First Day of Spring

Today we took a trip to a local heritage village to learn how maple syrup was discovered, and collected through the years. It ended in a lovely taste of real maple syrup.

It was freezing. Despite how I suggested to dress, the children had other ideas, and 15 minutes in one was crying about cold toes. You can imagine how it was after another hour....

Afterwards we went for pancakes and maple syrup with friends. We all luved that :)

Happy 1st day of spring!

Creativity

Angelina made me this lovely bracelet. Who knew rainbow loom would result in such beautiful jewelry!

Black Berries

He luvs black berries <3

March 13 2014

January - A Month in Review

Oh the month has flown by faster then I can believe. A whole month, disappeared in a blink. But there, filled with memories, I tuck away, hole dear, and memories that fill my heart <3 nbsp="" p="">
We spend time being sick, laying on couches with buckets tucked close by pillows, time reading, family stories, beginning board games, story times, skating, walking, school work, hot cocoa, and snuggles by the fire. Its been ruff, but we've made the best of time together.

Lets start at the very beginning.


New Years Eve

I don't luv New Years, I'd rather be in bed getting my sleep :) But Goran does luv News Years Eve, so we stay up and ring it in like we should. We discussed and agreed to let the girls to stay up. Unexpected, but so very happy to have close friends and luved ones here, our elderly neighbors Tony and Lynn ended up coming over, spending the night quietly enjoying company, laughs, DS gaming, playmobil and baby snuggles.

The best New Years Eve I've ever had. And its only going to get better.

Happy 8th Birthday Grace

Between illness's we managed to have a few friends over and celebrate my girl.  

she was up late the night before, making one for each person.

she picked out rainbow butterflies herself and spent time cutting out each one. they are still hung up!

8. 

Eight.

I can't believe it.

8 years since I birthed my baby, in my home, in my bed, into my arms. It was an amazing day, one I will never forget, and always treasure.

Grace,

We luv and treasure you. You are part of our family, you make us who we are. Without you, we wouldn't be the same. You are luving, and kind, and sensitive. You are learning to empathize. In the last few weeks we have had numerous encounters where your face suddenly changes and you understand how powerful your words are. You feel so strong, often your face will crumble and you I can't help but hug you and luv you, knowing you are growing into a more amazing person every day.

Luv you forever Grace

Momma

The Rest

The dishwasher broke. It has been over 2 weeks. It has been frustrating. But we have adapted, and the time together, washing dishes, soapy hands, chatting with the kids, baby on the floor playing with the mop or broom....The dishwasher is at the doctors, and we hope to have it back this week.

Skating.....its been an adventure, but they are getting it. I'm so excited to see Goran involved, teaching, engaging, sharing something new with the kids. And the kids!!! Wow! I'm so excited to see them try, and try again, the excitement, and joy on their faces.   

Oh and Samuel is pulling to stand. Slow down baby!

                                                                                                                                      
I'm thinking of writing every day of the 'work week' - 1 day for each child. The whole point of the blog is to celebrate each of my kids. The great and small things they do, learn, experience. . I was thinking of giving each child their day, but I might see how each day goes, and make sure by the end of the the week I've got each child in.

Here is for trying new things!

Advent Reflection

Although it was a bit late coming to me, I enjoyed reading this book over part of December.

The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp is a daily devotional, with a bible verse, and her own educated thoughts on it, and then some question to reflect.

I had mixed feelings through out the book. Between those feelings, and unsettled family issues throughout the month, I found myself up and down day by day. Some days I really luved, and looked forward to the next reading, and other days I closed the book, annoyed, or frustrated. One day particularly after I finished reading felt crushed. Overall it was about, grace, and I understand the idea of being saved by grace, and not by anything I do, but seeing it like that, made me feel sad. This time in my life is not my own. I spend most of the hours in a day striving to meet everyone's needs. I luv being a mom, I'm happy to give this time to my children, knowing that it will all come back 2 fold someday. But at the end of the day, sometimes the only thing I have is the satisfaction of getting through the day, feeding everyone, maybe baths, and 1 or 2 things knocked off the constantly growing to do list. It made me feel sad that it doesn't matter. And I knew before that it didn't really matter, when it comes to salvation, but for me, right now, there are day's I'm searching for a reason to get up, struggle through that day, knowing there will be bickering, fighting, and that keeping children content isn't always an easy task. (Sometimes it is!)

And she continued to talk about the "Jesse Tree" throughout the book. I found that irritating, because I've gone to church more years in my life then I haven't, and I had no idea what she was talking about.

A bit of research has taught me something new! I luv this idea, and look forward to making ornaments and teaching my wee ones about the 'Jesse tree' next December, and hanging each one on a tree special for this purpose!

So I didn't actually finish the book, but there was one piece that still stands out to me...

"You can stand around a Christmas tree with a family tree like Joseph's, with cheaters and beaters and deceivers, with a family like Jacob's, who ran away and ran around and ran folks down. But out of a family line that looks like a mess, God brings the Messiah. What was intended to harm, God intended all of it for good, and no matter what intends to harm you, Gods arms have you. You can never be undone. 

No matter what intends to harm you......

God is never absent,"

God is never absent.

What a wonderful and comforting thought. 

So I reflect that its been good, reading and learning and being forced to think and look at things in a new light. And that was the intent, right?

I am thankful to own the book, and plan to, along with a Jesse tree, read, reflect and hopefully learn more and finish the book next December. 

Christmas Days

The 'day' has past, and we settle into days of pj's and plates of snacks, and tea by the fire. Quiet days, of naps, and playing, and soup, and walks when needed.

Peaceful.

I 'tried' to just 'be' on Christmas Day. I didn't want to sit behind the camera taking billion of pics. But now I miss that I don't have all this memories in pictures.

This is what I have.

I missed pictures of Baka, family photo in front of the tree, of breakfast feast, and hugs and tears.

*sigh*

But some of the best memories are the ones treasured in the heart.

Memories of the girls happy smiles, at 6:30 in the morning, just me and them, hugs and "Merry Christmas". Treasures. And they told me how they were up at 2:01, and again at 4:00, and they knew Santa had come.

Bryan's saying his best gift was his electric toothbrush and DS were the best gifts. Treasures.

Snuggles by the fire, tea buy the fire, delivering Christmas cards to the neighbors in pj's that afternoon, lunch soup, and favorite gifts played with all day.

And I'm reminded that Christmas isn't one day. Its a season, and even today, the 29th, it feels very much alive.

I luv the peacefulness. Visits with friends, children playing, hugs and smiles. I luv the way the lightheartedness fills in the days with joy and contentment.

Now a mother of many (as I call myself) and having birthed most of these babies free of medication, the eve of Christmas my mind wondered over and over again to Mary. Certainly exhausted and tired of pregnancy, anxious as a first time mother, unsure of what to expect. I wonder if embarrassment and shame washed over her as she realized she would give birth to the son of God in a stable. Surrounded by animals, oxen, sheep, and goats to name a few. I wonder if she worried about hygiene as labor progressed. I wondered if she told herself over and over again, 'This can't happen here, not like this!' I'm sure Joseph was worried and fussed. I'm sure he paced, held her hand, smoothed her brow, and whispered over and over again that everything would be OK, despite the doubts in his heart he dare not utter. The pain of childbirth ripping through her, Mary knew it was going to happen, soon, fast, her baby was going to be born in a stable and there was nothing she could do to stop it. My mind wonders to her, feeling the exhaustion, and the feeling of being unable to go on.

And the sweet relief as Joseph says to her "Mary, Mary, open your eyes, look look at your baby!" (I wonder, did he shout, whisper, cry out to her?)and he placed that sweet baby on her chest. I imagine the relief, the elation, the joy, the luv washing over her in one giant swoop as she wraps her arms around his naked body, trying to warm him in the cold. Did her cry right away? Did they hold their breath, as I have done once or twice, before he breathed his first breath of air and his screams fill the cold chilly stable? I imagine the animals shifting, maybe complaining slightly, (I can here the oxen lowing, and the goats maa'ing) looking around confused and slightly upset.

My mind continues the scene, the clean up, the shepherds, always thinking and wondering, what did Mary feel?
 
Yes, now a mother, a parent, I think of Mary and Joseph, how exciting, and confusing it all was. I am thankful and humbled, and feel so very blessed that they lived the gift I was given.

So through it all, the reason of Christmas is one we talk about a lot. Sharing our feelings, playing with the playmobil set, and reading the story of Jesus' birth.

I am reminded that gifts built with luv, by the hands of luved ones, picked out with thought and care, no matter the cost, are the ones that mean the most. The ones that are treasured and kept forever. The memory of giving those gifts, and receiving those gifts, lived over and over again in both the receiver and giver.

As the season winds down, as we prepare for the new year with dreams of it all being different, (organized, timely, patient, whatever your resolution is) I'm thankful for the memories made, lessons learned, and the gift of today. 

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!