Schoooooool's out

for Sum-Mah!

Schooooool's out

for Ev-Ah!

good times

My anniversary supper, made by my personal take-home-chef: my hubby of many talents....

Does my neck look all giraffish?

Appetizer: spinach dip in a bread bowl

Main course: creamy broccoli stuffed chicken breasts

Dessert: Skor bar cake with whipped cream and strawberries

As you can imagine, I was very impressed. It got me wondering if there was anything that my husband could'nt do. I really thought about it, and was stumped. Of course my humble hubby tried spitting out answers, but it was obvious, he is,
Superman.

So our weekend was wonderful. My daughter was away at the lake with her dad, stepmom and sister, having a blast swimming, boating and going to the clubhouse for candy. While we too made the most of the sunny days here, spending most of our time outside. I'm proud to say my skin is officially sunkissed.

It's so nice to enjoy the outdoors so much more now. I love walking around and heading to all the neat things going on in the city. I'm so blessed that my hubby has been such a good influence on me in that way. Other years I would just want to sit in the sun and do nothing, other can catch some good ol' heat stroke. I am still a sucker for sun bathing though, don't get me wrong ;)

My sister came over last night for a visit, and we had no idea what to do with ourselves, since we're always surrounded by kids saying "I'm thirsty, I'm hungry, what's for supper? Faith hit me, Daniel pulled my hair, Noah isn't sharing, Isaiah is being rude, Elishah is hurt, Jonah's tattling, Faith is bugging us, Noah isn't helping us clean, Daniel is beating up the ginea pigs, Eishah climbed on the kitchen table, Jonah's ignoring me, we can't find this, we can't reach that, I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm tired, I don't want a nap, we don't want to play outside, we want to play outside, we're borrrrrrrred....."

Oops, am I coming across as needing adult time?

So my sis was over last night, and as I said we had no idea what to do with ourselves. So we did this:

ever try balancing on a ball without letting your feet touch the ground?

**note**

As I was writting this post which has taken forever, I forgot about the weiners I had boiling in a pot upstairs. Needless to say all the water had evaperated and the weiners were sizzling and burning at the bottom of the pot. Yummay!

4 years/ 48 months/ 208 weeks/ 1461 days

I've been saying since our first year into marriage that I wish I was able to say we've been married for 10, so that people could stop calling us newly-weds. I'm still long awaiting the 5 year mark as some kind of invisible door that we'll pass through and become known for possibly knowing a thing or two.

But aside from my constant wondering what others think, I say screw it. Heck, 4 years, in this day in age? We might as well be celebrating our 25th! With divorce being so common, especially within the first couple of years of marriage, I'd say we've accomplished quite a feat already.

I've been thinking and chewing and pondering and seeking this whole marriage subject for a while now. Watching two couples close to us after only being married a year or two throw in the towel, and bawling through the movie The Break up, really forced me to take a look at my life and ask myself, am I really in this for the long haul?

They classify The Breakup as a comedy, but the movie I saw was a drama, a very very sad and depresssing drama. Here was THE couple, and because neither one of them were willing to look past themselves, they missed out, on what could have been. It really made me think of us, and how selfish and immature we were when we were first married. When I look back to that first year, I'm so embarassed. Things sucked, all the time. Occasionally, there might be a small breath of fresh air, that reminded us of why we loved eachother, but other than those occasional breaths, we suffocated through the first year. If I would've gauged what our marriage would be like on our first year, I would've been out that door faster than a fat boy on a smartie, with my daughter packed in my suitcase. Surely being a single mom was easier than this! I'm not joking, it was.

But guess what, we didn't kill eachother, we didn't leave, we bit our tongue, sometimes until they bled, we even vowed that neither of us would ever sleep on the couch! (Believe me, there were soooo many nights where you could've fit a whole football team between us on that bed) And after what felt like many years, our first year was completed, with some battle scars yes, but more importantly, a deeper sense of the commitment we made on June 19th 2004.

Time went on, and the more we gave of ourselves into our marriage, the more our marriage became amazing. Each anniversary we've had, we've been so amazed at how much more in love we are with eachother, and how much we've grown together as one. He's more like me and I'm more like him! It's weird to think it's only been 4 years, when I look at all we've walked through together. Poverty, custody and court battles, career and life changing choices, depression insomnia, physical ailments, a very hard pregnancy, a death in the family, buying our first house........I could go on, but I can't put our story in point form. Our story holds so many miracles, so much glory. When I really allow that to soak in, I'm so thankful that I did not give up, that I vowed with my whole self, that calling it quits was never an option, that we got through those tough times. Where would I even be today without all this blessing and beauty? I know I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for my husbands unconditional love, and the holy spirit working and moving powerfully through him. He is a man completely worthy of my respect, and I'm in awe and honored that I can call him my husband.

I know I may be making it sound like I think we now have it all together, that we're now "wise" because we stuck it out for 4 years. I know 4 years isn't really that long, and I know we have so much more to learn, and that we'll be figuring this whole marriage thing out until the day we die. I know that 4 more years will go by and I'll be saying wow! To think we thought it was good then, look at it now! I'm encouraged to know that God isn't limited or intimidated by time. I know that He sees the finished product, and that He has grace and mercy for the areas we struggle in. I'm just so amazed at how far we've come, and how much we've grown together. I couldn't imagine this life any other way.

I'm so in love with my husband. He was made specifically just for me, he has and is everything I could need, he completes me in every way, and I'm loving sharing the rest of this life with him.

Happy Anniversary !!!!

It's been 4yrs sweetie !?!?!?! unbelievable

I love you more that I could ever express, its amazing to look back at us 4 years ago and see what God has been able to do with the two of us and to think of all the times he has used one of us to encourage, bless, correct, love and lead the other.

I am so blessed that God chose you to be my wife.

You are amazing………….. Be blessed today my love.

Sorry for hijacking your blog but I thought it would supprise you :)

yours

27 degrees hommies!

Happy happy joy joy

Happy happy joy joy

Happy happy joy joy

Happy happy joy joy

Happy happy joy joy

Happy happy joy joy

Happy happy joy joy joy!!!

A Paniel Post

My muscle-man

Drunk on chocolate

And finally....

"There's Something About Daniel"

My snotty runny-nosed son after Dada took his shirt off.

breaking new ground

Walking this journey towards health and wellness has had more ups and downs than I ever imagined. It's been way harder (better, faster, stronger), and way more rewarding than I dreamed.

There is so much stiring in my heart, but I'm still chewing on it all myself. I know that running this 2K with my sis was not about running 2K, it was about both of us, as a team, stickin it to the laziness and low self-worth we have walked in all our lives. And man, did that feel good.

I'm encouraged today, that God is so pleased with us! We are doing things that are being done for the first time, breaking new ground, and our Daddy is jumping for joy with us, our number one fan, our loudest cheerleader.

May we not leave this secret place, where we are safe to be us, safe to grow and learn, where it's just us, being compared to no one but ourselves, remembering where we've been, and anticipating without doubt where we're going.

I love you Sarah!

Holding your breath upside down gets rid of hick-ups....

Jerry:
"Ah, you're crazy."
Kramer:
"Am I? Or am I so sane that you just BLEW your mind?!"
Jerry:
"It's impossible!"
Kramer:
"Is it? Or is it so possible that your head is spinning like a top?!"
Jerry:
"It can't be."
Kramer:
"Can it? Or is your entire world just CRASHING DOWN ALL AROUND YOU?"

Nin's idea: 1

Hubby's mocking: 0

Two and a half weeks between posts? That's it, you're cut.

So what could possibly be more important than blogging these days?

Well, turns out, we actually have a pretty cool yard. This is the first year we're actually putting time and energy into making it our own. My hubby and I have been working, and by my hubby and I, I mean my hubby. He built us a patio and installed some underground sprinklers, both of which God blessed us with for free! We've made our way into the front yard now, and I'll definately post some pics of that when we're done. I'm so excited!

So anyways, here's what my back planters looked like last year. Please appreciate how long and hard it was for me to clean these disgusting things out. Apparently bugs like dead plants? I saw more creepy crawly's in those planters than I think I've seen in my whole life. When I went to bed that night, I saw bugs on the backs of my eye lids.

*shutter*

My raspberry bush, strawberries, daisies, lettuce and rubbarb. Go me!
I've never planted anything before in my life, so this is a big deal. Well, there was one year my sis set aside some space in her garden for me to plant my own veggies. But she got sick of asking me to plant my seeds so she ended up doing it herself. After some time she then got sick of asking me to weed my space so she eventually told me I was no longer welcome in her garden. Does that count as a gardening experience?

My cool dude...

And his sweet ride

I was so proud of my daughter.

My son loves playing in his big sisters room, but everytime he tries to go in there the poor guy gets kicked out (and for good reason, anything he seems to get his hands on these days either gets broken, thrown, lost, or eaten). He had gone in there and when I took him out he cried in disspointment. So my daughter (with a tiny verbal nudge from her mom) took it upon herself to clean her room and place her precious gems our of reach so that her little brother could come in and play. You can see from his expression that he was in heaven.

My father in law blessed my hubby and I with tickets to the Phantom of the Opera. It was so awesome! We showed up in jeans, and saw people dressed up in tuxes and gowns (not dresses, gowns). But only really important people can get away with that. Do we pull off the "we're really important" look well?

There's plenty of things I'm chewing on these days, and God has been speaking. I've tried getting my thoughts out, but all I've accomplished are a bunch of unfinished posts taking up space in my drafts. Meh.

So You Think You Can Dance, this Thursday. Yeah baby!

Be blessed today! May you grasp how far reaching His love is for you today, and may you not settle for anything less than the Father's best.

I AM SAM

I AM: so sick and tired of being sick and tired. On top of this stupid bum cold that I can't seem to shake, I woke up in the middle of the night last night to a bladder infection.


I THINK: my cousin coming to the Lord and getting clean from crack cocaine is the coolest thing ever!


I KNOW: all the words from start to finish including the songs to the movie 'Adventures in Babysitting', yes, ALL the words.


I WANT: to stop wanting to start being.


I HAVE: a new love seat! and our couch will be here in a few weeks!


I WISH: some things could be different.


I HATE: laundry, spiders, being sick, and leaving things will the last minute.


I MISS: running, excersizing, feeling fit and healthy instead of a great big ball of germs.


I FEAR: my kids will fall and get hurt real bad.


I WONDER: when I'll actually write a post with some meat in it.



I FEEL: like I'm going to get my " . " soon, I've been a little grump the last couple of days.


I HEAR: my dishwasher, my daughter's Barbie movie, and birds from outside.


I SMELL: nothing, I'm sick.


I REGRET: a lot of things, and still need to forgive myself for some of them.


I AM NOT: as organized, commited and disciplined as I'd like to be.


I DANCE: all the time, and love it.



I SING: all the time, and love it.


I CRY: all the time, and yep, I love it. It's a release for me, I cry almost everyday.


I DON'T ALWAYS: brush my teeth. Gasp! Good thing my breath can't be smelled through your computer monitor!


I MAKE: fun of really serious people, and people who can't laugh at themselves. If I don't laugh at them who will?



I LOSE: my train of thought when I'm talking and doing two things at once.



I WIN: when I don't let my anger get the best of me.



I NEVER: in my wildest dreams would've thought God would've transformed my cousin into the broken, on fire man after God I saw today. My child, why do you doubt?



I ALWAYS: get sidetracked in big stores and malls. It doesn't seem to matter how much I set it in my head that I'm running in and running out, something always calls my name. Niiiiiiiin........Niiiiiiiiiiiin. Yes flip flops?


I NEED: new runners, HARDCORE. The ones I'm using were hand-me downs, so not only did they go through a user before me, but I've run them into the ground. I've heard that shin splints can come from worn out runners, and I hardcore have shin splints. Oh no you're not hardcore! Unless you live hardcore! And the legend, of the rent, was way hardcore!!!!


I SHOULD: really clean my room.... but it's just so much easier to close the door.


I START: things and make my husband finish them.


I CAN USUALLY BE FOUND: at home, at church, at Walmart, at my sisters, at my moms, out for coffee, on msn, at my hubby's office, at one of my out-laws ( I mean inlaws), out for supper, out running, in my backyard, at Starbucks or Tim Hortons, at a mall, more specifically Stitches, Bluenotes or Urban Planet, at Superstore, at my daughter's school, at a library, at a gas station, at a work event for my hubby, at a fancy function with my father in law, at a park, at a pool, at a pool hall, at a garage sale, at the doctor or the dentist, at Old Navy, at a movie, or at Home Depot or some other boy place with my hubby.

In other news,

what my son did the other day.

Juno

My loving and serving husband put his action/blow-up/shooting/killing/car racing desires aside and rented me a chick flick on Saturday.

Juno.

I cried, mostly because it took me right back to that time in my life, where I too was pregnant at 16, and going through the adoption process for my baby, but also because it's good to remember where we've been, because it's made us who we are.

It's crazy to think that I walked down the halls of highschool, with a baby popping out of my belly, seeing all the the stares from other girls, who were the very same age, but somehow, were now way younger than me.

I gave birth to a baby just 2 months after my 17th birthday. Looking at my life now, it's so easy to forget, to see a mother of two, a housewife who keeps her house clean, a leader in her church, someone with a house, two cars, a good man... Forgetting the muck and mire I once found myself in, the pit I thought I'd never climb my way out of.

I want to remember where I've been today. Remembering all that He has done in my life, all that He has saved me from.

I see all that when I look at her.

Me:
Sick, and mad at the weather.
I was enjoying running outside soooooo much! I was wearing flip flops and capris for pete's sake! And now I have a stinkin head cold, which sucks bum. Plus, me and my sis worked the poop out of our abs the day before I started coughing, so everytime I cough, OWweeeee! Grr'ness.

Son:
Stinker.
New fave things are looking at books and untuning my guitar strings till they're all loose and hangy. He also loves throwing various toys in my morning coffee. This morning he chucked a velcro baseball in my fruit smoothie. In my sick state, I frowned at him.

Daughter:
Constant beauty.
Always a reminder that God is good all the time. She was so sad when we told her she had to wear her winter coat, mitts and gasp! her touque this morning. Poor girl was enjoying her new pink jump rope outside, as well as mingling in the street to trade Littlest Pet Shop cards. (the new thing)

Hub:
Always a rock.
Scraped the inch thick layer of ice off the car for 30 minutes this morning, and offered to pick up daughter so I could stay home sick. Brushed my hair till I fell asleep last night. Encourages and gently pushes me in my walk towards being selfless, never makes me feel like a freak for thinking awful thoughts. I love him.

a praiseworthy spaghetti dinner

In other news....


Philippians 4:8

"if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things"

And so I do...

I think of my cousin in drug rehab, who's finding freedom, hope and new life! He's doing awesome and I'm so blessed to be able to witness yet another miracle in my family, where the power of addiction has lost it's grip.

I think of the relationships in my life that are being built stronger, the people in my life I'm able to build into and encourage. I think of our relationship with my daughters dad and step mom, and all that God continues to do, as He blows us away day after day, with how far reaching His vision is.

I think of a friend that God placed back in my life a couple years ago, who I've been able to watch grow more and more into the woman she's been created to be. I'm blessed to know her and love her.

I think of our life group, and the unity we are finding in being open and honest with one another. I think of my friend who is coming back and finding the peace she has been missing in her life for too long. I praise Him for bringing the prodigals home.

I think of all that God has been doing in me and my sis, and am still overwhelmed at the reality of where we are. I never would've dreamed.

I will continue to think about such things, as He continues to prove my faith genuine.

What excellent and praiseworthy things are you thinking about?

~Peace~

my declaration for today

"For The Moments I Feel Faint"

~Relient K~

Am I at the point of no improvement?

What of the death I still dwell in?

I try to excel, but I feel no movement.

Can I be free of this unreleasable sin?

Never underestimate my Jesus

You're telling me that there's no hope.

I'm telling you you're wrong.

Never underestimate my Jesus

When the world around you crumbles

He will be strong, He will be strong

I throw up my hands"Oh, the impossibilities"

Frustrated and tired

Where do I go from here?

Now I'm searching for the confidence

I've lost so willingly

Overcoming these obstacles is overcoming my fears

Never underestimate my Jesus

You're telling me there is no hope

I'm telling you you're wrong

Never underestimate my Jesus

when the world around you crumbles

He will be strong, He will be strong

I think I can't, I think I can't

But I think you can, I think you can

I think I can't, I think I can't

But I think you can, I think you can

Gather my insufficiencies and

place them in your hands,

place them in your hands,

place them in your hands...

Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and

by his wounds we are healed.

update

Our toilet:

Is now in our backyard. Turns out the mystery toy was a plastic wrench, a nice long unbendable stick that my hubby was unable to retreive after taking the toilet off the floor. Thank the Lord my mother-in-law had a toilet just sitting around, that we were able to grab and install (if that's not a coincidental blessing I don't know what is, God's awesome). So all is now back to normal, after the few trips to my parents place with use their can, and the pee my poor daughter had to have in the tub. And such is life. I called my parents last night to grab a phone number from them and my dad answered saying "you have to go again?!" Apparently I'm full of it.

My son:

Now owes me a phone, some sticks, a toilet, and part of my sanity.

My daugther:

Fell at school yesterday into a pile of woodchips. Adding to her embarassment of peeing in the bathtub, is a banged up face and a bruised eyebrow.

My husband:

Is being blamed for having some kind of toxin in his sperm, a mischeveous chromozone and trouble-making genetics. He keeps trying to tell me that my son is half me, but I refuse to believe I played any part in this.

Our Strawberry Shortcake Dvd:

Is now at the library, and the one belonging to the library is here. Nice.