Demolition

Dave has begun dismanteling the other side of the house.


Its a disaster but one that I am so excited to see.

Once its done, we will have bedrooms for the boys and then rooms downstairs which will give the boys a lot more space to play and less time being bored.

Monkey Business

For Levi's birthday Aunty Anne gave him a monkey. This isnt just any monkey, its bigger than him and it has hands that can velcrow around his neck. The boys rediscovered him yesterday and here are a few shots of them playing:

Two little monkeys.

Levi wondering why it wont come off his neck too easily.

Here Matthew was giving the monkey a huge hug. I didnt even have to ask him to do it. Im just glad I had the camera.

He was then left, like most toys at the end of their attention span. At least he's still smiling.
They wanted him along for a drive later... he never made it out of the car though. He simply came for the drive.

I had some out loud laughing moments watching both boys trying to run with the monkey around their necks but tripping on the feet that were in between their legs... So cute and so funny. And now, one of Levi's words is Monkey. Only I would know it since he isnt terribly clear yet but I know it is and thats what matters.

Mondays

Growing up, Mondays were always a miserable day. Back to the grind of regular life after a nice relaxing weekend (or maybe filled with part time jobs but still school free).



Since being home and having kids I have to admit that Mondays are my favourite day. I have just had my day of rest which is most often spent away from my home all together and have had help with the boys all day long. When I wake up the next morning I am ready to get working. I want to change the beds, do the laundry, get the boys back into a routine, plan meals, tidy surfaces that have gotten a bit chaotic... the list doesnt end really. Its as the week goes on that my motivation wanes, I get my Sabbath rest and then am ready to go again on Monday.

Does anyone else feel this way? Its like a fresh start. Im pretty sure this is why God commands this day of rest. Not only do we need to stop and think on him and worship him but we need to find rest to be able to get going again for the next week. Life has a lot of stress and activity. Im glad He commands us to stop for a day to just enjoy him.



Hope everyone finds some joy on this Monday. I know it isnt most peoples favourite day of the week.

Playing Host

As Dave and I settle into our new home, comfort has finally led us to hosting a little more. Recently we've had Tara, whenever I can, Amanda, we've had Karin and her family for dinner, my sister and her family for lunch, Ness and her boys for the morning and then a couple from church with their three children for dinner.

I have always enjoyed hosting and it is something that Dave LOVES to do. We always wanted to use our house as a place to host and now that we have it somewhat organized we have begun.

Last night was a lot of fun. We made pork chops and asperagus with baked potatoes and our guests brought a yummy ceasar salad. And for dessert a store bought mousse cake ( I cheated). We spent the evening chatting away about many different things while the kids played with various things. I think the highlight for Seth was the LEGO.
We pulled it out after dinner and both Seth and Matty jumped right in there. Seth has a much more mature mind as he is quite a few years older so he actually made real things.
Matthew played with wheels and ramps mostly but was so captivated by it that he forgot to use the potty and was a very wet boy by the end of the evening.

It was so nice to open up our home to new friends and get to know them better. I hope you come again guys!!!

Ness and her boys came by this week too for a visit. It was the first time they had come together and stayed to play. Henry and Matty enjoyed the toys together for a while but eventually found something a little more fun:

Who needs toys when you can have a cupboard?

We spent some time outside since the weather was beautiful and the boys all had a great time. They ran, threw balls, pulled the wagon and threw things in our old pond (we had a pond! Its the size of an infant bathtub but much deeper). Levi and Sam enjoyed moving slowly over the bumpy, dirty ground, finding random things to pick at or try and eat.
And while the weather gets more and more beautiful, little signs of spring keep popping up.

By the afternoon, this was open and so stunning. Of course I didnt have my camera at that point.

I am so excited about our home and all the things we will see and do this summer. Now that the weather is getting warmer (knock on wood) I can enjoy my favourite part which is our property.

Phillipa Gregory

I recently finished reading my very first book by this author.

She writes historical fiction stories (my favourite). It was called The Constant Princess and is about King Henry the 8th's first wife, Catalina, the infanta of Spain, Kathrine Princess of Wales and Queen of England.

Does this author ever have a way of making their lives sound so... interesting. I loved reading every page. The people came to life. And I have never even treid to learn English history but I now have a few characters that I have begun to place in history.

I dont know if you enjoy historical fiction, if you do you will love her books. If not, you might like these anyways. She has a way of getting you so wrapped up in the story you can forget that a lot of it is historical fact.

Thank you Jo for introducing this author to me.

Now I have to be sure not to get them all at once and start neglecting my children just so I can read them :) May be a good hospital read, however.