difference between when it begins or when it ends, so suffice it to say that this weekend we gained an hour. For some, this means that they get an extra hour of sleep. For others, it means that their kids are going to wake up an at even more in-humane hour than they already do. For me, I generally just try to get through both time changes knowing that life with little kids means that I lose an hour of sleep on a regular basis anyway, so gaining an hour is not even an option.

Last night, I asked my husband what he was going to do about the time change. His response, "Nothing. I'm just going to do everything the same in the morning. Then, I'll just get an extra hour at some point in my morning. Genius!" I have to admit that it made sense. The first part for sure, and maybe the genius part a little bit. Actually, I do think my husband is very smart! Anyway, I thought that I would go with him on that. Besides, I could use that extra hour to fold some laundry in the morning.

So that's what I did. I got up on the "old" time, my kids mostly did the same, except for the middle boy who slept in, oddly enough. Then a bit later in the morning, I changed the clocks, and I had an extra hour to get ready for church. Brilliant really! So instead of being bummed that I didn't actually get an extra hour of sleep, I'm kind of pumped that I got an extra hour in my day! Also great was that my three older kids were all asleep by 7:30pm, and baby was not far behind.

Am I super-tired right now, and it's not even 9:30pm? Yes! Will we all have an adjustment getting up in the morning this week? Probably, but that's normal enough on a good week...

That's my little thing for today! Good night!

Halloween and a bunch of little things

Well, here it is, the my last post for the October blogging challenge, #31. I did it! I've enjoyed reflecting on so many things over the past month, and coming up with different things to blog about. I've also enjoyed connecting with other bloggers and seeing what people write about from one day to the next. I've worked on some other challenges. I was successful with some for the whole month, some for about half the month, and some not so well. However, I am proud of those that I completed, and will work on some others in the next month.

For today's little things, I had a lovely day. It was Halloween. I carved pumpkins with my oldest boy, and we laid out the seeds to attempt to grow our own next year. He and I also created his ninja costume, which was a last minute switch this morning from his cow costume. We went trick or treating with my sister's family, and had lots of fun, even with all the rain we got tonight. My Tinkerbell, ninja, elephant and duck (who ended up being a sleeping candy cane in his red & white striped sleeper, as described by my niece) were cute and lots of fun. When I got home, they all fell into bed, and I enjoyed checking out the costumes of friends and family on Facebook for a bit.

I have enjoyed this challenge! I will be posting again soon, just not daily for awhile. :)

ABCs all about me

A is for Airplane - I have flown to Europe three times, to California twice, to Cuba, and to Mexico.

B is for Babies - I have four!

C is for Christian - I believe in the Bible and that Jesus died for my sins.

D is for Dad - My dad is 6'5", and has encouraged me so much throughout my life. My father-in-law has a calm, strong nature, and has been a blessing in many ways.

E is for Earth - I love the earth and it's beauty, nature is so much a part of my life and what keeps me grounded.

F is for Family - I have 4 siblings, and my husband has 7. Between us, we have over 40 aunts and uncles and many many cousins and great-cousins! We are blessed with wonderful families!

G is for Gifts - I have lots of different gifts, but sometimes forget that that is what they are. I love to lead things and organize things and network with people.

H is for Husband - We have been married for almost 13 years. When we said, "I do", we meant through everything and forever. We have been blessed in so many ways, through hard times and good times.

I is for Ice cream - I love ice cream, what can I say!

J is for Joy - There are many things in life that bring me joy, right now it's hearing my kids giggle and laugh, especially together and with my husband and I.

K is for Kettle - I love my kettle because I love to have tea! Nothing like sitting down with a cup of tea and a sweet treat, and chillaxing for a bit.

L is for Leaves - I love that we live in a climate where the leaves start out as tiny buds in the spring, then become full and green and lush in the summer, then become beautiful colours in the autumn and fall off the trees, leaving brown barren branches that cover beautifully with snow or ice or frost in the winter.

M is for Mom - My mom is wonderful and crazy, and I love her for her willingness to be there in a heartbeat when we need her. My mother-in-law is an amazing woman who raised 8 wonderful children. They are both so different, and both very good to their grandchildren.

N is for Novels - I love reading, and have always loved it!

O is for October - A great month! My birthday, completing challenges this month, and doing a blog a day for this whole month this year.

P is for Princess - That's the meaning of my name, and I have always been proud of it!

Q is for Questions - I enjoy asking people questions, and learning more about them, some might call it nosey, but I think of it as being interested.

R is for Redhead - I have been a redhead since I was born. I really didn't like it as a kid, but have come to appreciate it an embrace it.

S is for Southpaw - I am a lefty and proud of it! God made a few perfect people, and the rest are right-handed. ;)

T is for Teacher - I wanted to be a teacher already as a little girl, often playing teacher with my younger siblings. I love what I do, and have been blessed to work great colleagues at all the schools where I have worked.

U is for University - I completed 5 years of University, finished with a major in French, a minor in English, and a Teaching Degree.

V is for Van - I was one of those people who never wanted to drive a minivan, but as my mom often says, "Never say never!" I now drive a minivan, and I do love it, especially with 4 kids.

W is for Water - I love the water, and I love swimming. It's one of my favourite active activities, and so far all my kids love it too!

X is for X-ray - I have once in my life had an x-ray, and it was the summer before I started high school when I broke my arm.

Y is for Yard - I have the ultimate backyard because we live on a farm. I grew up on a farm, and loved it, and I am thankful that our kids have the opportunity to live on a farm as well. They love it too!

Z is for Zumba - I have actually only done it a few times, and I have loved it. I love dancing, and Zumba is something I hope to do more of in the future!

My Birthday

Yesterday, I turned 35. I decided to invite people over to share the day with me, and it was wonderful! In the morning, I had lots of friends and cousins come over, with some of their kids who weren't in school for the day. It was lovely. We chatted, drank coffee, had yummy treats and even had some healthy treats. My idea of a great time! I am thankful that they could come out, and share my day with me. Their presence was my present! Although, my 5 year old thought that was pretty lousy! ;) Some shared lunch with us, and I fed them some leftover squash soup which I thought tasted great, along with some sandwiches and buns.

In the afternoon, my in-laws came over, and my sister-in-law and her boyfriend, and they all stayed for a "fancy" meal of hot dogs. I thought I'd keep it simple since it was my birthday. We enjoyed yummy ice cream cake from our local ice cream restaurant with everyone throughout the day.

The day ended with a glass of wine and good conversation with my sister and another cousin. A lovely day all in all!

I was blessed by everyone who came!

Of course, this morning, I felt a bit sad because it was all over, and today was a "normal" day. Nevertheless, I think I will be making more of an effort to spend quality time with people who are near and dear to me. Today was also Coffee Break, and as I got in the van to head out for the morning, it wouldn't start. Go figure! I got there, late, but enjoyed the company of some great women, and some more great conversation.

Kids and the R-word

Responsibility. It's a big word. My oldest now knows what it's about. Poor kid. She was upset the other day because of the things she has to do to help out, and how it isn't fair! I proceeded to tell her that the older you are, the more responsibility you get. I'm not sure she really liked the idea of getting older as much as she did prior to this conversation.

My two oldest children are 7 years old (8 in a month) and 5 years old. They are young, but it is neat to see that they are becoming more willing to take on more responsibility around our home. Don't worry, they are normal kids who generally don't want to do the tasks I ask them to do, but they do have to do them. However, lately I have noticed that they are more willing to take on age-appropriate tasks around the house. I have realized, though, that I also need to give them a task, and give them a time frame for completion. Usually I want them to do something right that second, and they are in the middle of something. So I am working on that because I know I'm the same. You know, the whole, "Mommy, I need you!" to which I often reply, "I'll be there in a second!" (or 5 minutes...)

Both of my oldest children really like when they have a chance to help with their younger brothers. It is neat to see how proud they are when they have done something helpful, and when we acknowledge how much we appreciate it. They are both generally willing to help with chores in the barn, probably more so than in the house (yes, I can relate! I feel the same way!). However, they are taking on more household chores, and are able to take care of their own things by putting them away, and tidying up around the house. I think sometimes I underestimate them and what they can do. Of course, I don't want to push them and force them to grow up too quickly, but I do want them to be responsible kids who grow into responsible adults.

We're working on finding a balance, and I have to think about when I was younger and what was expected of me. I am the oldest of five siblings, and I remember my dad often saying to me, "You are the oldest, and you need to be a good example." I did my best, and I am pretty sure I will be saying these same words to my own older children...

Early birthday gift

This morning my oldest son was not too pleased to have to go to school - he is in Kindergarten. So I told him, well tomorrow, you get to be home with mommy, and it's her birthday! His response was to lay on the floor and start crying. Oh boy! I asked him what the problem was, and he said, "But mommy, I don't have a present for you!!" What a guy! I told him that it was okay, and that maybe he could make a card for me at school... That seemed to appease him, and off he went for the day.

Fast forward to this evening. I brought my daughter to dance lessons after supper, and when I came home, he decided he needed to vacuum his bedroom. So he did, and then proceeded to vacuum the entire main floor of the house. Okay, our house is not huge, but for a five year old, at 8:00pm... Wow! He is normally in bed around 7:00pm, but kept telling me he had to keep working until he had finished all the rooms on the main floor. Well, happy early birthday to me! I have guests coming tomorrow, and the house is vacuumed! Son, you can give me the gift of vacuuming every year!

This story is one of those little things I want to have a record of for future reference... :)

Running

On Saturday I ran 5 km. It was cold and wet and rainy and snowy and slushy, but I did it. I was going to run in an actual run, but couldn't get there, so decided I was going to do 5 km on my own. I finished, and even did it under 40 minutes, which I am proud of too. It wasn't my best time ever, but I wasn't going for that. I had been running a bit lately trying to get back into shape after having baby #4 in May - 5 months ago, in case you're wondering. ;)

The last time I ran a full 5 km was about a year and a half ago. I also did 10 km right around that time. The 10 km was hard. I did it to say I did it, but I really don't want to do it again. I thought about it as I was running my last kilometre today. I thought to myself, "Come on! You have ran 10 km before, this is only 5, you only have 1 km left!" That was partly what got me through the last kilometre, considering my clothes had taken on a fair bit of water, and it was getting harder and harder to run.

Why do I run? I ask myself this question sometimes, and I know some people that think it's craziness. I was one of those people at one time! I don't consider myself very athletic, and I never really liked track & tield or cross country or most sports as a kid. However, I run now, and here are some of my reasons:

1. I like running. I don't love it, but I do like it.
2. It's a workout I can do from home, and it starts and ends in a good amount of time as I usually go out for about 30 minutes.
3. It's refreshing. When I came back on Saturday, I was exhausted, but later in the day, I had a huge burst of energy, and got a bunch of things done around the house.
4. It's good for me. I know exercise is good for me, and it's hard to get out there and get going a lot of the time, but it is good for me and I know it. I also want to be a good example to my kids.
5. I get to enjoy creation. I love looking around the countryside, especially because our seasons change so vividly here. I love seeing how God changes things from one season to the next, how the sky can look so different, and how we have so many plants and animals right around me. Amazing!

Today

Today was a busy day, but good busy:
- Started with viewing snow outside (too early, even for a winter-loving Canadian like myself!)
- Went to the local rec centre for swimming lessons for the girl, and hockey for the oldest boy
- Then picked up some coffee at Tim Horton's
- Made grilled cheese for lunch
- Home for the afternoon
- Ran 5 km
- Made pumpkin craft with the kids
- Cleaned house with oldest boy (he just loves to vacuum!) & the girl (she's great for tidying when she's into it)
- Dance party with the boys
- Had supper of leftovers
- Went with our fun four kids to watch daddy play hockey, a little bit crazy, but good crazy, and even managed to get a few snippets of adult conversation

My kids have had a four day weekend, and it has been cold and rainy and snowy and wet and cold and wet and cold and, well, you get the idea. But they have been great. They have played and entertained themselves so well. We have watched a bit of tv, but not as much as I thought we might. They played with their cousins all day Thursday, and kept each other entertained after that. I had my own moment of cabin fever, but a little drive through the countryside with a Tim Horton's coffee helped that out, thanks to the husband!

They have played "dogs" and "house" and "hockey" and "farm", and they have coloured and coloured. This afternoon my oldest and middle boy had a dance party - so fun and I just love their moves! I joined in for a bit too! Tomorrow we celebrate a belated Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family, so that will be fun for a change of pace, especially because there is no place like Grandma's house!

Lots of great little things going on this weekend! :)

25 random things about me

A bunch of years ago (okay, getting close to 5 years to be exact as I wrote it on February 3, 2009), "25 Random Things About Me" was going around Facebook, and I took the challenge.  So today I am going through my list, making some changes from Then to Now:

1. Then: I thought I would never go back to teaching after I had my first baby, but I'm back at it, and I really enjoy it!
Now: I still teach full time. I thought I'd have my first baby, and be a stay-at-home mom. Now I've found a way to do both: maternity leave. ;) I'll go back in the winter. I love both my jobs and the people I work with!

2. Then: I enjoy going to Early Years programs locally (fun programs for parents and kids). They do a fanastic job with them!
Now: I enjoy going to MOPS and Coffee Break. I miss the Early Years programs I used to go to, but it's just too far to drive.

3. Then: I love winter, and I love scrapbooking.
Now: Still love both, but prefer digital now, just can't seem to find or make time for it. Also, winter seems to be attempting to come already, and it is a little early!

4. Then: I want to lose 20 lbs by the fall, but I don't want to eat better. However, I do enjoy working out, it's just hard to find time.
Now: I want to lose 30 lbs by winter, but still don't want to eat better. I enjoy working out and running, and try to make time. I have also enlisted some friends via Facebook to be my accountability for getting exercise.

5. Then: I prefer working in the barn over housework.
Now: SAME!

6. Then: I have 4 siblings younger than me, and we're all married.
Now: My sisters and I all had babies within a year 2 years ago. Now my sister-in-law, two of my sisters, and myself will have babies within a year by next spring.

7. Then: I struggle with taking time to grow my relationship with God.
Now: I still struggle with this, but am using a book call, "Seeking God's Face, Praying with the Bible through the Year" which I really like. I don't get to it everyday, but am doing my best.

8. Then: I love being at the beach - the lake is so close to my heart! Maybe someday I'll live on the lake...
Now: I still love the beach, and I LOVE camping, even with 4 kids!

9. Then: I got married in the wintertime, and I loved it!!
Now: Still loved it, looking forward to celebrating 13 years in a warm climate this winter!!
10. Then: My husband and kids mean more to me than anything!
Now: SAME! 

11. Then: I am sitting in my office with mounds of mess around me, wishing it would just clean itself up...
Now: SAME!
12. Then: I always wanted to marry a farmer, and live on a farm, but thought it would never happen because the university I went to consisted of mostly education, religion and business programs. However, I found the only farmer there (at that time!).
Now: Still happily married to the farmer, on a different farm, still cropping and raising pigs, and now milking cows too. Never a dull moment around here!
13. Then: My oldest slept through the night at 2 months, and I feel like my second child never will (and I always wondered about people whose kids didn't sleep through the night before I had him...
Now: My third also slept terribly through the night until the last few months, and the fourth is still up in the air...
14. Then: I had both my kids in a small, local hospital, and if I'm blessed with more, will go back there in a heartbeat. Small, but wonderful! And I love my doctor there!
Now: I got a new doctor for baby #3, had him in the same local hospital. New doctor was also amazing. For baby #4, that hospital no longer delivered babies, so had to switch to another. It just wasn't the same there as the other hospital.
15. Then: I crave adult time, and I think I talk too much when I'm with other adults. When I'm on my way home, I think I should apologize for talking too much, and should have let others talk more.
Now: Still crave adult time, but feel like I am more aware about letting others talk, and am trying to ask them good questions as well.
16. Then: I love and dislike my church at the same time (don't know if I should announce that on Facebook, but it's true). Ultimately though, I love Jesus and want to share his love with others, and think I need to do a better job of it.
Now: Read my post on little things about church: http://thelittlethingsinthisbeautifulmess.blogspot.ca/2013/10/little-things-about-church.html

17. Then: I have been bless with great friendships!
Now: Same! At work, at church, in my community, I have wonderful friends, and am so thankful for them.
18. Then: I had a miscarriage several years ago, and really struggled afterwards.
Now: It was hard, and has connected me to others who have been through the same thing.
19. Then: I would love to live in California!
Now: SAME! Just love the climate and variety there.
20. Then: I'm really jealous of anyone who went south this year.
Now: Got to go to Mexico 2 years ago, and heading to the sunny south in February!
21. Then: If I had a dime for every time my daughter asked, "Should we go for a walk, mommy?" and "Can we do a craf?" in the past year, I would probably be able to pay off our farm.
Now: Said daughter is now almost 8, and amazes me with some of her thoughts and conversations, and how responsible and great she is with her 3 brothers. And the farm is still a long ways from being paid off... 

22. Then: I have no desire to do anything daredevilish (sky diving, bungee jumping, etc).
Now: Same! However, I did ziplining in Mexico, and it was like pulling teeth for our group to get me to do it...
23. Then: I learned French by going to Quebec for 5 weeks, and living in France for 5 months.
Now: I teach French immersion to grade 1 and 2 students, and it is wonderful!
24. Then: I enjoy sitting down at the end of the day with a cup of tea, the tv on, and a clean house.
Now: Same! However, the house isn't always as clean now as it was then.
25. Then: I really did not plan to do this, and didn't think I could come up with 25 items, but I did it! Thanks to those that inspired me to do it!
Now: It was good to review the list! Glad that some things have changed and some haven't. I'm still the same person I was then, but I have grown in lots of ways. I'm working on being content wherever I am, and whatever is happening in my life.

There you have it: 25 little things about me!

Squash soup

The weather for the first part of October here was wonderful, warm and sunny. The last week and a bit has been cold and wet and rainy, and even a bit snowy. I had bought a squash recently with the intentions of making squash soup. So yesterday was the day. Some good ole comfort food! A friend of a friend on Facebook had posted my friend's squash soup recipe which contained carrot and apple, which is exactly the kind of squash soup I had been looking for. I had looked on pinterest prior to this, but had not honed in on a recipe I thought I loved.

Note: This is my first time blogging a recipe, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

The recipe posted called for:
10 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken)
1.5 cups each of carrot and celery, roughly chopped
1 roasted squash (my friend's friend did it in the microwave for 10 mins, I put it in the oven for about 30-45 mins)
onion or leek (white part)
2 apples peeled, cut and cored

Boil everything together until everything is cooked to your preference. Cool and blend in the blender. Re-heat and eat. Yum!

Variations:
* You can add 1.5 cups of potatoes.
* I used less broth to make it a little thicker. I skipped out on the celery and onion or leek.
* I also added a dash of cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper.

It tasted great!

Me and the TV

In order to catch up on my blogging challenge, I thought I'd do a list today. Took me a bit to think of what the list might be, but then I thought I'd make a list of tv shows that I enjoy watching. They tend to change as time goes on, but for the moment, here are some of my favourites:

1. Duck Dynasty - I love this show! I watch the new ones when I can, and re-runs when they're on too. Jase & Si generally crack me up. I love Miss Kay's vows on the marriage ceremony episode.

2. Hockey Night in Canada - It started when my dad watched it on Saturday nights when I was growing up, and I now enjoy watching it with my man, and sometimes it's on when he's not home. I am a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, just too loyal to switch teams. 

3. Disaster DIY and Leave it to Bryan - I think Bryan Baumler is great, and I love watching his shows! Would love to have him work on our house, but probably a little out of my price range...

4. Disaster Decks - Another HGTV show and host that I think is great. I also think the crew that works on the decks has a lot of fun while they work, and I like their antics.

5. Income Property, House Hunters & House Hunters International - Yes, I'm an HGTV junkie! These shows tend to be the only shows worth watching in the middle of the night when I've been up with a baby.

6. Swamp People - This one's great too. Love that they're real people and it's their real life.

7. American Pickers and Canadian Pickers - I like these shows too. They're interesting and the hosts do a good job.

8. Country Music videos on CMT - I'm a country music junkie, what can I say?

9. Friends will always be a favourite, even though it's been off the air for a long time. Still love the re-runs.

10. The Big Bang Theory - I'm a little late getting into this one, but at least a lot of the re-runs are new to me.

What are some of your favourites?

My eldest son

For this post, I went through some of my old Facebook statuses to share a bit about my oldest son. He lives life filled with intensity and it is crazy and wonderful and very entertaining.

Fall 2013: My son had gone outside for awhile, and I had done a bunch of cleaning up in the house. He came in, looked around, and said, "Mommy, it looks brand new in here!!" We have a regular old farm house. I love seeing things through his eyes!

Spring 2013: Around 4:00am this morning, the hydro (electricity) had gone off through the night, and here is my conversation with my half-sleeping boy:
"Mommy, turn the light in the hall back on so I can see my water bottle."
"I can't, buddy, the hydro is off."
"Just put a new light bulb in then Mommy!" (Haha! If only it were that easy, eh?)
Finding a little flashlight by his bed, I tried to turn it on, but it didn't work.
"Buddy, your flashlight is here, but it's broken, so I will give you mine."
"No mommy, you just gotta swack it, and then it will work again."
Sure enough, it worked! Love the wisdom of a four year old!

Christmas 2012: So our son continues to keep us entertained. At my mother-in-law's family Christmas, the adults did a gift exchange game. My husband's aunt asked my son to help her pick out a gift, and of course, he picked one of the biggest ones. It contained some fun sports paraphernalia like a volleyball, nerf stuff and the like. My husband had received some soap and lotion in the gift he had picked and opened earlier on. So my son took the big bag, brought it over to his daddy, and brought the soap gift over to my husband's aunt. Made sense to him, right? ;) When told to switch them back, my son very reluctantly dragged the big back back. Then, to top it off, he sneezed a huge, real sneeze full on into the bag!

Fall 2012: Tonight, it was time for lights out in my kids' bedroom, and my son was fighting going to bed because he wanted to keep combining (with his toy combine on the carpet in his bedroom), just like daddy, and he needed to see! We had some words, and I gave him a time out, and then he was in tears. I told him he could keep going, but he had to use the light from the hallway so his sister could sleep. He said it was still too dark. Then came the moment where I couldn't stay mad anymore, and I cracked a smile, "But mommy," he said with tears streaming down his face, and through his sobs, "I don't have lights on my combine so I can't see!" Ah, my little farmer boy!

Spring 2012: My dear boy is very pumped to play soccer this year!! I probably should have waited until closer to the start date to tell him as he keeps asking me to put on his "i-pads," and he is wearing them to bed tonight.

Summer 2011: My son woke up at 5:20am, after going to bed at 8:00pm last night, and told me, "Mommy, the dark's all done, you have to get up!" So we got up, I put on "Cars" and dozed on the couch. After awhile, he told me he was going back to bed, and he's been sleeping for about an hour. What a guy!

Hmmmm...

So I have managed to write 19 posts this month, and now I come to a pause. I have read about other bloggers having this problem, but have not had it happen to me, until now. It's not that I don't have any ideas for what to write about, I actually have a lot. It's just that I don't have the desire to write anything. I had a busy weekend, and I'm tired, and I think that has led me to this point of indecision. I can't decide what to write about, and I can't decide what to write. I have suggested to someone else to write a list, but I don't know what to make a list about. I have thought about writing about some of the little things I have noted lately, but can't seem to focus my thoughts on that either. I have thought about writing about my oldest son, but have a lot of things I could write, and again, I can seem to get it together. So I will write about my day today, a regular day in my life.

As I think back on today, I had a good day. It was busy, and I was tired already at 5pm, but I had to carry on. I visited my youngest sister for coffee this morning, which was really nice. Her little guy is the same age as my middle boy, so it's fun to see how these two year olds act and interact. She also made me lunch, which was great! I saw my mom there briefly too, and managed to slip out on a quick errand kid-free. I then headed to a doctor's appointment for my baby boy. By the time I got home, I was tired, but thankful for supper in the crockpot. After supper, it was daughter's dance night, so I headed out there with the whole crew as my husband had a meeting. I took the boys to the grocery store, and then toured them through the local Ford dealership and tractor dealership. When I got home, I put everyone to bed, and now I sit at my computer, writing. This is my down time. I have "The Light" playing in the background, and I should be tidying up the kitchen and folding laundry. But, tomorrow is another day, right? At least, that's what my mom often said growing up. It's true. Tomorrow is another day, and likely won't be as busy as today... Maybe...

Saturday afternoon surprise

I had just been thinking about calling my sister when my daughter says to me, "Mommy, Aunt is here!" What?!?! What a great surprise! I love hanging out with my sister. Our kids are at ages now where they generally play very well together, and they have fun while we get to chat. When we hang out, we help each other out. She'll unload my dishwasher or clean up the table. One time last winter when I was pregnant with baby #4, she came over, and helped clean my house, including doing vacuuming - partners in grime! She also made sure my oldest boy got a first birthday party, making the cake and everything. We share stories about kids, we share recipes, we share our latest great song (mine's Roar by Katie Perry, hers is a Britney S song), and we share joys and challenges about life in general. She is a great sister and a great friend.

We shared a room when we were young, and we used to bring snacks into our bedroom, lock the door, and have a "powwow" when we needed to chat. We would sit cross-legged on the floor, and eat our graham crackers, and share the rough times about being tweens. We used to have to chores in the barn together, and could have quite the arguments and fights. However, our grudges did not last long, and usually within a few minutes, one of us would walk over to the other side of the barn to apologize, and we would hug and all would be well again.

We have a lot in common, and a lot not in common, which I think is why we get along so well. We never shared clothes in high school, and I think that saved us from a lot of disputes as I have heard from other sisters. I admire her for her loyalty, her positive outlook, her willingness to do fun things with her kids, her great snacks, her great gift-giving ability, her picture-taking skills, and her creativity.

We are two years apart, and have gone through a lot of phases of our lives together: grade school & high school, university, marriage and kids. I feel blessed to have her in my life, and I hope that we can share many more phases of our lives together!