Thursday, 26 December 2013

Adalyn's 2 1/2 year update


Adalyn is exactly 2 1/2 in 7 days.  I haven't written anything about how she's doing, what she's up to and in to these days, and I'm sure I will be wondering in a few years when our next child is this age!

Our little Adalyn is a very sweet, kind, happy little girl.  She has a very even tempered personality and doesn't get rattled too easily.  She plays really well with almost any child, though she's not a big initiator.  If a kid doesn't show interest in her, she doesn't make an effort to change that.  She avoids conflict and doesn't really get into fights over toys much, it seems to happen mostly when she's already tired.  She likes to test the boundaries at home and often tends not to listen or obey until we make a threat.  That could be her age at this point...  hopefully?!!  When she's tired she gets destructive and deliberately rebellious.  Thankfully this only really happens when she needs to sleep.  She's also very eager to please.  Hmmm...  wonder where she got that trait?!

She has been playing a lot better on her own in the last month and doesn't follow me around every where I go, though that still happens some days.  She still loves to help me with things, but that is also fading as she plays more on her own.  She is playing a lot of pretend these days.  It is SO cute to watch her take care of her dolls and stuffed animals, just like they are real babies.  Some how she knows exactly what to do with them.  Her favorite thing is to feed them supper.  Another toy she is really using a lot is her Fisher Price Little People house.  They are always doing interesting things too, like going potty, and going for naps.  Go figure!  haha  She loves her duplo as well especially the cars, trucks and train, and is often asking for us to build a house with the blocks.  She sets up all the men to watch a movie in the house after it's done.  She is very animated in her play!  She is listening to stories a lot better now too, without wanting to turn the pages immediately. 

She is talking using sentences now and can say most anything she wants to.  Some times she gets muddled up with the order of words, or you can see her thinking hard about what she's saying which is really cute.  She still says some words wrong even though she knows how to say them properly.  Pillow is usually pippo.  Music is still mekicks.  Adalyn is still Anoun.   When she says open it is usually shortened to op and carry to care.  She tends to talk 'baby talk' when people come over, or will not say anything at all.  This is the case when I try to take videos of her too. 

She eats really well and a lot most of the time.  She is a fruit monster, but doesn't really like her vegetables.  That is the one thing we have to really force her to eat.  It's probably because I don't make vegetables on their own enough.  They're usually mixed in with something else.  She doesn't eat lettuce.   I'd say fruit is probably her favorite food at this point.  She also loves avocados.

She is a really good sleeper, though naps have been weird lately.  A month or two ago she was napping for 1.5 hrs very consistently and then one day she stopped.  I thought it was just the day, but the next day was the same and the next and for a whole week she didn't nap.  I knew she needed the sleep because after quietly talking and playing in her room for her whole 'naptime' I would let her out and she would be grumpy, getting destructive with no attention span, obviously tired.   A few times I went for a walk with her and she fell asleep right away each time.  So that has become our new nap routine.  She plays and talks quietly for about an hour, she wants to get up -- usually to go potty now -- and then I make her go back to her room and she usually ends up sleeping for her 1.5 hrs again.  We have to be pretty stern about her going to sleep though which is sad to me.  She's added an hour to my alone time in the afternoon though which has been AMAZING!  :)  She will usually wake up from her nap around 4:00-5:00 and goes to bed around 8:00.  Then she sleeps till 7:50 at which time I usually wake up from her calling out 'I peed Mommy!  Mommy, I peed!'  That is in the potty...  :)

She's basically potty trained.  Today she had her first nap with panties.  She's been dry for naps for about a week or so now and dry during the rest of the day for quite a while.  She still has trouble with the poop though.  I sometimes think she just doesn't have patience to sit there to wait for it because she definitely knows.  I still don't feel super confident with her going out with panties on and so we have still been using pull-ups for going out.  Night time is still a diaper too and it's usually full in the morning. 
 

Monday, 16 December 2013

Jesus brings joy

We had Mark's extended family Christmas gathering this last weekend.  There is still the tradition of sitting around singing Christmas carols, reading the story of Christmas and then opening gifts.  They also have a time of sharing.  I don't know if it was my pregnancy hormones combined with being very tired, but I was feeling very weepy during the singing this year.  Adalyn and her cousin Isabelle were twirling and dancing in the middle of the group the whole time we were singing.  They had such big, beautiful smiles on their faces, laughing and 'singing' too, not caring at all what anyone else would think, just happy and so very innocent and free in their joy.  The singing is always very enthusiastic and loud at this gathering and I thought maybe the little girls were being a bit distracting, but as I looked around the room and saw the smiles and laughter on others faces, I knew this is what worship is about and though I wasn't necessarily thinking about the words of the songs, I was drawn to think about Jesus and the message of Christmas.  Two words we often hear at Christmas are joy and peace.  Jesus came to bring joy and peace on earth, and I really felt His presence there in that moment, in the joy and love on the faces of all 45 some people in that room.   It is such a beautiful thing in this world to see how when a family follows Jesus and teaches their children about Jesus how true that message becomes.  Especially in this day when you look around at the world and see all the heartache, pain, and trouble that has come as a result of sin.  I am so very thankful for the family God has blessed me with.   Both in Mark's family that I married into and my own family.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!  Praise Him for sending Jesus to save us from our sins, so we can be free to experience and know real peace, joy and love and all things good! 

Sunday, 1 December 2013

Things I look forward to about not being pregnant

There are some people who I talk to who say they love being pregnant.  I'm not one of those people.  I would rather carry a new baby in my arms then in my body any day.  (Now ask me in a month and a half and see if my answer is still the same. haha  :) )  I know what a beautiful thing it is to be able to carry a child like this.  It's a gift from God and I don't take it for granted, but I FEEL so unlovely during pregnancy.  This is definately a time when feelings are not reality and I have to remind myself of this over and over again.  I was thinking the other day that I feel like a big whale, but reality is that I am so privileged to be carrying a child who is being developed and formed just right by an Almighty God.  What is going on in my body right now is truly a miracle.  On that note however, here are some things I am looking forward to in about a month's time...
1.  No more heartburn
2.  Being able to bend over properly
3.  Sleeping on my stomach
4.  Hugging Mark without my big belly in the way
5.  Going for a walk without huffing and puffing or aching or wondering if I'm doing too much.
6.  Getting into shape again and running!
7.  Baby's hiccups outside the womb will be a lot less annoying!
8.  Being able to have hot drinks in the morning again without it affecting my bowels
9.  Gas issues will be solved?!  
10.  Holding Adalyn on my lap comfortably.  (Then of course there will still be a baby to hold too.  :)
11.  Zipping up my jacket without it stretching
12.  Wearing sweaters fashionably.  My maternity sweater collection is very limited if not non-existant.
13.  Shopping for real clothes and being able to buy things on sale
14.  Going in the hot tub!

Just a few of the things I can think of now.  I would say sleeping through the night, but I know that's not going to happen for a while yet again...  In fact that part's only going to get worse I imagine.  Oh dear.

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Winter has arrived

Well, winter is officially upon us I believe.  Mark and I were a bit shocked the other morning to wake up to a world of white.  It reminded me of when I was a kid and it snowed.  So exciting!  I think what made it more exciting for me this time was that I completely wasn't expecting it.  I hadn't looked at the forecast and it was definitely not snowing when we went to bed.  There was a pretty thick layer on the ground in the morning, like a couple of cm, which just made it seem that much more amazing.  I knew it wasn't going to melt right away.  

I'm not sure how I feel about it being winter.  It has most certainly brought on the Christmas decorating itch for me, and Christmas music has come on in our house too.  I don't really enjoy how much more work it is to go outside though and the driving is not so fun either.  I played outside with Adalyn in the snow today for the first time this winter and she LOVED it.  I'm so glad, because last winter she didn't really want to have anything to do with it.  Today she told me she liked walking in the snow.  :)  Last year she didn't want to go near any snow.  I showed her how she could eat the snow and the look on her face was priceless!!  I wish I could have captured that moment on a picture.  It was one of pure delight!  



I've been working on a few DIY Christmas decorations this year.  I'm pretty excited about them.  I've never really decorated much for Christmas because I haven't really wanted to spend money on decorations that you only have up for one month of the year.  We are hosting Mark's extended family for part of the Christmas gathering this year though so I thought maybe I should do a little bit more than normal.  I'll try to put up a picture when I'm done!  

I am trying to get better at letting Adalyn be involved in crafty, hands on sorts of things.  I am always hesitant to do 'fun' dirty things with her because it makes more work for me and I don't always feel like I need more work. haha  There are already so many messes to clean up.  I don't like messes very much!  Today Mark really encouraged me to have her join in my paper mache project.  It was messy, but she loved it!  One other thing I have done recently is let her play with flour while I am baking.  It keeps her occupied for a long time and it's some thing different to do.



 She has really been developing an imagination lately which has been so fun to watch.  Her dolls and stuffed animals are her little friends and she takes care of them so well.  She can spend a lot of time giving them tea parties, feeding them supper, reading them books, changing their diapers, or teaching them to use the potty, putting them to bed, comforting them when they cry, taking them shopping, ect....  It's not uncommon for her to be in her room by herself these days playing with her dolls.  What a wonderful development!!  Up till now she has always needed to play close to where I am.  She didn't necessarily need me, but she followed me every where.  
Taking a picture with her pretend camera.  She came up with this all on her own!
Birthday party!
 
I wish I had more pictures or better ones, but I haven't had my camera out much the last month or two.

I finally asked Mark to take another pregnancy picture for me.  This is only the third or fourth one so far this pregnancy and I'm already 34 weeks!  
 
We got to see the baby again this week!  Apparently I am measuring 3 weeks behind so they just wanted to make sure that the baby was growing properly and that all was well.  We had to go into the city for a fetal assessment.  It was so much better than the ultrasound at our local hospital.  Mark was able to come in for the entire appointment and I could actually see the baby comfortably without craning my neck around awkwardly.  The technician was very friendly and we were done very quickly too.  All was well and she figured it must just be the way I'm carrying, my tall torso leaves lots of space for baby to hide.  I suspected as much.  :)  Baby was estimated to be about 5 lbs already!  She figured this baby would be around the same size as Adalyn was when she was born.  8lbs6oz.  Anticipation for this new baby and labour and delivery is building!  Only one month till term, though I have a feeling it will be late again.  Adalyn was 1 week late and I'm expecting the same with this one.  I think this time I would rather have it be 1 week late then 1 week early.  My due date is December 30, so one week early would make it right before Christmas. 


Thursday, 24 October 2013

29 week comparison

This picture is a couple weeks old now --I am 31 weeks this week-- but here's the belly this pregnancy and 2 years ago with Adalyn.  Pretty similar I'd say, maybe carrying slightly higher this time?  I am feeling bigger this time around, but maybe that's because I'm still slightly in denial as to how far along I am!  It's going by too fast! 

29 weeks 2013
29 weeks 2011



Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Strength

This last week has been difficult as I battle a nasty cold and low iron levels.  I've had such low energy and have struggled with staying positive and fighting those grumpy battles in my head.  I have been trying to read a Psalm a day lately and came to Psalm 18 this week.  The very first verse says... "I love you, Lord, my strength."  As I was reading the Psalm I got this incredible picture of God holding my arms and fighting with them for me.  You know when you hold a child's hands and make them do things with them, like help them use a bat, or teach some other kind of skill.  Does that make any sense?  Anyway, I just felt so encouraged after reading that Psalm.  Like His strength was carrying me and God was fighting for me in the midst of my tiredness. 
  
He trains my hands for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains me;
    your help has made me great. 
Psalm 18:34,35 

It kind of goes along with the verse I memorized last week.
"I have been crucified with Christ therefore I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."   Galatians 2:20

I'm not very good at explaining my thoughts, but hopefully it makes some sense. God is my strength and when I'm weak He is stronger! 

Friday, 27 September 2013

My big helper

Adalyn LOVES to help me!  It's great!  At this point it is a very natural thing for her to help.  I like to think it's a great part of her personality, but somehow I wonder if it is just the age she's at.  :)  I'll definitely soak it in now though, even though it sometimes makes my tasks take a bit longer.   She often says 'Me help too?'.  Maybe she just likes being with me, I'm not sure, I take it either way!
Here's a little list of the things she likes to do... 
Water the flowers... 

 Shell peas, put veggies in pot for soup, ect...

 
 Bake muffins...

 Wash dishes...

 Can tomatoes...

 She also likes to help with the laundry, sweep/mop the floors and will pretend she's cooking when I make supper. 

I'm not a slave driver.  She loves to do all these things, honestly!


26 weeks pregnant


I can't believe I am already 26 weeks along!  This pregnancy is flying by!  The second time around has felt different for me.  The nausea didn't last as long or hit as hard this time which is such a relief, but I'm beginning to doubt if I'll ever get my energy kick they say comes in the 2nd trimester.  I'm already almost to the third and definitely don't feel like that energy has hit yet.  I feel huge already and am starting to feel a bit more uncomfortable and over all not quite as mobile as I did at this point with Adalyn.  I never had the problem of having to go to the bathroom all the time, but this round it's pretty bad!  There are a few other 'pregnancy problems' that I've been having this time around that I don't remember dealing with last time.  My midwife tells me this is pretty common.  Maybe it's a boy this time. haha  I think baby did some serious growing this last week!  I put on 4 lbs in one week and felt like my skin was being stretched beyond it's limits.  It really felt like I was wearing an extremely tight shirt that I couldn't remove.   I don't remember ever feeling this way being pregnant with Adalyn.  Over all though I still feel pretty good.  I really don't have anything to complain about! 

The nesting has started coming on, though I don't feel like I have the energy to do things the way I want to.  I still get tired SO fast.  We have plans of possibly moving Adalyn to a new bedroom and so yesterday I began with the small project of cleaning up her closet and drawers a little and getting rid of the clothes she wasn't wearing any more.  I sorted through some of the clothes I already had in boxes to make it hopefully more organized.  I've also been trying to take a few toys out of our collection.  Adalyn really doesn't need as many toys as she has!  Half the things she plays with aren't even technically toys any way.  My sewing has also started up again and I got a good start on the blanket I'm making should this baby happen to be a boy.  We finally got our basement painted too.  That's one room down and 3 to go!  Today I had a spontaneous itch to paint the computer room and started clearing things out, but good thing for Mark who set me straight as we didn't really have time for it and I probably would've started and gotten too tired right away.  It's better to plan to do these things a day or two in advance!  haha

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Town Mouse and Country Mouse

I biked into town this morning for our Mom's group at church.  It was fun, but so much work biking against wind for 4 miles!  On my way out after our meeting, hopping back on my bike, I had a moment that I don't know that I've ever had before!  I was actually considering the benefits of living in town.  I've never lived in a town in my life or wanted to at that.  Well, I did live in one for about 2 months, but that hardly counts.  I LOVE, LOVE where we live and wouldn't have it any other way at this point in our lives.  On my way out the door of church this morning though, I heard a lady saying to another woman (who was new) that whenever she was out for a walk next just to come knock on the door and they could walk together.  How easy is that?!!  For me it seems like WAY more of an effort and more purposeful and deliberate to make those kinds of decisions.  To go for a walk with someone, I have to arrange it all few days in advance,  pack up my child/children in the vehicle with all our things, drive somewhere, get out and unpack everybody, ect..  So then it just doesn't happen very often if ever.  haha  It's the same if I want to have someone over for tea, or go out for a little visit, it just seems to take a bit more time and effort then it would seem to just walk over somewhere for a few minutes.  So I've just been contemplating if the community of living in town is a lot more beneficial to relationship building and making new friends  Maybe I'm way off the wall here and just dreaming about what I think it must be like and of course it totally depends on the type of town/community you live in too.  I have never lived in town so these are just my great perceptions from the outside looking in.....  I must mention, we do have fantastic neighbors where we are!  We love them dearly and they are very good to us, but there are still only 4 houses on the mile road and it's still a bit of a walk and our yards are still so private.   We don't just see each other on a walk to get the mail, or while we're doing yard work across the hedge or while we bring our garbage out to the road.  It still takes more effort to put yourself in someones path.  

I also have this weird fear of raising children here on our private little spot.  I have these ideas in my head that our children will have trouble making friends because the town kids will have the advantage of just running over to each others homes all the time and my child will feel left out.   I grew up on a farm yard, but had my cousins live right across the yard and growing up we were each other's greatest and best friends/playmates.  We were inseparable.  In school we always had a friend.  So I really hope that my children are able to make good friends like that and maybe our home in the country will be a haven for those who don't get a chance to have such a great private space to run and play. 

Anyway, this post really has no point so you my friends may take from this whatever you jolly well please.  If that's nothing than that's completely alright! 
Bye, bye for now!  Off to make some sort of square for a party...

Saturday, 24 August 2013

Blankets!

Blankets and more blankets!  I've made quite a few blankets over the last couple of months, and now that I've given them all away to their designated persons, I can post pictures of them!  I discovered a new way to make a double receiving blanket and have been quite enjoying them!  It's called a self-binding blanket and it's so simple to do!  I hope to make a few more for our own baby.  I have started on a blanket from scraps for a boy if we happen to have one.  Fabric is SO pretty!  I love going to the store and picking material to make blankets.  That's way more fun than actually sewing them, although the sewing part isn't too bad either.  :) 
 We have a spot for a new garden!  I am so hopeful that this time it will work!  Mark cultivated it up the other day and my Dad brought us a big load of chicken manure to work into it.  I hope to get some peat moss in there as well, and then HOPEFULLY it will grow something!  I didn't have too much luck with my last attempt.  I gave it 4 years and didn't get anything from it.  If it doesn't work in this new location I think I will give up.  :( 
 


Tuesday, 20 August 2013

21 Weeks Pregnant and more

I am now 21 1/2 weeks pregnant!  It sure feels like the time is flying by this time around.  That is a good thing I think!  It's strange.  I am looking forward to the arrival of this baby a lot more than last time around, I think because I know and have experienced it once before and know the joy of a baby.  Before I had Adalyn I had no real exposure to babies and had no idea what to expect.   This time I find myself looking back at photos of when Adalyn was smaller remembering the cuteness and cuddles and holding new babies makes me want to hold mine all the more.  There is also a lot more apprehension as I remember the sleepless nights and wonder how on earth I'm going to survive without a million naps and sleeping in, which won't be happening with a 2 year old around. 
Dressed up for a wedding at 21 weeks.
In a lot of ways this pregnancy feels a lot different than Adalyn, but in many ways similar.  I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm living a different kind of life this time around.  I was quite sick with Adalyn (eg. like puking 5-6 times a day)  and I only really stopped puking at about 20 weeks.  This time around I was only sick for maybe a month and only throwing up 2-3 times a day.  It seemed more manageable this time and maybe that is because I knew how to cope with it better and was able to do so because I was at home not at work.  (Taking naps, resting often and frequent snacks helped A LOT!)  I have been feeling much better for a couple of weeks now and am beginning to get my energy back too.  I made an amazing discovery today that should be helpful too. haha 

The last couple of days I've felt very discouraged about my energy levels.  I felt so slow and lethargic and I wanted to be doing things, getting out and exercising, but just felt blah.  I knew part of the reason was probably because I wasn't drinking enough water, but it's just so hard for me to do that.  Today I filled a pitcher with water (approx. 8 cups) and determined I would not drink anything else until that pitcher was gone.  I finished it by lunch time!!  And I feel SO good today!  It's 2:30 and I've already been climbing trees trimming dead branches, cleaned them all up, I mowed a good chunk of the lawn, ran around with Adalyn, and dusted and cleaned up our bedrooms.  I didn't feel like I had to make myself do anything, I felt like doing it and had fun, and it was 30 C out today.  And I'm not napping now!  So that's my amazing discovery.  DRINK WATER!  haha So profound I know.
We had our ultrasound last week and the baby was quite active and doing well.  I defiantly feel that this one moves around more than Adalyn did at this point of pregnancy.  I wasn't sure whether it was just because I noticed it more because I know what it feels like, or if it was actually true. 

Also another amazing discovery I made the other day that has been quite encouraging to me is this blog...
 http://www.frenchpressmornings.com/p/encouraging-wednesdays.html

She has some beautiful artwork with verses you can print out to put up around the house.  I've been setting them as my desktop background on my computer and have been very encouraged so far.  It gives me a verse to think on and meditate on during the day.  I think the biggest thing for me is that I am a visual learner so to have it written up pretty helps me get the words better. 

I also downloaded a weekly cleaning list from her blog and am excited about that too.  I'm on Day 2 of following it and I already feel so much better about the cleanliness of my house.  I'm hoping that it will help me maintain cleanliness rather than let it get so dirty and then do a major cleaning.   I'm usually pretty good about tidying up, but the cleaning part I usually skip out on.  haha.  That's why when you come over my house might look clean, but it's really just lazy tidying.  :)  There. I let you in on my secret.  

We've been trying to go out for more bike rides lately.  I made a goal to exercise at least 20 min. (preferably more...) 3 times a week.  I was in really good shape right before I got pregnant and I don't want to lose it all.  :(  I really wanted to keep running, but because I felt so sick at the beginning I gave up running for about 2 months and when I tried again I was quite discouraged with my regression so my mid-wife encouraged me just to start small again.   I LOVE going for walks/runs and being on the road in summer, but it's just been a bit harder this summer.  Adalyn doesn't do walks very well anymore.  She doesn't like to stay in the stroller so a 2 mile walk that would take me a certain amount of time turns into a 1 mile walk in the same amount of time.  I could go in the evenings after she's in bed and Mark is home, but I've been tired in the evenings and that is when Mark is around so I don't like to always be leaving for an hour for my walk.  So we've been doing bike rides!  Adalyn loves the bike cart and I can go for 40min or an hour and she's happy the whole time.  It's a good workout too, pulling the cart on the gravel roads and I can go during the morning or afternoon when I have energy.
 It's hard to believe summer is almost over.  I was walking the other day soaking in the sunset, the hazy sky from the harvesters, the golden fields, the crickets and grasshoppers chirping and realizing how much I love every season.  I absolutely love the season we're in right now, but I look forward to the leaves changing color, the smell of the crisp fall air, the pumpkins, and everything else about fall too.  God has made one as well as the other to enjoy!  I love that we are able to experience all of this in Canada.

And now for some random things...
Lately whenever I ask Adalyn to smile for the camera this is what she gives me...


Adalyn loves the sidewalk chalk she got for her birthday.   I do too!  We wrote a message for her Daddy when he came home from a job.  :)  




Well, until next time, be encouraged!  May everything you do and put your hands to be for the praise of God from whom all blessings flow!  

Saturday, 6 July 2013

2 years old! -- An Adalyn update

We now have a 2 year old!  It's hard to believe how fast time has gone by!  I see babies who are 1 years old and remember thinking how big Adalyn was at 1 year and now I realize how little she actually was!  She is definitely not a baby anymore and most certainly a toddler.  We frequently hear phrases from her like 'I do it', 'I did it!!', 'No Mommy', (which she seems to practice by repeating it over and over at different speeds and tones), and a lot of things have become 'Anoun's.' (Her version of Adalyn's)  She's been pointing to our car and saying 'Anoun's car' and the lawn tractor is 'Anoun's tractor' and a lot of other things are now Anoun's.

She amazes me with her cuteness and beauty and frustrates me with her stubbornness and relentlessness.  Ahhh the joys of a 2 year old.  The other day she surprised me by excitedly pointing out a jet in the sky and saying 'People in'ere!'  That was Mark's lesson for her I suppose.  She is learning things at a rate I can't express!

We had two birthday parties for her in the last week which she enjoyed immensely.  I decided to go very simple with cakes and food and it was very good.  By the second party she knew when I brought the cake out and was running around shouting 'Party, party, party!'   She was so cute opening her gifts and said 'Wow!  in a wonder filled voice at each one she opened.  I didn't get great pictures of the birthday parties but here are a few.

With the Penners...





With the Thiessens...






In other news, this mama is working on being a mama of two!  The baby will show his/her face sometime at the beginning of January if all goes well!  Adalyn has already looked under my shirt to find the baby and when she didn't see it there proceeded to put a doll under my shirt, I guess that makes more sense to her at this point! hahaha
      

Sunday, 9 June 2013

Beauty in the small and ugly

There are some things a 2 year old can show you.  Glorious things.  Things from God.  Life things.  I feel like I've been given an incredible gift.  I've been dealt a load of grace.  Grace to see beauty.  Grace to see things differently than I always have. 

We have a field of dandelions.  I don't think they're so bad when they're blooming, bright and yellow and cheery against the lush green grass.  That I could maybe see as beautiful.  But the puff balls?  Those great, ugly, dead dandelions rearing their ugly heads of puff.  I've always thought those were ugly.  And then the thought of how many seeds are in each of those puffs and how many new ones we will have the next year.  Ugh.  I've never liked them.  Until yesterday.  

Adalyn holds out her hand to me.  "Hand, Mommy?"  She grabs my hand and walks me across the yard.  We walk up the little hill.  I stay at the top while she runs down the other side into the field of dead dandelion puffs. I wasn't paying attention then.  My mind was probably thinking how tired I was or of some other petty little problem.  Then she's back holding out a dandelion puff.  She says "Blow Mommy!"  So I blow gently, trying not to disturb the seeds so they won't plant their little selves all over the place.  She blows too.  Then she's running back.  So excited.  She grabs another one, running up the hill.  "Blow Mommy!"  So we blow.  A bit harder.  And she giggles.  She's so excited.  She has my full attention now.  She keeps running up and down bringing me puffs and we blow and giggle.  I see a glimpse of the joy of my Maker.  Delighting in the things He has made, and it's beautiful.  It's not ugly.  It is so beautiful.    Thank you for this grace Father.  I don't ever want to forget.

Sunday, 5 May 2013

One Sunday Morning

So this morning while Mark and I were getting ready for church, Adalyn found the Cheerio's box I had left out on the table.  Mark was in the shower and I was in the bathroom doing my hair.  I was glad she was finally off doing something on her own, because she is constantly at my feet and where ever I go she is.  I did, however, hear a strange sound coming from the dining room and other than that sound it was strangely quiet, so I ventured out to look.  There she had dumped the entire contents of the Cheerio box onto our carpeted dining room floor and was having a great time walking all over them mashing them under her little bare feet.  Grrrr.!!  I wish now I had taken a picture, but I was too upset at that moment to think about that!   I wish too that I had had more patience in the childish behavior of my little Adalyn.  She had already been asking for my attention multiple times throughout the morning, but I was too busy completing my tasks to take time for her.

Some how Sunday morning's tend to be a little stressful for me.  By the time we are in the car on our way to church I just have to breathe a big sigh.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Anything that God has meant for the good and benefit of his people, the enemy wants to distort, disturb and disrupt.  What better way to get people than on their way to a place where we are so often uplifted and encouraged, to take our focus off of Jesus and the reason why we go to church and onto the little, pidly problems of  life that matter little in the grand scheme of things.
Thoughts anyone? 

Monday, 1 April 2013

Random info

Adalyn got sick and puked for the first time in her life today.  Of course she had those little spit ups as a baby, but she has never been sick to her stomach puking before.  Amazing that she's been healthy this long!  We are truly so very blessed!  I wasn't home this afternoon, so unlucky for Mark he had to experience the yuckiness for the first time.  Poor little girl!  It was so weird though because she threw up and then was running and playing like nothing had happened, so we thought it was just a one time thing, like maybe she had spun in circles to much after eating her lunch or something, but then she hurled again and a while later again, so she must really not have been feeling the greatest.  I hope she sleeps good tonight! 

This is my second month now doing a one month grocery shop and menu plan.  It is SO great!  I don't know why it has taken me this long to realize that I can do it and that it works.  I think we will save a lot more money this way, eat better, and I'll save time too in the afternoons not paging through my cookbooks all afternoon wondering what to make!    

Well, I have plans to run on the treadmill for a while and must go deal with some of my groceries.   I plan on running a 5 km race in May so I must keep up my exercise.  Yay, my first 'run' entry!  The other day I ran 4 miles outside in 38 or 39 min.  I was using my regular watch so it was a bit hard to see exactly where the minute hand was. lol. 

Friday, 22 March 2013

This year and last year

What I am about to post may seem crazy, and unless you have lived through it like us Manitoban's you may not believe me.

These photos were taken exactly one year ago almost to the day.  

MARCH 21, 2012



These photos were taken today.

MARCH 22, 2013



The incredibly great thing is that Adalyn and I had fun outside that day last year and once again had a superb time outside today doing entirely different seasonal things!  It truly is great to live in a part of country where we can experience such weather extremities. 

It is also so great to see Adalyn finally enjoying the snow.  Perhaps it is in part due to the temperatures being a bit warmer too, but until now she has been so unfriendly with the snow.  Today she jumped and played, toted bricks of snow around from here to there, climbed piles and slid down, pulled her sled around, plunked down in the deeper snow and laughed and smiled and played!  Ahhhh.... this is what you've been missing all 5 months of winter Adalyn!  haha  

Here are a few more photos of our lovely time.