A Growing Family

Not the Best News

2012-01-26T17:17:00.002-05:00

Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria
Chronic!

Ultimately this paper is telling me: "suck it up. You will be itchy and have hives on and off for the rest of you life."

Can't say its exciting news. I think I would have rather found out I had a food allergy and could eliminate something and move on.

Oh well, from what I read, others have it worse than I do.

Theme word when you look this condition up: demoralizing.

Happy Two!!!

2012-01-25T08:40:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Levi's second birthday. I'm still finding it hard to believe that he just turned two.

He woke up to a birthday greeting from Mommy and Daddy and then got his first present:

After that, we headed to the restaurant for breakfast, which seems to be becoming the new tradition. Pancakes with sausage for the boys as always.

When we came home we had some play time and later in the day some friends arrived for a visit. Tante Ness came with the boys and they all had a pretty wonderful day.

Uncle Cory arrived for a gourmet dinner of pogos, poutine and salad and we sat together celebrating.

Presents were opened and then it was dessert. My boys love ice cream more than cake so that's what most people had.

However, there was another birthday in the midst of us (tante Ness) so I made a special dessert for her and I to enjoy since we are working at losing weight and she got to open a gift too.

It was a wonderful day for a wonderful boy. Levi is a child so full of life that at times he puts it at risk. He causes my heart to be in my throat at least once day as I fear the possible hospital visit from yet another fall or hurt. He is a clown who knows if something makes us laugh he better keep on doing it.

He keeps Dave and I very busy and we are only just entering into the terrible twos... we look forward to every new day with this little man.

Happy Birthday beautiful baby.

A Boy and His Blanket

2012-01-20T14:01:00.000-05:00

We don't have a dryer so we have to hang our clothes and let them dry by a fan. When Levi sees his blanket he needs it. Who says it has to be dry and in his arms? So long as he can touch his nose to it.

Room Makeover

2012-01-19T13:41:00.001-05:00

Living in a house that is under construction is difficult. Add having three boys three and under plus 2 extra adults and a baby, a dog and a cat and saw dust everywhere and you'll see how sometimes I can feel like I might go crazy.

Our home is wonderful and I love it but sometimes I just want a normal house. One that stays clean for more than a minute.

Over the holidays in particular I began to really hate being in my room. It is the one painted bedroom in the house and should be a wonderful place to be. I didn't find it that way. It was always messy, no matter how hard I tried. It made me uptight and I tried to avoid it as much as possible.

When I mentioned my discomfort to Dave he took my ideas and put them into action. After a few hours of rearranging and cleaning here is the finished product:

We moved the bed to the middle of the room. It was actually nicely made and everything but just as I was going up the stairs to take a picture I noticed the boys had gone in and reeked havoc so please excuse the mess.

The crib is now on the back wall next to the bed.

A dresser and mirror on one side of the closet.

The TV and the other dresser behind the door.

With all of this done the room feels tidier, cleaner and more organized. I know Dave really didn't want to move everything around but once he had finished he said, "It feels so much less cluttered this way." I agree. And you want to know the best part? There are no hidden corners for him to store all his clothes -he tends to keep piles on the floor near his side of the bed.

Dave Has Been Busy

2012-01-18T07:15:00.004-05:00

I came home the other day to many huge changes. I had been in town for a few nights due to bad weather and Dave was home working away. He managed to get lots done.

The first things I saw when I walked in the house were the new lights hanging as you go into the dining room.

It will be these lights that we have hanging throughout the house- usually by doorways.

Next, in the way up the stairs Dave installed another new light.

I love it. It was meant to hang in the mud room but it was much to big so it hangs in the stairs and now has electricity to it. We have light on the stairs!!!

Once you get to the top of the stairs take a look at the new view:

Notice anything new? Its got drywall!

When you go through the hallway there is a little crevice where we have set up a little reading area for the boys

and then we have the other two rooms (all the bedrooms are now dry walled)

This one is Daniel and Amanda's. We were in the process of working on it so I didn't get any better pictures.

This is the other bedroom that will serve as an office/ storage area for Daniel and Amanda for now. I think this room is my favourite. Just look at how bright it is? And there will be a skylight at some point too.

One final change was a light in the bathroom. It used to hand in the stair way but with the new one we were able to displace the other one.

The next step will be dry wall in the downstairs room and electrical everywhere. Im so excited.!

Not Even at 5 AM

2012-01-16T06:30:00.002-05:00

Some people have suggested that to be able to find time for quiet time they try to wake up before the sun. This way their children are sleeping and for an hour (maybe even two) they have the house to themselves and have ample time for meditation on God's word and time for prayer.

This isn't even a possibility for me. My children begin to wake up at 5 and seem to continue that trend until 6 when I just give up altogether. Play time begins at 6 AM.

I can't escape to my room for a moment, I cant pee in peace, I cant have a hot coffee before someone is crying and insisting I hold them on my lap.

I'M SO TIRED!

To top it all off now, Ive come down with a cold on top of being itchy all over. Even the bottom of my feet are torturing me. I'm off to the allergist today and am praying he has an answer for me. At least after the appointment I can go ahead and take more Reactin and return to a relatively comfortable state of being. For now i'll sit down in the midst of chaos and try to enjoy a cup of coffee... I'm pretty sure I know how it will end though.

I DID Do Something Today

2012-01-11T06:55:00.005-05:00

Went to sleep at 8:00pm
Woke up at 4:00 am with Ewan for a feeding
Up at 6:00 with Levi and Matty for the day
Put in some laundry
Got the boys their breakfast
Put wood in the fireplace
Made coffee
Made a smoothie
Sat down to eat my smoothie
All this before 7:00am
Made the beds
Got 2 boys dressed
Had my coffee and did devotions
Got myself and Ewan dressed
Fed Ewan
Cleaned up Levis first accident for the day (just started potty training today)
Hung laundry and put in a second load
All this before 8:30
Made chili
Cleaned up Levi's second accident
Hung second load of laundry
Put wood in the wood stove
Played with boys
Put Ewan to bed
Cleaned another accident (obviously not ready)
Read stories to Levi
Made a snack (had to throw it away since I burned the popcorn terribly)
Changed my pants (pee all over them)
All this before 11:00
Packed an over night bag for the boys and I
Got lunch ready
Ate lunch
Cleaned and vacuumed
Left the house

Yesterday I probably had a list exactly like this yet every time I looked around the house I felt like so much more needed to be done but I just couldn't figure out what tasks they were. I seem to roam around my home in a fog just wondering how to get things done when maybe I've already accomplished a lot. It sucks being stuck in a haze of confusion. I just can't seem to escape it.

Oh well, it's a pretty great accomplishment list for a morning.

5 Months

2012-01-09T15:20:00.003-05:00

For Christmas Ewan got his two front teeth. Now, they are not the top teeth and I dont know how many of us were actually wishing for them just yet, but that's one of the gifts he was given. I decided with that milestone we might introduce some food.

Reaction? He cried. Not just a little bit but a full fledged, angry cry. Obviously he wasn't ready. Since trying, he's also been cranky which leads me to believe his little tummy was not fond of the little bit of food he did swallow.

Ewan's best friend seems to be our cat. Any time we have him hanging out on a blanket or play mat his little friend curls up beside him and falls asleep.

His cousin keeps him company a lot as well. They are good at entertaining each other and when one is cranky, putting the other close by often cheers them up for a short while.

I can't believe that we are already at the 5 month mile. It goes so fast.

Their Own Room

2012-01-03T15:14:00.000-05:00

The older boys have finally been moved into their own room. Nothing is finished and they are currently sharing a futon but its pretty nice having them out of our room.

Here's what I've done with it decor wise so far.

Not much has been added to the shelf yet since I know it will be a bit of a fight for the first few nights just to get them to sleep instead of play. We'll add things slowly once they have learned the rules a little better.

Here is their shared bed. My cousin Grace bought the banner for Ewan but since he doesn't have a room I thought it worked perfectly here. It was something I wanted to do all along.

Both of the boys are currently afraid of the dark so as their light and nightlight we have stars. I love it. It warms up their room a bit and they always ask for their stars on. Im not sure what I will put on their dressers... once again, it will have to be added slowly so they don't play with it or be something they care nothing for.

Here is a picture I took a few nights ago of how it looks when they fall asleep.

Matthew is always pretty ready for bed since he doesn't nap but Levi is always very ready to play. So after some rowdy time I found them asleep like this. Levi's bum was right in front of Matthews face and Matty's neck looks so uncomfortable.

Dave and I are enjoying our room with only one boy. It was about time wouldn't you say?

SNOW!

2012-01-02T13:17:00.004-05:00

For while we were beginning to think the snow would never fly. Thankfully it started on Christmas and we've been seeing it flying on and off since.

I will admit that snow isn't my favourite when I have a car with summer tires on it. Other than that, however, I am finding it rather magical.

It is pretty difficult getting out in the snow with three kids since one of them is so small and hard to keep warm, so when Uncle Daniel and Aunt Amanda offered to take Matty out for some play time the other day I was thrilled. We bundled him up and off he went into the backyard.

Besides the dog scaring him a bit, he came in with a big smile and feeling good. They made snow angels

and a snowman.

Living in the country is very different when it comes to choosing to travel. Every snow fall I'm finding it easier to stay home and putter around. We'll see how long it continues.

Happy new year to everyone.

van der Meer Christmas

2011-12-27T21:15:00.004-05:00

Lots of food and good company.

Always a nice time to catch up with family from out of town.

Thanks for a wonderful time.

Millar Christmas

2011-12-26T21:37:00.004-05:00

\

This years Christmas was so lovely!

10 children and 8 adults surrounded by gifts galore and LED warmth (the tv fireplace was burning).

Ewan enjoyed his first Christmas and even opened his gift- with a little help from Daddy!

I think this was the best Christmas yet. We were relaxed even with church on Christmas morning and a meal and snow storm. Everyone was ready to settle in for the day and enjoy everything. Its what I needed. Christmas spirit was slow in arriving.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas.

What Would a Christmas Tree be...

2011-12-23T07:47:00.005-05:00

Without ornaments such as these?

Movie Time

2011-12-19T17:51:00.003-05:00

Its incredibly rare that all three of my boys are occupied at the same time.

The other day Ewan was asleep in bed and with some popcorn on little plates, my boys sat at the table and enjoyed leap frog's movie- The Letter Factory.

May I just say that if anyone has children who are just learning letters - this is the best thing you will ever find. After the first time watching it Matthew already knew a few new letters and now he knows every single one and their sounds. I'm not an advocate for children sitting in front of a movie all the time but this one is well worth it.

And it gave me a melt-y moment looking at my two big boys enjoying a movie together... in silence!

Christmas play 2011

2011-12-14T16:21:00.000-05:00

This years Christmas play went really well.

I accidentally started singing a song with the kids and stopped thinking I had the wrong one, looked at them and mouthed "Is that right?", then they nodded back at me and we started again.

I felt like everyone did beautifully and so many people lent a helping hand.

I didn't get a single picture so I am glad Josh and Karin had their camera and were clicking away because these are precious moments.

A precious lamb- my precious little lamb.

The three wise men who did a great job.

Our pastors wife wrote this play and we performed it as kids. Now I am the one running it and I feel like it will never be as good as when she did it but she wrote a great play- all scripture that the kids memorize.

Until next year Christmas play.
\

Ugly Tree

2011-12-13T06:30:00.004-05:00

Special circumstances brought us our tree this year.

You see, with an unfinished house and a hubby pretty busy with work during the day and house work at night we haven't had a chance to really get a tree. We love cutting down a tree every year and normally do this at Dave's family's place but we just didn't have time this year.

Here enters out ugly tree.

My Aunty Peggy called me over the other day while at my moms to take a look at her tree. Someone cut one down for her and brought it right into her home but it was just too big a tree for her place. She asked if I needed one and I let her know that we would really appreciate it. Dave was able to pick it up on the way home from work and it made it so much easier and cheaper.

Isn't this just the ugliest tree you have ever seen??? I love it and once it is completely decorated it will gain some character and maybe even look sweet. Currently, however, it is full of holes and has coloured lights on it (I dont normally do that but I wasn't home when the tree was put up- I'm a white lights kind of lady).

No matter how ugly the tree is, though, I still really love it. It makes me think of my thoughtful Aunt, my adorable husband who braced the tree and put up the lights just to make me happy, it brings warmth to the house, it's the very first tree in our new house and soon it will make me giggle because of how the boys decorated it.

Ugly tree or not, I think all Christmas trees brighten up a home. Next year I just hope we can be a bit more on top of things and aim for a little bit more... tree.

Christmas Projects

2011-12-11T11:52:00.004-05:00

This year I finally made the ornament I'd been eying for a while. It seemed daunting but it was just a matter of learning a few new things and guessing at a few other things.

I am really quite proud of these little guys.

When?

2011-12-09T01:43:00.004-05:00

Four

Months

Old!!!

Wood Stove- Round One

2011-12-02T09:12:00.003-05:00

My laundry fan was high jacked to help push the heat from the stove into our side of the house so I now have to hang my laundry on the yucky side which is really annoying if something falls- right into saw dust and dirt. Strike One!
I have to add wood to it a lot because we only have the quick burning wood at the moment. We don't have any tools for the stove and the wood is all sloping towards the door . I went to open it and the handle was hot and then went to close the door and burned my fingers. Strike Two!

Dear stove, you are so close to losing it in my good books and it's still only 9:20am on day one!!! Sure doesn't help that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning with three sick boys.

Fire Light

2011-12-01T20:15:00.003-05:00

Today we had our wood stove installed and Dave brought us all over there to have a lighting ceremony (no, not really but we were all there).

Matty and Daddy lighting it for the first time

The boys watching the fire catch
We turned off the furnace and hoped to see how well the fire place would heat the house. Its doing a pretty good job for a place that isn't even fully insulated.

Its on the uninhabited side at the moment but insulation is going in as I type so things are happening... very exciting.

From the Mouths of Babes

2011-11-30T08:08:00.001-05:00

Setting- we just walked into Lowes as a family.

Matthew: Wow, look! Its Noah!

Perhaps Dave and I should get into the Christmas spirit a little more???

A Day with Twins

2011-11-28T11:04:00.000-05:00

This is from a while ago. Almost two weeks. Can you tell I just haven't had a moment?

Anyways, after a miserable night for both Amanda and myself, I decided to take Brayden for the morning with me to my bible study to give her a bit of a rest. Brayden normally sleeps perfectly so when he doesn't its a big shock to the system. Unlike my boys who never sleep through the night until they are around 9 months old...Needless to say I live in a very different reality than some. You just trudge through the days and some are easier than others.

So off I went to bible study with 4 precious boys. It was actually a lot of fun. My sister was there so she took Brayden when he got cranky and I had Ewan. Matty and Levi went to their nursery and we had a successful morning.

Once study was done I was off to my moms place for the day and that is where we met Amanda after her nap. We decided to have a bit of Christmas fun with our little ones (They will hate us for these pictures when they are older).

My Latest Project

2011-11-26T10:49:00.004-05:00

I knit to felt a hat!!!

I love it. I am so proud of myself... Is that ok?

A class a week for three weeks and this is the end result. Most of it was done at home and just a bit of help in the class with any new stitches. The felting was done yesterday and we got to decorate the hats however we wanted to. I debated buttons ( I love buttons) or a beautiful flower that I could have made (very tempting) but then I saw these beautiful hand dyed, hand felted circles and loved them. When I lay them on my hat, however, they seemed too flat. I played with them and then sewed them on this way and I love how they look.

I have a picture of me wearing the hat but I am so incredibly overweight and the picture looked so terrible that I am too proud to show it. I know that pride is bad!

B...B...B...Baking

2011-11-12T20:29:00.001-05:00

Matty and I are working on the letter B right now.

Tuesday I decided he would help me bake cookies and he could use his new alphabet cookie cutters.

May I just say it was a very silly idea to choose something so time consuming when you have a three month old who isn't always terribly happy.

Once we had done one of every letter, I got out the bigger cookie cutters so we weren't working on it all day.

I love the elephant and lion.

Any other 'b' activities you can think of?

Tivafies?

2011-11-10T08:57:00.000-05:00

I ordered a little alphabet curriculum for preschool and kindergarten for Matthew a while ago and we are VERY SLOWLY going through it. When I say slowly, I mean we spend up to three weeks (sometimes more) on one letter because we are in and out all the time.

We are only on letter B right now but here is a picture of Matty working on an A activity:

He loves doing the activities. After the first day of doing it he kept asking:"Mom, can I do a tivafy? I want more tivafies."

This bodes well for us. I just have to figure out how we can do it more regularly since the only time we can do it is when Levi isn't awake because he wants in on the action but isn't a very delicate child. He throws and tears and crumples.

I hope to put together a basket for Levi full of fun activities for him to do while Matty and I sit together to do some things but until I have room to be organized its kind of on hold.

Answer To My Prayer

2011-11-08T07:21:00.003-05:00

We arrived at CHEO (our children's hospital) and signed in. Our appointment was at 2:15 and we waiting until 2:45 to be seen... oh well, thats our system at the moment.

They unwrapped Mattys finger and took a look at his x-rays. At first I was a little worried because the Dr. looked at the nurse and said, "hmmm, next week?" and her face looked grim. She then told me the nurse would re-wrap Matthews finger and to make an appointment next week to have the stitches removed.

Seeing as how I received very little information I said, "So what's next? What has to happen next?" She then turned to me like I was not understanding her and repeated, "Just make an appointment for next week and we'll remove the stitches." So I was a little clearer after that and asked her if we were going to have to have a surgery or anything and then they were able to inform me that his little bone should heal itself but that it will take a very long time to heal. I don't know if I can even express how happy that made me. I also rejoiced that I only have to change Matthews dressing once between now and his next appointment. I go weak at the knees seeing his little finger.

The future will hold many more appointments until his bone is healed but I am happy that there are suppose to be no other procedures to work on his tiny finger. God is the sole healer from now on for his thumb.

Please continue to pray for quick healing for his thumb. He loves doing activities and drawing and colouring but he can't do it very easily with his left hand.

Emergency

2011-11-04T14:46:00.004-04:00

Thursday was a day that I wish to never ever repeat. I am assured, however that this is just the beginning of days like this.

Around 9:30 in morning I heard a loud cry coming from my mothers kitchen. In my regular annoyance these days, I figured Matthew and Levi had just done yet another silly thing and hurt themselves in a minor way. I was quite mistaken. I arrived to find Matty's right thumb stuck in between the window of the screen door (you know those glass doors with two moving windows held in by a metal frame?). I quickly lifted the window to find a very terrifying looking thumb.

Blood, tears, shaking... I am so thankful I wasn't alone. My mom grabbed me a wet towel that I wrapped his finger in and we just set to trying to figure out what on earth to do. I knew stitches were needed but how does one do that with a nursing baby and an almost two year old...

We finally decided to call Tara who could come and watch the other boys while my mom drove Matty and I up to the hospital. Then if Ewan lost it out of hunger my mom could run back and get him from Tara, who would have to load Levi and Ewan up in my car and drive to the entrance of emergency.

They processed out entrance really quickly which gave me the false hope that we were going to be seen quickly. We went to the closest hospital instead of the childrens hospital because we figured it would be faster and we might just get stitches quickly since he was only 3.

My mom and I waited until we were finally given a room. Once we had a room we waited and waited some more. Finally the dr. came and then got pages so had to leave within minutes. He didnt come back for at least 30 mins. Then he came, took a look at the finger and told us we needed to go for x-rays. He put some freezing gel on Matty`s thumb and off we went to get the pictures. I was assured they would save our room so that once we got back we could set right back up in the room and not upset Matthew too much more.

I was the fourth person in line for e-rays and while we were waiting we got the dreaded call from Tara saying Ewan was losing it and that she would be by soon to drop him off. Off my mom went to meet Tara and grab the baby.

Now there are 4 of us waiting for pictures. I nursed Ewan and he was as happy as a clam. cooing and giggling and everyone walking by wanted to take a peek. Matthew and I went to go for the x-rays and he was a champion. I sang to him in between and he had eyes only for his mom. It was precious.

Once thos pictures were done we headed back into the ER waiting room and low and behold they had given our room away. My almost three month old, my mother, Matthew and I were now stuck waiting in the presence of all sorts of illnesses. Can any one day `terrified`

I found the nurse and asked why we didnt have a room and they sorted it out and got us back in (he didnt normally work there and also had a son around Mattys age and hated seeing us there so he was so helpful to us). Then the waiting began again.

It turns out Mattys little thumb bone was broken so they needed to wait on the childrens hospital plastic specialist to call and tell the dr what the best move was. They didnt know if they should stitch him up or not.

Once the call came it was decided to stitch up his finger and wait to get an appointment at the childrens hospital for a specialized eye to decide what next. Here began the sad part. I lay down beside Matthew while the Dr. set to work. I sang Psalms to him, told him stories and tried to distract him while the Dr. put the needle in his little finger to freeze it. He cried and wanted to kick his legs so I snuggles him close and sang louder. I stroked his hair to calm him and as I did he cried but was so much calmer. He understood that it was going to help him even if it hurt.

I told him my version of Goldilocks and the three bears. He was so captivated. He had never heard the story before. I cried on and off while his finger was being touched but mostly out of fear. Then we were done. His finger was wrapped up and he was ready to sit up and get going... only we were made to wait more.

Yup, they needed to get us a copy of the x-rays to bring to the hospital once we got an appointment and we needed a prescription for infection but didnt know Matthews weight. A wonderful nurse who was on her very first day at the hospital helped us by finding a scale and getting Matty weighed. Then another nurse came by to give us the prescription but told us we needed to wait for the x-ray disc. We were done waiting.

I went to the front, waited for someones attention and then asked if i could come back the next day to get the x-rays. Matty so desperately wanted to leave. They gave a call to the x-ray people and foind out that the disc was ready and I could go up and pick it up. Can you believe that I would have be waiting for another hour or so just to get them to bring that disc downstairs...

Anyways, we paid for parking and headed home. Matty got some special cars from Grammie for being so brave. And may I just brag a bit... I think he deserves it. Matthew was the best kid on the earth. He obeyed everyones instructions even though it hurt, he calmed down when i asked him to even though he was scared and he put everyone else to shame. The Dr. even said he wished Matthew could show every other patient how to behave ( I guess it was a pretty busy day with many difficult people).

We got a call yesterday from the childrens hospital. We go for our appointment Monday afternoon. I will admit that I am still for terrified. What are we going to have to go through yet... my poor, brave baby.

I changed the dressing this morning too. I am still shaking. I dont handle blood well. He was a trooper.

Pray for us please.

Trick or Treat?

2011-10-31T22:48:00.005-04:00

This year, Halloween was quite the party.

We all went to my parents place along with my sister's family and some friends from church. Together our crew numbered 10 kids going door to door and one little one in a wrap- next year Ewan. You'll get your turn.

The costumes were: Giraffe-Levi, Butterfly-Norah, Bumblebee-Matty, Clown-Isaiah, Highway-Gabriel, Cowboy-Nick, Paramedic-Elijah, Butterfly-Caelah, Bunny-Leah, Canada-Connor

I have to say, they all looked pretty cute. And the loot!!! Ill be sure to hide most of it to help the boys forget about it quickly.

Every year my dad carves the pumpkin and this year it was a Phoenix:

Isn't he good?

Thankfully the boys slept in this morning because it was a pretty exhausting day. Lots of fun though.

Some Big Changes

2011-10-22T16:37:00.005-04:00

Today is a big day of change. Where to begin???

Well, today was moving day. No, not for us but for my brother and his fiance and their baby. They have come to live with us for a little while to help them save money. And so our place was changed around a bit to make room. Here is what it looks like at the moment:

The upstairs-
these two rooms will be Daniel and Amanda's but for now they are not complete.

Our new location for books- tucked under the island.

Our dining room is now also our sitting room - I kind of like it.

Some of their boxes are stacked on the table back their to keep them from getting ruined.

Our entry way where the couch used to be now stores all of their unpacked items.

Things are everywhere at the moment. As I am typing this post their room currently looks like this:This will actually be the boys room but Daniel and Amanda will begin here until the other rooms are done.

It looked like this only an hour or so before the above picture.

Not so sure if they will be staying tonight or not.

We have acquired two new kittens. Not my desire at all but Dave thought it would be good for the kids and to catch mice. I agree but I found a flea. Yup, not cool. So my mom and I gave the two of them flea baths and they are wearing a flea collar and I vacuum twice a day for now. I don't think they were ever really bad because I only ever saw one. That is enough for me though. Only one is pictured here : Pussy Cat (Matty's name). Frank (Daves choice) is somewhere. Traumatized from his bath very likely.

This chair is another change. I am so in love with it. My sister in law found it and sent it my way so I went and purchased it and i love it.

My last and favourite big change is that Ewan is much happier. He gets to sleep my laying down happily and eventually drifting off to sleep. Today is only day two but I'm loving it.

Puzzles

2011-10-12T22:06:00.000-04:00

For Matthews birthday I got all the kids a puzzle as part of their loot bag. I figured it was a nice idea and assumed one day Matty would be able to figure it out.

Well, a few weeks ago he asked to try it and I was really impressed with how successful he was. Its a 40 piece puzzle and he has only ever done wooden board puzzles before.

Matthew had managed to put together several of the pieces that had obvious similarities and then I helped him finish it up.

Yesterday he picked up the puzzle and put the whole thing together with barely any help at all. A few reminders to match colours and to turn a piece or two but otherwise my little man put together a 40 piece puzzle by himself.

Needless to say, I'm very proud of him.

Giving Thanks

2011-10-11T21:36:00.003-04:00

Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone and it was a wonderful, busy time.

Sunday we went to Dave's families home and had a wonderful time of fellowship and yummy food. The kids played really well together and we chatted happily for the afternoon. I had my camera with me and my kids cutely dressed in hope of taking pictures and didnt end up taking a single one. The day always gets away from me.

Monday was thanksgiving with my family out at my sisters place. I was responsible for the 24 pound turkey that we feared wasnt going to be ready for a very long time but everything ended up being ok.

We ate like kings and once again I forgot to take pictures until everyone was stuffed and sitting down digesting. Not the best pictures but better than nothing.

Not only did we have our adopted family members present but we also had my aunt, uncle and cousin from Georgia/Tennessee there. It was so nice to see them. Made me miss everyone else who wasn't there.

Levi was a pro at finding peoples left behind drinks and made them his own. Who would want to drink from that after that slimy face touched it?
The kids all enjoyed playing with Tika's i-phone. It kept them occupied for at least 40 mins.

At the end of the night we headed home and put kiddos to bed. They played hard and were so ready for bed.

This morning I found out that last night there was also an engagement:
Congrats Daniel and Amanda. I am so excited!!!!

I am so thankful for my family and friends, for food and warmth, salvation and grace. The list could go on forever. I am so glad for that too.

I hope all you Canadians had a wonderful thanksgiving weekend and I look forward to hearing about all the American ones in November.

Bedrooms on the Horizon

2011-10-09T15:03:00.000-04:00

I haven't given an update about the house recently because not much was happening. Dave really hurt himself and it took a long time to heal and then he has been blessed with so many jobs that time has not been easy to find.

However, the push is on to get three bedrooms done (the whole other side upstairs).

So far this is what it looks like:

If you are standing in the hall looking in, this is what you see straight ahead. This will soon be a seating area and two bedrooms closer to the back wall.

Looking to the left:

This will eventually be two bedrooms. The left corner room will have a sky light. The right corner is part of one of the rooms I mentioned in the picture above.

This will be closed up and just be a wall that will have some storage in it. There are no closets in any of the rooms so we will need some storage. Where Dave is standing is actually the hallway from where I took the last two pictures.
This is where one bedroom will finish and be open in a sitting area with the hallway. The door Dave is facing has been there to close off the rest of the house from this side and will come down once everything is closed up and clean.

There you have it. Hard to picture it I am sure. Ill try and keep you updated on further changes. I am really hoping this weekend and early next week lots will change. Dave went and picked up insulation and wood yesterday and even a window (we needed two but they didn't have any more.

Vehicles

2011-10-08T14:06:00.004-04:00

This year has been something else when it comes to expenses. Not only have we bought a house and done renovations on it but we have also had to purchase two new vehicles. To make room for those new cars, however, it meant getting rid of three.

Thats right! Dave had to get rid of his truck, We needed to get rid of my car (I kind of miss my old golf) and Dave had to get rid of his Tribute. He intended on fixing it up for fun but seeing as how we have a house to build, it was kind of a waste of space and time.

So, he had to bring the car out to the road so people could see it was for sale.

First he tried pulling the car with our mower... it wasnt quite strong enough since the car is quite stiff.

Then he pulled it with his truck and Matty loved "steering".

A few weeks later the car was sold. It is actually still sitting out front because the man has to come by and pick it up and finish paying for it (only gave a deposit) so its still an eye sore but I'm happy knowing it will be gone shortly.

Boys

2011-10-07T14:05:00.004-04:00

Its been a while. I really am sorry. Its an adjustment adding a member to the family (especially one with colic) and it is rare I find a spare moment in my day.

Many things have happened (birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, the fair, fun visits) but I just don't have the time to past about them all so I will just leave you all with a few pictures of the boys from just the past few days.

My goofy three year old

My Snotty 1 1/2 year old with his favourite book

My rarely happy almost 2 month old...

SMILING!!! Hes such a chunk!

I find it so hard to believe that they are so young. It feels as though they have always been in our lives.

More Celebrating

2011-09-14T21:58:00.002-04:00

I planned a very last minute birthday party for Matty (a lot was going on this week and I was waiting on some things to determine other things).

Not everyone could make it but Matty enjoyed all those who did.

I made cepcakes and dyed all the icing myself. made me question what i was thinking trying to get all the done the morning of a party that started at 10 am.

We stayed out back and just let all the kids play and had a wonderful time with snacks and fellowship. I must admit I am very sad I was so disorganized. I forgot to invite some people, other very special people couldnt make it and still others were rushed to get from one place to another to another. I sure didnt do a great job this time around but I know Matty loved it. To everyone else, I am so sorry.

Three

2011-09-13T21:15:00.005-04:00

My oldest little man turned three years old on the 7th. It seems like such a small number for a boy who seems to have always been part of my life. Funny how that is, eh?

We started off the day by taking the family to the restaurant for a birthday breakfast. Matty got extra whip cream on his waffles and had a wonderful time. He got to open one gift there: his new cars that he later told my mom were "bootiful".

He spent a lot of his day with Daddy, helping work on the house while I worked on making brownies for his birthday dessert.

Later we had uncle Daniel, Aunt Amanda, Brayden and Tante Tara over and we had a birthday dinner together. I must admit it was not a dinner to be proud of but we tried to think of something Matty would enjoy eating (he is the hardest kid to get to eat) and we came up with french fries and pogos. When he was asked he first said he wanted cheesies (so we got some of those to go on the side) but then he said he just wanted snacks. Oh what a boy.

Once dinner was over we had some ice cream with sprinkles (Matty would much rather eat ice cream over cake. He leaves cake on the plate and asks for more ice cream) and opened his presents. Gum, duplo, dvd, animals and cars... could a little boy ask for more?

Once that was done, it was off to bed. We had a very tired birthday boy.

We love you little one. You are now the big brother to two brothers and they will look to you for their examples. May you show them kindness and love and I pray that you will grow to be a man who loves and serves the Lord.

Happy birthday our precious man.

Leave it to Matty

2011-08-28T12:33:00.000-04:00

Do you see what I see?

I just looked up and noticed these little toys awaiting my sight.

I suppose thats one way to use a chandelier.

Thoughtful Little One

2011-08-27T07:26:00.000-04:00

A pretty flower for mommy.

"Can we put it in water mom?"

Wakeful Nights, Drowsy Days

2011-08-26T08:49:00.000-04:00

Incesent screaming.

Arms that are never empty.

A throat aching to fight tears.

A sore back.

We thought we were in the clear but it appears we have another colic-y baby.

Visit with Oma

2011-08-25T21:42:00.000-04:00

Daves mom came to visit Tuesday and helped me so much. She hung laundey, played with the boys and snuggled baby.

She was a life saver because it was a rough early morning (Levi and I both have colds and Ewans been fighting some gas. I also got a migraine and was blessed with a nap)
Here is Matty and Oma playing with lego for quiet time while Levi was asleep.

It was so nice to have you over today. Thank you.

Homeschool File Folder Activity

2011-08-25T10:05:00.000-04:00

Some ladies from church and I decided to put together some folder activities and do a file folder exchange.

I chose transportation as my theme and these are the folders I put together:

The cover is meant to be a colouring activity.

Inside is a seris of activities in pockets, a rhyme, a lacing activity and a pattern activity.
Im excited with how it is turning out. I hope the little ones enjoy them.

First Bath

2011-08-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

Ewan was a big fan of the bath tub!!! He didnt even make a peep! Look at his rolls :)

A Visit and Gifts

2011-08-21T21:02:00.004-04:00

This week was an adjustment but it went a lot smoother than I feared.

For some reason, after this delievery I suffered from an intensly sore neck. I think the fact that it took the doctors over 30 minutes to give me my epidural and once it was done they were unsure if they had made a slight mistake and might have sent the needle to the wrong spot.

Anyways, one of the ways I managed to get through the week was to have help. Lots of help. I seriously only one day alone. On one day Daves Oma, cousin Sarah and his Aunt Angela came over for a visit and showered us all.
Here is Aunt Angela loving on Levi. He actually cried when she left the house. He has a crush on you Angela!
Here is Oma holding Ewan. Unfortunately he was getting very hungry and was fussing a lot.

Here are my three boys in their matching play clothes from Sarah and Angela. I think they are so cute.
And here is my house warming gift from Angela. I have wanted these dragonflies for ages and I love the look of them on my wall. I am going to pick up another box of them and put them on the other side of the window as well.

I love me boys!

Ewan Peter

2011-08-17T21:44:00.005-04:00

Born August 8, at 8:33

Weighing 8lbs 13 oz.
He looks like his brothers and yet looks completely different at the same time.
He is a happy baby thus far. Occasionally gasy but only fussy until he gets the gas out.
He makes us smile and he has his brothers kissing him several times a day.

He is adored by us all and we are so thankful he is here with us now.

Im healing well and enjoying having three boys in the house. Tomorrow will be my very first day mothering alone... Im nervous but its got to happen eventually right???

Sorry this post has been a long time in coming. I cant believe my baby is already over a week old and I am just posting now. Oh well, life is busy.

Still Preparing for Baby

2011-08-03T20:15:00.005-04:00

My due date has come and gone and the doctors still have no positive news for me. I walk in and people gaulk at just how HUGE I am and wonder if there are twins in there and then the doctor gives an examination and concludes that the baby's head is still " way up there" and that not much is going to happen until he can get his head into my pelvis. This is the same problem I have had with each child. They just cant seem to get their little (or big as the case may be) heads into the right spot to start the action.

I have been instructed to try crawling on the floor while the boys are playing and then when I stand up, to thrust my pelvis forward and hope that gravity will help swing the baby down into the action spot but no proof exists that it will actually help. I'll try it anyways. Can't do any harm... except to my knees and back. I regularily feel pressure from him though. He is trying to get in there. Its just a tough job with my body I guess.

Recently so much has been happening and I have failed to write about any of it. Can you tell other things have been on my mind?

For one, my "sister in law" had her beautiful baby boy. I was so excited because today I was going to see Brayden again but never actually got to. He is so handsom and I am so happy for them. I must admit that I am a bit jealous that he is here and our little one is still hanging out in my womb but Gods timing is perfect.

My "sisters" all got together and blessed me with a "sprinkle". We called it that because for everyones first baby there is always a large baby shower but after that there really isnt anything. However, we felt that we should celebrate each baby in a small way so we gather together and have a sprinkle where we pray, sing and if people want to give gifts they can and others bring food for the freezer and some do both.

I left having been showered, not just sprinkled. I was given fun things for my hospital stay, cute clothes for the baby, matching outfits for all three boys (I cant wait for pictures), a beautiful handmade blanket that I am so thrilled about and yummy food. To all my sisters (Kim, Tammy, Jo, Vanessa, Tara, Karin, Heather, Jenny) Thank you all so much. I left feeling so loved and so cared for.

Daves been hard at work in the house. First off he put up our temporary banister. It was beginning to get a bit scary with Levi. He would walk to the edge of the "balcony" and throw things down. I could just see him falling down. We would never be able to forgive ourselves.

He also gutted out the entire upstairs area and he and Aidan got to work and pulled down and old dormer and put up a new one.

There will be three eventually. Once they are up then the walls can be framed in, the mold can be killed and then the rooms can be made. None of this will be done before baby comes (may he come so soon) but it is well on its way.

While the men were hard at work, Jo and I were sitting in the backyard relaxing and the kids were all playing together in a little fort that Uncle Dave quickly nailed together for temporary play time. He actually took the frames for the three dormers and just nailed them together to make little walls. The kids thought it was fabulous.

Dave and I rearraged our bedroom seeing as how very soon we will have three boys in the room with us. We wanted Matty to be seperated a bit from our room and a bit away from the baby so we moved the dressers together and put his little bed behind it. Now he has his own little space.
Tara and I assembled the crib together and got the bassinett ready. I still need Dave to tightened all the nuts since it wasnt a screw and I didnt have a wrench so everything is just hand twisted at the moment. Once it is all tight and secure, I will put on a nice sheet and get it looking perfect.See the beautiful blanket that was made for the baby? And Matty picked the stuffed frog for his little brother.

Other than that I have just been nesting. Although I dont know if I can call it that because it is all very intentional cleaning. Desperate to get this baby to come, I spent the other night on my hands and knees scrubbing the downstairs floors and then proceeded to move up to te bathroom where I gave it a thorough cleaning (hands and knees) as well as completely reorganized it. The morning brought nothing but severe pain in every inch of my body and I decided that maybe I should save some of my strength for actually pushing the baby out instead of scrubbing floors.

For the next few days I just have to try and remain distracted. Every night I hope I will wake up and be in labour. Every morning I wake up disappointed that nothing is happening. I just have to keep remembering that he will come one day. And it really wont be that long from now. If he hasnt come by the 10th they will induce me and if he still hasnt come by the 14th... im not sure what they do but apparently he has to be here by then or they are not happy at all. Lets pray it doesnt come to any of that and he comes tonight... or tomorrow!

38 and Shopping

2011-07-19T10:38:00.002-04:00

So, yesterday was the turnover into 38 weeks of pregnancy. This baby could be born any day and be perfectly happy and healthy. He wont be. Knowing me and my timing he will come August... 8th. My guess! I am so hoping I am wrong on that one. Every day I pay close attention to any discomfort hoping it is contractions and early labour but so far nothing.

Today we are going car shopping. We currently have a 14 year old car that will not fit three children. So, off to update our wehicleage. I am so excited about a new car. We have been looking at the Ford Escape. Nice spacious interior, a trunk that opens, air conditioning... Oh all the things that will be nice.

In a few days I will be doing a post on my old friend, golf, but until then you just need to know that even though she is still working, and quite well for a 14 year old car, there are some serious issues with her being. My sister told me I HAD to write a post about her and I think she deserves it as well.

So many new things so close together. Its been a very eventful year for us. And by eventful I kind of mean expensive. We just hope that this wont have to happen again in a long time (new house, new truck, new car, new baby).

Anyways, Ill let you know on any happenings if there are any. Until then, enjoy your week.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2011-07-12T08:58:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone. Sorry for the lack of posting. I know I am never terribly regular with my posts but I do believe they tend to be a little more frequent than recently.

Updates on all of us.

Dave is still hurting. He is working hard anyway trying to get his jobs finished in a reasonable time. When he comes home, he has dinner and then wants to get to work on the house. I try and get him not to. He really needs to get better. Last night he got the shower set up. I no longer have to look like a beached whale trying to get wet under the bath faucet. And the other night he managed to jack up the floors on the other side of the house so pretty soon we will be ready to frame in the bedrooms.

The boys are both doing pretty well. Levi knows how to get out of bed so we have had to work out a new system for bedtime (back into his sleeping bag even though it is roasting hot) but things are good now. Matty co-operates well most days but he is starting to have a real mean streak and I am trying to be on top of that. He'll growl and tease and even hurt if he is in the "mood". I wont tolerate it but its taking a while to really get him to change. I think maybe its because Im tired and perhaps not as consistent.

As for me, 37 weeks and counting. I could meet my baby so soon now. I am getting very excited to see his face and finally decide on a name. He still moves a lot and some nights are so hard to sleep while others I am sleeping like the dead. My itching is mostly under control. I still have to take allergy medicine everyday and the other day I was only 2 hours late for my pill and I was miserable. I ended up having to take my emergency benedryl just to be able to fall asleep. The next day I was fine and I have been fine since... just have to be on top of those pills.

In other news, my sister in law came down to visit with the kids and I finally got to meet Edmond:I think he is do handsome. He looks a bit startled because of the flash. He seems like such a sweet little man. I hope ours is as content as he is.

Here is Brenna giving his little brother some love. She is just a few months younger than Matty.

Here are Eleanor and Matty sitting together on the rocking chair. Eleanor just turned 4 but she and Matty played so well together. It was very cute to watch.
One of the two of them looked sillin in the picture so I figure Ill put them both here.

And here is one last shot of the newest member of the family for the moment:

Canada Day Fun

2011-07-04T09:04:00.003-04:00

Every year for as long as I can remember, I have celebrated Canada day with friends, good food and fireworks.
As families have grown, going downtown to the hubb of the action has become impossible. Not only that, but pretty rediculous too. Try pushing a stroller around a bunch of crazy drunk people all singing funny songs.
Since Vanessa (my sister in law and best friend) moved to a town out of the city, we've all headed out her way instead and celebrated in their community.
I have to say I think its the best idea ever. We enjoy their back yard which has a pool and room for the kids to run around and we can walk to the park which is also where we watch the amazing fireworks.
We can easily BBQ dinner and just take the day as it comes. With a nice home base to return to at any point.
The kids enjoyed doing sparklers before the action started with the fireworks... all but Levi who wanted them no where near his being but found them very mesmorizing to look at.
The friends all milled around my legs at one point and wanted to sit together for the fireworks. The waiting, however, was too long and they all soon scattered to various locations.
Once the fireworks started, Matty ran to my arms, Levi in Daves and we watched a wonderful show that was so close and so well done. Matty asked to go home a few times but once he had daddy's ear protection on he was good. Levi whimpered a few times and then lay back and watched and almost fell asleep. So much excitement for one day.

Canada turned 144 this year and what a fun time we had.

Thanks Ness and Cory for such a wonderful time.

Class of 2011

2011-06-28T16:18:00.004-04:00

The other day I came across this picture.

My little brother (Connor) was graduating from kindergarten and I was there. It was a teddy bear graduation. They all got to bring their favourite bear and receive their diploma together.

Today I got to see him graduate from grade 6.

All the students had to stand up and say something about their years at the school and then sit down again.

I missed him getting his "diploma" because Levi was a royal pain and caused so much distraction you couldnt hear anything. So I needed to get out of there fast. In the end I had to leave early with both boys because I just couldnt handle the dirty looks and the frustration from all the proud parents. I, just being a proud sister, felt I should stop getting in the way of others enjoyment of the event.

There were refreshments out for afterwards. As we were leaving Matty kept saying "mommy, I am listening, I am listening well". He was a bit sad we left because he really wanted a cookie or doughnut from the table. So I explained to him that he was pretty good but Levi was terrible so we had to leave but that we would grab a treat on the way home and that satisfied.

I am glad I got to see what I did. To be there 6 years after his first ceremony in kindergarten. Another special event in that not so little man's life.

Coping How He Can

2011-06-26T13:50:00.000-04:00

For over a week now Dave has been having severe back pains. He cant sit, which makes driving into his jobs a challenge and he gets tired after standing for too long and relief just seems next to impossible to find.

Since he is self employed, each day he doesnt work he loses money. It sucks to look at it that way but unfortunately its the truth.

For days now Dave has been trying to finish up some quotes and drawings for clients and he cant ever seem to do it because he cant get into the right position. That is until last night.

Look at how he is resting:
Now look where his computer screen is:
If you cant tell, he projected his lap top screem onto the ceiling so he could lie on top of a massage mat and heating pad while imputing all the info.

I have to say seeing my husband this way is agonizing. Nothing stops him and this has been torturing him. He drives into work and has to pull over three different times to get out and move becasue it hurts so badly. He cant work too hard because it hurts too much, he cant stay still be cause it hurts so much.

Needless to say I am feeling very sorry for him and praying he gets better quickly. The stress he is handling must be pretty bad too.

Camping weekend 2011

2011-06-24T09:04:00.006-04:00

A larger group of people from our church arrange a weekend camping every year. Its a time I look forward to all year since we never go camping otherwise. This year was different for me (having both little boys and Dave has a bad back so spent most of his time lying in the tent to relieve his pain) but I heard from others it was a great time. I enjoyed myself as much as I could being huge and pregnant and chasing two crazy boys around trying to catch them before they were in too much danger.

Campfire fun

All the boys having a rest

Matty enjoying the beach

Levi enjoying the beach

Weekend of Fun

2011-06-13T20:09:00.003-04:00

This weekend was lots of fun for our family.

Friday evening we had my sisters family over for a camp over (limited space in the house at the moment so we can only host if you have a tent) and we had a blast... please forgive me for the first picture... for some reason it is sideways...

Gabriel and Aidan around the camp fire

The Van Dyk tent and our make shift table.

Our fire pit

Dave chatting with Aidan

Matty, Caelah and Gabriel roasting and eating marshmallows.

Someone really enjoyed the marshmallow!

Then on Sunday after church, our church and Daves old church (same denomination but in different areas) had a picnic together. So many people showed up and there was so much good food. It was a really great time of fellowship and the kids had a blast all day.

A group of people waiting for food and other playing a game of baseball.

Levi waiving bye to the camera

Levi and Matty driving away

Henry and Matty with the trucks that one family brought. Matthew didnt let them out of his sight the entire afternoon... except to go on the swings with Pake.

Out came the parachute and Matty jumped in. Notice the trucks behind him!

He soon lost interest in the activity and left with the trucks again.

Beautiful Annorah

Handsome, beat up Isaiah with Jo- he had a fall at my place Friday night and smashed his little face into the ground. He was pretty brave though.

Levi enjoying his cement... thing. He insisted on sitting on, lying on or climbing over this thing on and off all afternoon. The things they enjoy.

It was a great weekend. The boys were tuckered out by the end but in a good way. They played hard and got nice and dirty. We couldnt have asked for a nicer day.

The Challenge of Cleaning

2011-06-08T07:21:00.004-04:00

Growing up, my mom always had a day that was meant for a deep clean. She would strip the beds, do loads of laundry, scrub the bathroom, vacuum the whole house, do a major dusting, remake beds, sweep, mop, reorganize... and Im sure loads of other things (sometimes windexing all the windowsand glass.

I liked the idea of having a few of those chores crammed into one day just so that I always remembered to do. So, Mondays are my strip the bed and clean the bathroom day.

As I mentionned in a previous post, Mondays are good days for me. I love getting up and going with my chores. The house is normally in quite a state due to the weekend and my motivation is high. This Monday was no different.

I woke up and the boys were still both asleep. So I quietly stripped my bed and remade it with clean sheets without waking them (remember they live in our room). I thought that the day was going to be so successful.

Then they woke up!

From that moment I thought I might scream. I got the boys dressed and brought them down for breakfast. As they ate I stepped outside to get something from the car and had a bird poop on my head. That was the beginning of the end.

Once the boys had eaten, Levi just started whining... He just ran around chasing me, crying and begging me to pick him up. I was ready to throw in the towel. If I tried to do anything one of the boys was demanding my attention.

I decided not to be defeated though. It was a tough decision. I figured if I accomplished one thing, at least it was better than nothing. So bit by bit I accomplished things.

First I managed to clean the counter tops and disinfect them.

But when one surface gets clean, another becomes the catch all:
Anything that didn't have a home just kind of ended up there.

Anyways, I managed to get the dining room clean of toys and dishes and even put on my table cloth (they'd been missing for some time and just a few days ago Dave found them all).
Once two loads of laundry were washed, I took the boys outside with me so I could hang them all on the line. Most kids thrive outside. Mine sat in their wagon crying at me to pull them. I really dont enjoy pulling them around in the wagon. Im so used to Matty who used to just play happily all the time. So, eventually Matty did get out and play with a ball and venture around the yard exploring but Levi was miserable. Once the laundry was hung I made us all go back inside...

Thankfully we walked inside and Levi was ready to play with Matthew so I seized the opportunity to clean the washroom.
It felt good to get every surface cleaned. Everything was spotless and disinfected. I even scrubbed the floors on my hands and knees and washed the toothbrush holder.

When done there, I swept the upstairs floor and all down the stairs. .

Lunch time came and I fed the boys and then put Levi to bed. I settled Matty on the couch for some quiet time with Franklin playing on the mini dvd played and got to work on the island. I actually managed to get it clean.
Now that that was done, all that was left was to clean the floors. I picked up any of the stray toys that were on the floor, swept everything very carefully and then got out the steam mop. I managed to mop the entire downstairs.

I left Matty on the couch while I went and took down the two loads of laundry, I folded and put them away, hung another load (the last one for the day) and then had time to breathe.

When I thought about it I realized, in the end, I had accomplished more than I had even imagined. I just had to keep plugging away any time I had a minute. Sure, cleaning day took the whole day instead of two hours start to finish, but it got done.

Its true that it just takes having the right mind set to remain undefeated.

Showering Brayden

2011-06-05T14:03:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated a baby shower for Amanda and her soon to come baby, Brayden.

Amanda and her sister Hannah holding the quilt Karin made Brayden.

It was a such a nice time. Many members of the church came to give their support as well as some of Amandas friends from work and some of Amandas mom's friends.

Amanda and her friend Kate (Kate hosted the shower at the pub she manages)

We had beautiful cake and cupcakes

My mom and I made banana cake and Kate and my mom cute it all out and iced it to look like strollers.

I baked banana cupcakes and iced them to match the cakes. My piping was done with a ziplock bag so its a bit messy.

And I did succeed in finishing 50 flowers and 50 little candie bundles for the favours.

And we had many happy kiddos at the shower too.

From left to right we have: Amanda's brother Anthony, Caelah, Elijah, Gabriel, Isaiah and Connor. They were in and out, playing and eating and being really great for the length of time they were there.

Amanda was so blessed. She left with a car full of baby stuff and I think she was so surprised by how many people came out. I dont think she even knew half the people. Thank you to everyone who gave such love and support to our family for this shower. It really was a nice time.

Baby Shower

2011-05-31T14:34:00.003-04:00

**Please note that today is Thursday and that I wrote this on Tuesday. My internet stopped working while I was trying to upload pictures so I couldnt post and I really dont wish to change the entire entry to make it today.**

This Saturday is my "sister -in- laws" baby shower.

Her mother, my own, her best friend and my sister all met Sunday afternoon to discuss last minute details and find out who is doing what.

As we were sitting, discussing what we should do for favours, Amanda's mom looked up at a vase of origami iris' I made my mom and commented on how she liked them. It was then decided that I would tackle the favours by making the flowers, one for each guest with attatched chocolate.

Last night I ran to pick up the materials we needed (I have them all here somewhere but have no idea where I packed them so a new bunch it is) and today I got started. May I just say that making paper art is difficult when you have little people around. I turned around and found Matthew at the table taking my paper and crumpling it up and throwing it into the basket... his contribution to the party I suppose. "Here, dont forget to take your crumpled up piece of pretty paper!"

Anyways, here is what I have accomplished so far:

20 flowers. No stems or candies attatched and likely no where near enough flowers. Good thing its only Tuesday.

Tomorrow is a shopping day for a game I am playing at the shower. Amanda has to wear a blind fold and guess what items are that are all inside a bag. It should be fun and I hope to find some items that are more challenging to try and stump her.

Anyways, another post tomorrow on how everything is coming along.

Baking With My Boy

2011-05-28T08:58:00.002-04:00

City Dwellers Just Need Time

2011-05-27T08:38:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday was a beautiful day. It looked like this:

I love my clothesline. I get to look at our blooming crab apple tree and see beautiful greenery while hanging my fresh smelling laundry.

Its rare these days that we have a day that looks like this. Today, for example, it is pouring rain and gray (like pretty much every other day this spring). SO when the day looks like this I get very excited and try to think what I want to do with it.

I love to get out of the house. Running errands, doing fun things... I just enjoy getting out and seeing things.

I have found that since being in the country walking is kind of aimless. To take the boys for a walk means going to the road, walking somewhere just to turn around and come back. Now, dont get me wrong, I love the idea of walking in the country. I look forward to when there are no mosquitos trying to drain me of my blood and Im not so large I can barely move so that I can get out and really exercise. The thing is, right now, I cant. So, I drive places. Thats just what you have to do.

In the city I could load the boys in the stroller and walk to so many different places with purpose or even just for pleasure but actually have a destination in mind. Now, the library needs the car, the park needs the car, groceries need the car... walking is a thing of the past.

So this past weekend, on a beautiful day when many city dwellers would want to get to the country to enjoy nature, I packed the boys into the car and we headed to the city so we could go for a walk.

It was a very enjoyable day. In and out of shops, sun shining, lots of walking, some yummy treats (lunch out and a coffee) and good company.

By the time the walk was over we were all beat. Connor had joined us and it looked like he was ready to pass out from a mix of exhaustion and bordom and I was ready for a nap.

Both the boys fell asleep in the car on the way home and what was even more amazing is that they both transfered into the house while remaining asleep. I managed to get Matty up to his bed and Levi rested on the couch:

Congrats!

2011-05-26T14:32:00.002-04:00

My sister in law and her husband just delivered a baby boy today- 2 something this morning.

Welcome to the family Edmond Anthony. Isnt that a cute name?

No pictures yet but they delivered at home, he is a big boy at over 9 pounds and he is the first boy to be added to two little sisters.

Eleanor and Brenna, you two will love having a baby brother around.

Pom Poms and Spoons

2011-05-21T08:17:00.001-04:00

Yesterday the boys were getting bored so I decided to introduce a new activity to them that Matthew enjoyed and Levi played in his own way very happily.

I bought little pom poms from the dollar store a while back for Matthew to sort into containers by various colours. However, that has become boring so we decided to do a transfering activity.
I got out some ice cube trays and handed Matty two spoons. Using the spoons he was to pick up the pom poms and put them into the little holes of the ice cube trays.

He concentrated really hard on this activity and really enjoyed himself.

Levi enjoyed getting in on the action and actually needed to get right on the table to do his part.
Simple yet captivating for them. What more could one ask for?

A Few More Changes

2011-05-20T08:00:00.003-04:00

Last night Dave was able to do a bit of work on the inside of the house. Its amazing what a few little things make the house feel like.

He screwed in our garbage holder so I no longer pull it all the way out of the cupboard and usually end up hurting my leg on it.

He also hung my cork board

And he put in the lights and hooked up the electrical in the entry. I now have light where our couch is. No more reading at the kitchen table.
And I have a few of my plants to cheer up the diningroom.

I love that just a few little things make all the difference when you know about them.

Success!

2011-05-19T11:52:00.003-04:00

So YUM!

Now, I admit that because I used a small cake pan it took a lot longer to bake (almost 30 minutes extra) and it made the top of the cake crispy while the inside was moist... I have to say the crunchy bit was my favourite.

You can taste the citrus as well as all the spices... So good!

Apple Cake

2011-05-18T16:13:00.002-04:00

I currently have a cake in the oven. It's the first time I have baked in weeks but I saw this recipe and thought I would just HAVE to try it.

Instead of waiting to see if it turns out, I figured I would post it now and then review it later. The truth is, if it is really good, no saying I will remember to post about it and then everyone would suffer not getting to try this recipe. If it sucks, I wasted a few minutes... either way seemed worth it to me.

So, here it goes. Some things you should know before you start: eggs should be a room tempreture for 30 minutes, it has to bake for an hour or so and it needs to cool for quite some time.

Apple Cake

2 beaten eggs
3 C flour
2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 salt
1 C sugar
1 C Brown sugar packed
1 C cooking oil (I used melted butter)
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3 C chopped and peeled apples
1 C chopped and toasted pecans or walnuts ( I used pecans)

**Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour a 10- inch baking tube pan ( I have no idea what this is so I used an 8 X 8 baking dish and may have to change cooking times because of it); set aside.

** In medium bowl stir together flour, lemon peel, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside.

** In mixing bowl combine sugars, oil/butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on med. speed for 2 minutes. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined (its really thick). Fold in apples and tosted nuts. Spoon batter into pan.

**Bake in 350 degree over for about an hour or until wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, cool thoroughly on wire rack ( could take up to 2 hours), sprinkle with icing sugar.

**Should be covered and stored in the fridge if not immediately consumed.

So, tomorrow I will hopefully let you know how it went. All I know is that all the ingredients together sound heavenly and while it bakes I can really smell the lemon. yummm!!!!

Whats the point?

2011-05-17T08:14:00.002-04:00

Do you ever wonder why it is you do things when the moment they are done, someone has come and undone it before you even got a chance to enjoy it?

That is often how I feel about cleaning.

Some examples:

I cleaned up all the toys and vacuumed the floor so that I could get out the steam mop and give a nice clean to the floors. A few hours later, Dave came home, didnt want to have to take his boots off so walked through the house on the nice clean floors with his muddy work boots on. Clean floors gone,

I scrub the bathroom once, sometimes more, a week. It just so happens that the day I happen to do it on Dave chooses he is going to have a bath. This wouldnt be a big deal for most people but because of the nature of Daves work, when he soaks in the bath it leaves several different rings of oily black residue on the nice, white, clean tub. So, I need to scrub it out all over again.

Organizing books on our bookshelf is something I feel I have to do once in a while. Its is only kids books but they get so badly treated sometimes because the boys dont know how to get them back on the shelf. Unfortunately, the nicer looking the shelf is, the more attractive it is to little hands and before I know it, every single book is lying on the floor pleading to be put back on the self.

These are the trials of keeping a home. You work hard just to have someone else undo it so you can do it all again another time.

It does make me wonder, though, why I bother sometimes.

Chili Corn and Potato Chowder

2011-05-12T02:36:00.003-04:00

I've never been a chowder eater bacause I always associated it with seafood- not a fan. However, this mothers day I made a chowder for Daves mom and family and it was a huge success so I thought I would give you all the recipe to try if you are interested.

2 tsp butter
1 C Chopped cooked ham
1 C each diced onion, carrot and celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (I didnt add this)
2 T all purpose flour ( I used corn starch due to allergies to wheat in the family)
1 t chili powder
1 t dried oregano
1/4 t pepper
4 C chicken stock (sodium reduced- the ham is pretty salty)
1 1/2 C diced peeled potatoes
2 C milk (I made a seperate littler soup without the dairy for those intolerant)
1 1/2 C fresh or thawed corn kernels
1 C Cheddar cheese
2 T Chopped fresh corriander or green onion ( I had both available)

* In dutch over, melt butter over med. heat; cook ham, onion, carrot, celery, and jalapena pepper, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 mins.

* In small bowl, whisk together flour, chili powder, oregano and pepper; add to vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 7 mins.

*Stir in milk and corn; simmer until corn is tender, about 5 mins.

* ladle into bowls; sprinkle with cheese and corriander and/or green onion.

*** If made in advance: let it cool for 30 mins; refridgerate uncovered until cold. Refridgerate in am airtight container for up to 24 hours.***

It makes 6 to 8 servings.

I doubled the recipe and it was mostly gone after 8 people had their fill.

The Forgotten Garden

2011-05-11T22:50:00.002-04:00

Tara lent me a couple of books and suggested I started reading this novel first. I have to say, I was not disappointed in the least.

I loved every minute of the book. I wanted to try and solve the mystery as I was reading ( I actually managed to solve some of it and was quite impressed with myself). I found Kate Morton's writing a style that was readable and enjoyable.

It follows the lives of several different ladies in different generations and how their stories tie them all together. There wasnt one story I prefered over the other. Each person was someone I was attached to and eager to learn more about.

If you enjoy fantasy and mystery with a little history worked in, I think you would really enjoy this book. I think I will be hitting the library soon in search of more of her books. I am a fan.

Thanks Tara.

Fighting My Thoughts

2011-05-11T21:35:00.000-04:00

Today the Lord answered a prayer of mine. A plead really. I had a doctors appointment and I just prayed that there would be someone who would be able to see me and figure out what is going on with my body. Why Am I so uncomfortable? Why wont it get better? How will I function? What more can I do?

I entered the clinic and was honest with the nurse:

"Hey Katie, How are you?"
"Honestly, pretty miserable. This is the worst pregnancy ever."
" You are still itchy?"
"Yup, everywhere!"
"The rash on your neck, it looks worse"
"Ya"
"Ill be right back"

Off she went and quickly returned with the report that I was going to quickly get changed into a robe because they just happened to have a dermotology expert at the clinic today and she was going to come and have a look. Afterwards I would have my regular appointment to check on baby.

"Wow, Lord, thank you!"

In she walked with two other doctors and began to examine.

" Wow! Is that ever irritated and so inflamed."

Thanks, like I hadn't noticed.

Anyways, she had the other doctors give their opinion and set to work on a plan. Prednizone it is. I am now on a steroid for 5 days to see if it can remove inflamation and some irritation so that the doctor can see better what might be going on. Do I have an answer? No not yet. Is there hope? YES!!! Someone is going to be figuring it out.

One of the possibilities is that I have Puppps that has just gotten much worse with each pregnancy and spread. It means in all following pregnancies it will be worse still. There are also other possibilities that there is an infection or some other factor... I guess I wont really know until this trial medication has its go on my body.

My evenings are spent bathing and drying and cleaning and attempting to get my mind ready for sleep.

"Dont think about it katie, sleep will come if it comes. Dont think about itchy skin or long dark nights without rest. Dont panic about trying to raise two really busy boys with no sleep. Just live life one moment at a time."

I spend my sleepless nights jumping from various posts. Read my bible, pray, have another bath, get a movie going while on the couch, do laundry, tidy messy spots... You name it, I do it if I can.

My mind wants to go into angry and desperate state. "Why is this happening to me? what purpose does it have? Have I done something to deserve it?" But then I remember that this is a light and momentary trouble. That this is but a fleeting moment in a much bigger picture. That God is my strength and with Him I can get through this, and only with him.

My mentality has shifted a bit. About motherhood, that is. I just cant do it all. I liked having my little ones so close together but with this health issue my life is falling apart. I cant function for my family. What I need to do is rest. Give my body a rest for a change. I catch myself getting upset with the thought of slowing down. Silly right? Then I think of what a blessing it will be to have my three boys and husband to myself for a few years. Getting back in tune with my healthy body. Not growing another little one inside and having hormones raging all over the place... at least for a time. Then if God wishes to bless me with another one down the road, we will rejoice.

Sometimes I fear that planning to not have a baby is bad. I know it isnt. I know I need it. Its just something I have to keep giving to God. He knows what I can handle and what is best. I just keep praying he lays on my heart the exact right thing for me.

Until then, every moment at a time. Praying thoughout it all for strength and patience (two things I feel I lack in abundance these days). I pray for a tongue that will be held when I feel like I could scream out of frustration and fatigue. I think God is really trying to work that fruit of the Spirit into me. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, Self Control. I see how this trial is teaching me to ask for them all daily. I can't do it without His strength filling me and pushing me forward to accept them.

God has a purpose. I am his child and he is not doing this to harm me or cause me to stumble but instead to strengten me. Please pray with me that I can remember that. That daily, in every moment I see that God is good and is growing me through this trial. He is my loving Father and he works things for his good.

Mothers Day

2011-05-09T08:56:00.003-04:00

Mothers Day is always a two day affair for us. One day with my mom and the next with Daves. This year it started on Saturday with my mom.

After our annual church clean up we all headed back to my parents place to hang out and make a nice lunch/dinner for my mom. BBQ grilled sandwiches with chicken and veggies and special cheeses and some salads.
The men got to work on the BBQ. Roasting, basting and cooking while the women folk chatted.

Then we all ate and were merry. They were fabulous sandwiches. None of us have enjoyed any more.

Sunday was Mothers day at Daves parents place. First I got breakfast made for me and was able to take my precious time in the bathroom cleaning and primping. So rare it is to have so much time. Dave took care for the boys with Taras help.

After chuch we went to the van der Meers. I brought makings for sandwiches and a chowder soup that I had never made before. It sounded good and I knew everyone could eat it so I gave it a shot. I was very happy when it turned out to be a success. I think we all enjoyed our lunch and then we had a bit of time outside.
I had Matthew in his little plaid coat and then Daves mom showed me she had another one just like it so we got Levi into one as well and had matching boys. So cute.

Matty loved pulling the wagon. Levi loved riding in it.

It was a wonderful mothers day weekend. I love my moms and I love being a mom. Theres nothing like a day of being spoiled too. Everyone needs one of those once in a while.

Enough To Drive One Mad

2011-05-04T08:09:00.002-04:00

Reactine, Benadryl, Proctosedyl, Nitrol in Petrolium, Colace, Apo-metronidazole, Eucerine... All of these items are things that I have to use and take every single day. Why? ITCH!!!

Its been almost 3 weeks now where I have been plagued by itch. It started in one area and then moved to my entire body. I have red spots all over my body and when they get irritated they get bigger and look like mosquito bites.

I couldnt sleep and I was on the verge of loosing my sanity. All I could think about was being itchy, wanting to tear my skin apart because for just a moment I would find some relief. An ailment that consumed every single one of my thoughts.

How does one parent at a time like this? I couldnt. I was losing my patience because I couldnt sleep and could focus on nothing else but myself and discomfort.

Finally I was diagnosed with pregnancy itch. That means that this wont leave me until our baby is born. Three more months of misery.

I take Benedryl at night to knock me out and I take Reactine during the day so I can function. I rub Eucerine all over my skin at regular intervals during the day to sooth the rash.

I had no idea how miserable pregnancy could be. Ive always had a relatively easy time. Not so this time around.

I plan on taking a much needed break after this baby. Maybe 2 years... my poor body and mind need a much needed rest.

One of the hardest parts is knowing that if I choose to snuggle one of my children I will be itchy because they touched my skin. How horrible is that? The other day i carefully lifted
levi up and when I put him down my arm was bright red with rash that had been hidden under the skin. Being deprived of baby snuggles really sucks.

If you think of it during the day, please pray for me and my family. For patience, strength, healing and speedy time to the delivery of our baby. We could use all the prayers we can get.

More Progress

2011-05-01T20:04:00.004-04:00

Easter weekend, Dave was home a little bit and decided to do some work in our home. He did some beautiful paint jobs:

The master bedroom

The kitchen-dining room

and he put together our closet:

Do I not have the most awsome walk in closet? So many drawers and places to hang my clothes!

I organized a bit of the bathroom.
Its a temporary solution but one that works very well for me.

I love seeing how things come together.

Demolition

2011-04-23T13:58:00.002-04:00

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

2011-04-16T20:37:00.005-04:00

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

2011-04-11T15:42:00.002-04:00

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

2011-04-09T12:01:00.005-04:00

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

2011-04-06T16:30:00.002-04:00

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.

The Thing About Oatmeal

2011-03-30T09:54:00.000-04:00

I love feeding my boys oatmeal in the morning because I feel like they have had a filling, healthy breakfast that will give them energy for the day. However, with Levi's new found love for feeding himself, we have this little disaster on our hands.

What a mess.

This little man, however, has learned to keep himself pretty clean. He does it mostly by refusing to feed himself and making either Dave or I feed him.
But isnt he just so charming???

A Feast To Serve

2011-03-29T16:22:00.003-04:00

To no one.

Have you ever had one of those days where you finally drag yourself off the couch simply because you know someone else would appreciate the work you would do if you did?

Well today thats how I felt. I got off my seat and said, " Thats it, I need to get to work" and I dewcided that work was going to be making a nice dinner. My brother in law is suppose to come tonight after work to help Dave with taxes so I thought the two men could use a nice dinner.

I went to work creating a lasagnia. Unfortunately I somehow dont have a recipe for lasagnia so I tried out a new one. I found a tomato sauce in Joy of Cooking that I had never made and went to work making it and playing with it a bit. I assembled the whole thing and have even cooked it once. Ill reheat it for dinner and it should taste even better than before.

Than I decided to make some cookies for dessert and a ceasar salad, with real bacon to go with the meal. I must say ive been feeling pretty excited about dinner for a while now.

Not yet assembled and it probably makes more sense not to adssemble it until it is ready to be eaten.

Then I got a phone call. It was Dave. He is meeting a client before he comes home so he will be here around 7:00 and so will my brother in law.

I feel so disappointed. They will eat reheated dinner that isn't freshly made and soggy salad and I and the boys will have already feasted. I just feel disappointed that it worked out that way.

Funny how we can get excited about the littlest things and then experience disappointment from them as well.

Potty Progress

2011-03-28T10:01:00.005-04:00

Saturday: We started training today. It was meant to be more of a potty introduction but Matty really wanted to do it. I reminded him every hour or so and he peed every time. Once he ran to me saying he peed his pants and all he had done was a few drips in his underwear and he finished the rest in the potty. This day was so successful because we werent home for much of the day at all. We went to my parents and to Daves parents and Matty was still good at listening when we told him to try. His big accident was a poop in his underwear but it was pretty easy to clean up.

Sunday: We didnt bother to try today because Matty was really grumpy (too many late nights) and church made it difficult

Monday: Back to underwear today. Matty loves wearing them. He went for two poos in the potty in the morning and then had a pee accident. It was my fault because I wasnt around to remind him to try on the potty. Thats the thing about Monday. So many things to get done. We handled it well and he continued in a new pair of pants and underwear for the rest of the day. One more acccident, this time a poops- three in one day- not expecting that but then the rest was great.

Tuesday: Matty woke up too early for me to catch him right away. So when I was almost awake he told me his diaper was wet. I should make sure I get that sooner but he really shouldnt wake up before 6 and come into our bed. His diaper was still mostly dry and we managed to catch a pee and a poo in the potty before breakfast.

Wednesday: Today was a day away from home and Matty actually stayed in underwear without accidents the whole time. Even in the nursary for bible study... he didnt make a mistake.

Thursday: We had no accidents all day until after dinner. I guess he just couldnt hold it any longer and pooped in his underwear. He hated it and felt so sad but we handled it calmly and he was fine afterward. We also had Amanda over for dinner so he was a little distracted.

Friday: We were out of the house a lot today. We went shopping and Matty even used the potty at the store. No accidents at all. We even went for a drive all the way to Aunty Jo and Uncle Aidans and he remained dry and clean.

Saturday: Matty had a daddy morning outside. This meant he wasnt reminded about the potty and did have a poop accident. Dave said he was destaught but Dave also had lots of work to do so he put Matty in a diaper until I came home and then was back in underwear. He remained clean after that. We were even out all evening and he had no accidents at his cousins birthday party. he slept in underwear for the first time and stayed dry all night.

Sunday: Another busy day but no accidents at all. At church he used the potty and did all his business there and remained clean and dry, even at Julia's birthday party. He slept through the night and stayed dry again. He is very proud of himself.

Monday: Today Matty showed me what Ive been waitting to see. He went to the potty without me asking him, pulled down his pants and peed. Looks like he is starting to understand how this process works. Ill continue to remind him if I notice he hasnt gone in a while but Im encouraged. No accidents at all today and that was even out of the house most of the day with dr. appointments and some shopping.

Tuesday: Matty woke up dry in his underwear again and even stayed dry for half an nhour until i reminded him to pee. He ran to the potty, pulled everything down and did it all by himself. I love it because he always say "oh, I peeing". So cute. He did his poops without me asking him to try and so far we are accident free.

Nutritious snack

2011-03-28T09:48:00.002-04:00

I found Levi trying to chomp on this this morning:
Do you see the slime trail behind it? That is Levi saliva that the ladybug tried walking off after I swatted it out of Levi's mouth.

Bla! It ended up being washed down the sink when Levi tried to snack on it a little later.

Suckers, Potties and Accessories

2011-03-26T12:05:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a fun day.

The boys, myself and their tante Tara went for an shopping adventure in Kemptville- a small town near our home. I had groceries to do and also wanted to check out some of the shops near us and so thats what we did.

After hitting the super Walmart and getting groceries as well as getting Matty some underwear and a potty we headed to the little strip mall and took a look around.

I managed to have great success in many areas but mostly I was excited about my $10 shoes from the Bargain Shop. I also got some earrings from the grocery store and some lollipops for the boys. Arent they pretty? It was getting late and the boys were getting a bit cranky so why not give them a bit of sugar to tide them over?

We stopped for lunch and everyone felt better with a full tummy and then it was time to head home and have some naps. Both boys slept for several hours and let Tara and I recover from our expedition.

Here is my picture to summarize our day out:
As for the potty training, today is only day one so I will give you all an update a little later on when we have a bit more expereince under our belts.

A New van der Meer

2011-03-23T20:53:00.004-04:00

Introducing our new baby (although it's mostly Daves):

Our little man at the wheel. I love how far away he is.

Im Back!

2011-03-22T20:31:00.006-04:00

Well, it feels like I have been absent for much longer then I needed to be but we only just got the internet on Saturday and today is the first day I've had a chance to get on and read and write. So hello again.

Living here in our home is fabulous. Slowly but surely we are working make it look more organized and homey. Our entry way is painted and is now our sitting room. There still isnt electricity in there yet but it wont take Dave long to hook that up wince all the recepticles are in.

This is just to show you the pain colour (look at the wall not the disaster on the stairs).

Believe it or not, I spent so much time cleaning and tidying today and from this picture you can see it was all undone before bed time. I decided to quit for the day and blog instead of cleaning it all up AGAIN!

And I love our bathroom. I find the colour very tranquil and relaxing.

We are still lacking hanger for towels and shelves to put things away on but they will come soon enough.

As for the rest, not too much has changed except for us living in it which makes it very messy but nice. Ive been enjoying baking and cooking. I have even been making Dave his lunches which is something that I have always hated doing.

The boys have adjusted pretty well. The one thing I find difficult is Matty's sudden dislike for sleep. He will easily get into bed and pray and sing and sit quietly in bed but when Dave and I come up to bed (much later) he is still lying in bed wide awake just waiting for us. He has a night light and, for the first while, sleep came to him easily but now he isnt so sure.

Dave and I have decided that we can start working on the other side of the house before finishing any more of this side so we can get some more bedrooms done. Maybe if Matty is in his own room he wont be expecting company and will sleep better.

Other than that, my in-laws celebrated their 30th anniversary and everyone was able to get together to celebrate them.

It is increadibly rare that every child is awake and willing to sit still for photos.

Dave rigged the timer on the camera so we were all able to get in the picture together.
Introducing the van der Meer clan!

Well, hopefully I will be able to blog a little more regularly now. I've never been too consistent but perhaps a few more than recently.

Half Way There

2011-03-04T15:59:00.004-05:00

...almost (19 weeks and 4 days).

Introducing...

A thumb sucker

van der Meer Baby number three.

Face shot- kind of alien like

If you are not interested in knowing what we are having stop reading now.

Another face shot

Everyone else, I am pleased to introduce you to our third little son. No idea on names just yet but we are very excited to have another little man in our family.

Man, historically, royalty would have really coveted my womb. Very male friendly :) No shortage of heirs here.

2011-02-27T13:46:00.002-05:00

ARE

HOME!

We are all SO happy to be in our house together. Its been messy and dirty but lots of fun. Matty loves his new bed and his new house and Levi is up for anything.

Dave starts work tomorrow so a normal life begins again. I just got a stove and water in the kitchen yesterday so we will finally be eating home cooked meals and feel much cleaner. I have lots of searching to do for boxes of kitchen items that I will need. It has been all disposable for us the last little while. I cant wait to get some dishes and cutlery in the house!

Im nervous about starting a new week without Dave home. Its been a while since I have been a mother home alone with her kids (I know eh? it seems odd) but I think once tomorrow is over the nerves will settle once more.

Hope you enjoy the pictures. Beautifying will be coming soon... we're in though. And thats the part I was most excited for. Now for the fun!

Wednesday to Today

2011-02-21T15:32:00.002-05:00

Wednesday
I arrived at the house later than had hoped to but had a pleasant ride out. First I dropped the boys off at their Oma and Pake's house and then hit a quaint little shop on the way out. Once I arrived I was stunned by how white the house was (Dave has painted it all) and got myself ready to be helpful in any way.

My first job was garbage pick up. I went about the floors and found whatever was on them that could be thrown away and tidied that up. I was really tired though so ended up having an early night while Dave continued on working.

Thursday
I woke on a semi deflated air mattress, feeling stiff but better rested and asked to be put to work. We grabbed whatever for breakfast and I started vacuuming while Dave began work on the bathroom. We ended up having to go out since our tile ended up looking horrendous in the washroom and hit a few store for new tile.

Once the shopping was done, we grabbed some lunch and headed home. Dave worked some more on the bathroom floor and countertop and shower and I vacuumed and tried to tidy up some more.

Aidan came over in the evening so while Dave worked on some plumbing, Aidan and I (mostly Aidan) put in the kitchen floor. It was so nice to have it in place and ready to go. Aidan didnt leave until 12:45 and I was completely exhausted. That was the end of the day for us.

Friday
Late morning-I think we woke up at 8:30- on a fully deflated mattress. I was in pain and a bit cranky but was ready to work. I mostly vacuumed again while Dave worked away on the water system in the basement and the toilet.

A few items were needed that called Dave in and out of the house but never farther than into our town.

We had visitors all throughout the day and in the evening I was even taken out by Tara who I think knew I really needed out (I had sent her a message the day before telling her I really didnt think I was cut out for this type of living).
I returned that night with caffein in my system, an empty bladder and a smile on my face. Dave had finished installing the toilet and it was ready to go. It turned out there was stuff in our water that kept clogging the system in the toilet so it wouldnt fill the tank quickly but with a few flushes the water got a bit better. We will have to flush the tanks once or twice though to get some clean water. WE HAVE A TOILET THOUGH!!!

Saturday
I woke up after a terrible night and was fighting crankiness like you couldnt believe. Every little thing was making me want to cry and my hips and back hurt like you wouldnt believe. Yep, the mattress was completely deflated but this time it deflated in the really early morning so I woke up, tried to add padding by lying on the blankets not under them and then was cold all night... What's better???

Dave needed to get a new part for the toilet so we decided we deserved eating out- breakfast in town. We enjoyed a warm breakfast, got the part and then returned home. Dave worked madly away while I continued to do very little useful work. Tidying the closet where Levi will sleep, cleaning up the new litter on our dining room "floor" and I watched a movie that made me weep (Dutchess). NOT GOOD! It left me really missing my boys.

It was decided that it made the most sense for us to go to Daves parents house to spend the night that night so we could get a decent sleep and there we would see the boys. What this did mean, however, is that the boys didnt move in Saturday like we had thought. And now, I was moving back out for a few days to let Dave finish up a bit more work.

This news made me weep. Mostly because I was just so increadibly tired that I wasnt handling anything well but also because I so thought we were at the end of being apart. This week we were going to be together as a whole family all day every day until Dave starts working again next week. So I mourned that for a while on my own until we left for dinner. I came to terms with my own fatigue being the cause of my breakdown and felt better after a good cry.

Its Monday today and I have had a few good sleeps. Still trying to get fully caught up. The boys are happy here and enjoy playing with everything. They actually both napped at the same time today (phew for me) and that is how I am able to give you all an update today.

Wednesday should be our new moving day. The boys and I should be heading to our bible study in the morning and then off to the new house that very afternoon. Dave is hoping to have all the electrical hooked up and working and might even have all the floors laid. Not sure about the counter tops but if we have those floors and all the tools are out of the way, I think the house will be more than ready for our little men. I really am excited to get in there permenantly.

Maybe next time I will remember to get my pictures to show you all. I know its disappointing when there is nothing but font to look at. Sorry! Forgot the camera at the house in our last minute change of plans.

The Time has Come

2011-02-16T09:01:00.003-05:00

It looks like today is the day.

Once I hace finished up with packing all my things at my brother and sisters place, I will be off to drop the boys at their Oma and Pake's house and then I am off to the house.

We have lots of cleaning to do and once that is all complete then we can begin to put together our counters, and floors.

I dont know what bathroom conditions are like yet but they are coming. Dave has been working on the lumbing and making sure all the pipes are properly sealed and what not.

Im really excited to get into the house. For some reason I feel increadibly nervous but I think it just might be leaving the boys again for three days and feeling like my life is a bit upside-down. I was up until 11:30 last night just trying to get all my stuff together for today and at times I just caught myself staring at the wall, not sure what to do next.

Anyways, thankfully our stuff is at our second home and not a place that has to be cleared out perfectly right away. If we forget anything, we can easily come back for it at a later time. Thats a comfort.

I will be moving into a house that has no internet or phone but thankfully I now have a working cell phone. I will be unable to check e-mails or post much unless I go elsewhere with internet. I suppose the frequency of posts wont change since I am not terribly consistant but just thought I would let you know.

When I next post I am sure Ill have lots of pictures to show you and stories to share. Until then, have a good week.

Things Im going to miss:

Steps

2011-02-14T15:08:00.002-05:00

For the past few days Levi has finally shown a bit of interest in being a biped and today I was actually able to catch him in action.
He normally just takes four to five steps and then sits down but he is finally realizing he can do it for longer too.

Im not sure how long it will take him to choose this mode of transport over his quadruped ways but its an exciting start.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our Washroom

2011-02-09T21:13:00.000-05:00

Take a look at this link.

Now try and make a picture of where you might find this. Are you ready.

You climb down a set of beautifully made stairs into a 90 year old basement. The walls are stone, the floor is dirt and gravel. It smells a little... musty all though you have been reasured that it is nice and dry down there.

You take a look around and nearly under the stairs you spot our "toilet"... thats right, the link. Next to it is a roll of toilet paper placed purposefully on an old wire spool and right near it is a metal shovel. You are currently in your "place of duty". If you look across the room you even see a friend, Mr. Mouse scurrying across the window. Lovely company while doing your deed.

You remember the instructions. First, take a scoop of the floor (the dirt) and put it in your "toilet", next do your business (the dirt will keep it from sticking- you have been told). Afterward, scoop some more dirt over your business and carry your toilet up the stairs, out the back door into the winter weather, walk to the property line and dump it out behind the trees.

Did you see it? Did you picture the "toilet" and the mouse and the dirt? You might not have felt the cold but it isnt terribly warm there either.

This is our current bathroom. Can you see why I only spend one night there a week???
Blach!

Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles

2011-02-07T20:38:00.006-05:00

Dear readers,

This past week and a bit has been a time of absolute sadness and hope all at the same time. My heart has been so burdened and heavy with so many things but one thing in particular.

Luca.

This little boy is 5 weeks older than Matty. When his mother and I would see each other while we were pregnant I would alway kid that if I was early and she was late we might have our babies on the same day. She didnt like that idea very much and actually ended up having Luca a bit early.

This little boy hasnt been in my life too much but he is one of those people who has made his way in and out at different times. My best friend is best friends with his mother and we would hang out together at times.

His recent accident tore my heart in so many pieces. To hear of this little boy on the verge of death had me on my knees in tears pleading to God for a miracle.

News fluctuated from being bad to good to bad... a rollercoaster of emotions and I cant even imagine being the mother and father of this precious boy. He suffered head injuries then it looked like he was recovering but after a bit of time they realized he wasnt healing as quickly as they had thought. Then it was even worse then it looked like he might leave this world.

We rallied together (and let me tell you, we mean people all over the place. Hundreds and maybe even thousands) and prayed for this precious boys life. We all knew he needed a miracle.

God blessed us all with this miracle. Today they made the decision to do a MRI. This decision wasn't an easy one... and the results came back with good news. His father put it best:

The brain swelling in Luca’s left side of the brain has subsided which means they were able to see more black spots which is a very positive sign. The swelling around the brain stem was also reduced which is also a VERY positive thing. Pending any secondary injuries, the doctors said Luca will LIVE and we should be talking about his rehabilitation process. As to what extent his brain injuries are at, we don’t know, but the doctors said the injured areas are significantly affected meaning that we will only know with time what they are in detail. He is able to completely breath on his own which is very encouraging. They are talking about months of rehabilitation and are realistically saying he will be at CHEO for a year. His ability to speak, see, walk, etc. we do not know at the moment. He will remember and do everything with the parts of his brain which are healthy. For the damaged areas of his brain, he will adapt with those areas, but they cannot be healed.

Katy & I will embrace the new journey we will have with Luca and aside from what the doctors said, we know we serve an all powerful God that can heal and bring Luca to full health as he was before. Luca chose to live and now and I KNOW a large part of that was because of your prayers. Do we stop praying? No, this is a time to press in even more, every day making him a focus. Luca is a fighter and will NOT give up. There will be many ups and downs for the next while for Katy & I, but this is where we will need all of you more and more. You have all been so amazing standing with us during this time, and we look forward to you all standing with us day by day as we continue to walk through this.

We so appreciate all of you—we feel you are all FAMILY!!!

Praise God! I was ready to weep with Joy. I knew that God could do it. I felt he would. I had to keep reminding myself that my feelings didnt mean that it would actually go as I wished but I am so overjoyed.

This little boy is the second miracle in a year that I have been blessed to pray for and see Gods mighty hand. And I will continue to pray for Gods healing hand to perform even more miracles. Maybe Luca can heal completely even though they say he can't. God is able to do everything. I have faith that he will if it is his will.

Please continue to pray for this precious red head. What a fighter. We love you Luca, Kate, Jimmy and beautiful unborn baby girl.

House Date

2011-02-04T14:29:00.005-05:00

This week, we asked Dave's family if they would be willing to take the boys so that Dave and I would be able to go to the house together and get some work done as well as make some decisions. They very kindly said yes and so Monday and Tuesday Dave and i had two days just the two of us working on the house.

Instead of writing all about it I'll show you some pictures of our progress with some descriptions of what it is.
This is our counter top. We will be using two different tiles for it. The light one to outline the counter and the darker ones as the main counter top.

The light tile will also be our backsplash.

This is our wood for the dining room as well as the top of the island and the hutch (dont ask me how Dave will be doing that... he just seems to know how).
This is the kitchen floor tile (not too clear but it gives you an idea). Its actually a laminate tile that clicks together but I honestly dont know how many people would be able to tell. I love it.

We spent a lot of time making the wainscoting.
This is just the outline of it but it gives you an idea of the detail that will be our lower walls (please ignore the jogging pants princess over there).

This is the kitchen/ dining room.

This is the front entry way/stairs.

Due to the fact that I am terrified of the tools Dave uses as well as lack the ability to do the math needed for all the angles and measurement (really, it isnt my language), I did a lot of nailing. I must say even this tool made me nervous but I did it.

Dont mess with the nailer.

We also finsihed puting up all the window boxes but one and some door frames as well.

Here is the doorway into the otherside of the house (not to be finished for a while yet) and the front door.
The windows in our master bedroom. Nothing more is really being done up there except paint so it was nice to get some window frames up and it really made a difference.

And while Dave and I had time together working away on the house, Matty and Levi were blissfully playing with Pake and Oma. They had SOOOOO much fun.

Matty and Pake made up a new game where they each take a side of a link chain and Pake pulls him all the way to himself.
Matthew just LOVED the game as you can see.

It was a really nice time for Dave and I. Some time as a couple working together on our house (although I will admit, I did very little compared to my very talented husband) and I so look forward to living under the same roof.

The only horrible part of my time there was that there is still not toilet. What did I do? Well, I'll just have to leave that for another post.

House Progress

2011-01-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

I know it has been a long time since I have posted about the house and thats because a lot of the time there was no visible change for me to photograph thus making any post rather boring.

Just last week I went to the house and was blown away by some of the amazing detail work Dave has put into the house and I thought I would show it to you. You still wont really get an idea of what the inside of the house looks like but its a bit of an update.
Here we have our front door with some moulding on top as well as on the ceiling.
Here is the window right next to the front door.

Here is the ceiling that Dave has made for our dinning room (connected to the kitchen.) We will have pot lights in two of the rows and a chandelier in the middle of the middle row which will be centered over our table.

This is the kitchen... there will be an island but it isnt built yet. These are the top cabinets which Dave has put moulding around. Above them are a couple of plugs so we can put lights up there.
This is the top of the hutch that Dave made for me. Eventually it will be all connected right down to the ground.

Thats our downstairs right now. That was last week too so I know it has changed even more. Maybe later this week I can get more pictures And give you another update.

Until then, have a good week.

One Year Old

2011-01-24T08:58:00.005-05:00

Today my little Levi man turns one.

I find it really hard to believe that it was just 365 days ago that he came into this world. Where does the time go? I feel as though I missed his year.

I look at my munchkin and i see his brain at work. He looks at books, rolls cars around, giggles and smiles a lot with his 7 teeth (huge change from his early days), tries to talk to you with his little giberish and just seems to enjoy life.

He is a great sleeper, he sleeps just about anywhere so long as he has his quilt and his sleep sac.

He is increadibly needy of me most of the time. Partially I think because he hasnt had a normal first year (different homes in such a short little time) that maybe he's a little uncertain of what is another home or what is just a visit.

He has his glowing orange hair (well, what hair he has glows orange) and he still insists on crawling everywhere but boy is he fast. He has taken a step here and there but refuses to actually walk or even stand. Nervous little man.

He's beginning to enjoy reading books (on his own) and loves to make a mess. Id say some of his favourtie things are to take things off shelves and just leave them all over the floor or to remove cusions from couches so they are scattered all over the floor.

He is my little man who seems too young to be a year. I feel like there is no wway he has already been in my lofe that long but it goes to prove how perfectly he fits. Our little family just wouldnt be the same without him. We are so thankful for him and love him SO much.

Happy First Birthday my little man!!!

ps. hes had a rough go so far today because he started his day by burning his hand on the wood stove and now wont nap... happy birthday indeed.

New Fears and Better Understanding

2011-01-10T10:36:00.002-05:00

I never fully undersood why people who lived in the country were so uptight to drive when there was snow falling from the sky. I figured, "well drive slowly and carefully but dont stop your life because of a little weather. Is that really any way to live?"

Saturday, however gave me a good taste of the reality of a little weather. My sister amd I were heading out with all the kids to go and see my house. It was snowing the the roads were slippery so I was careful. The roads were straight for the most part and I felt like I had pretty good control over my car.

Suddenly my car was swirving to and fro and the next thing I knew I was sidways in a ditch. My head was running through what I might have done wrong while also thanking God for the safety he granted us. I didnt brake, that would be stupid, I tried not to over correct, that would be dangerous, I wasnt going too fast, that would be crazy. One minute I was on the road, the next I wasnt.

My sister was behind us and she told me as we were flying off the road she just kept saying "keep them safe, keep them safe..." and the Lord gave her and us exactly that.

When I turned around, my passengers were staring. Matty and Levi simply looked as though it was odd they were leaning to one side, Caelah, who was in the middle looked wide eyed at me. I told her " we're safe, its ok, the Lord kept us safe" and she said "ya, thats what matters.

Jo came and opened the door which she had to hold open with her foot while she stretched to get kids out of seats. Then Caelah looked at her mom and said "well, that was a little scary but it was REALLY fun" with a huge smile on her face. It made me giggle even though I was shaking and too afraid to move out of my seat.

Once I was out, the first car that drove up was actually a lady who lived in the house right across from where we were and she told us if we wanted to, we could come and stay in her house while we waited for help. So sweet of her.

Next a man in a pick up came and he and Jo were actually able to push me out of the ditch. Phew! no horrendous tow truck fines... the trouble, however was not over. The man noticed right away that my tire was completely flat. I pulled to the side of the road and we began trying to change the tire. The man was so helpful. He went to the womans house to see if she had tools and he tried with all his might to get the tire off but the bolt just wouldnt come free.

So it was a call to Aidan. Jo left with her kids back to the house and I visited with the wonderful woman while we awaited Aidans arrival. She fed the kids cookies and juice and made lunch for them, turned on cartoons for them and we chatted like we knew each others. It was so neat.

Eventually Aidan was there and was still in need of some tools. Thankfully the lady thought to call her neighbour who was actually home and he had everything he needed. The spare tire was on and we were ready to go.

The last thing I wanted to do was get back into the car and drive but what choice did I have. The boys got buckled in and off we went. I was so nervous that on the road I had swerved off of I wouldnt go faster than 40km (the speed limit was 80km). Aidan called home to Jo at the point and told her we were going to be much longer since I was going so slow but once we hit a main road that was only wet and not snowy, I grew in confidence and went the max my spare tire would allow me.

We were going to have to stop at the gas station to add air to my spare so as we approached, we were probably 200-400 meters away suddenly I knew my spare tire was gone. I was driving only on the rim. I slowed right down and once again, Aidan told me he was thinking I was being rediculously cautious to be slowing down SO much just to get ready to turn into the gas station. Once he got out of his car and saw my tire he understood. The spare tire was torn to pieces and was just hanging off the rim.

Could this day get any more frustrating? A little.

Aidan tried to put air in the real tire to see if he could get it to seal once again onto its rim but the pressure wasnt high enough. He had no seats available in his car to get anyone in the car which meant three of us were stranded at the gas station. Jo ended up having to be late for a ski trip with Caelah so she could come and get us and Aidan stayed back with a gentleman who offered his tools at his home to help with the tire. My work was done but Aidan was still trying to figure it all out.

Meanwhile Dave was on his way over from the house with whatever tools he might have.

Eventually, they got the car back. The tire seemed to hold air and we were actually able to drive it into to town for church yesturday.

Today I need to take it to a dealer to have them check everything out. The alignment or something is really off and so is the balance so we'll see what can be done.

Needless to say, I am now much more afraid of country driving in the winter. I totally understand how plans need to be cancelled due to weather. I hope my confidence will be restored enough to enjoy driving again since winter is LONG but I will always have a better idea of just how easy it is to end up in a ditch or facing the other way from what you had been two seconds before.

Careful driving everyone.

The Hidding Place

2011-01-07T10:30:00.002-05:00

For Christmas this year my mother-in-law bought me this book. Inside she wrote a little inscription (which is a wonderful habbit they have with giving books) and mentioned that it was a part of our childrens heritage and one that should be shared with them.

Believe it or not, I had never read this book before. I have read quite a few books about the war. Some true, others historical fiction. All very touching and real.

This book was no different. I loved every bit of it. It was written by the main character and she told of her family and there involvement in the war in Holland agains the occupying Germans. I was atonished at Betsy. A Character that almost seemed angelic. I feel as though I could never live life the way she did. Her outlook on life was always through Gods eyes. She always spoke about the enemy the way Corrie would speak of the victims.

I wasnt able to put the book down. It is a beautiful book.

What was convenient too is that my sister had ordered the movie from the library some time ago and so once I was done reading, we popped the movie in and watched it. It wasnt the same as the book (most movies arent) but I thought it was interesting because Corrie Ten Boom is actually at the end of the movie telling you that that was her story. So much of it is different from the book that it made me wonder who had taken what liberties. None of it ultimately mattered. It was still an amazing story of Gods power and the strength of prayer and faith.

Here is the trailer for he movie if you havent yet seen it.

This book is a must read. dictated through a voice that held no hate or anger but love and compassion. If you havent read it, go pick it up. I am certain you wont be able to put it down until the book is done.

Sleepover

2011-01-06T20:23:00.002-05:00

There are so many amazing blessings in my life I cannot even begin to number them all and these days I have to try and remember them as often as I can because things have started to get difficult.

The situation I am referring to is my husband and I living seperately during the week and then having a few short hours together on the weekend before he is off to the house once more and I am back on my own.

I have had a it really good here at Jo and Aidans place. I am well fed and taken care of, I have helping hands all around and sensitive hearts to my feelings. Yet, I still feel lonely. Where is my other half? He doesn't come home at the end of the day or share my bed or play with the boys.

I had a bit of a melt down a short while ago. Just the stress of being away from him and when I see him he is so tired and stressed that he is not the man I know. I sobbed to my mom because I didnt know how to help him. I didnt know what I could do to make it easier and to help take on some of his burden... or at least help him feel more at ease.

Thats when my mom made the suggestion (more phrased as a demand) that I go to the house once a week for the night. Someone would watch the boys and I would bring a freshly homemade dinner to my husband and help him at the house. Encourage him with my action, speech and with laughter! I feel like he needs to laugh. With all his time alone I want him to be thinking of only good things. It is so easy to draw within ourselves and dwell on negative things.

So that is exactly what I did Wednesday night. I left the boys nestled in bed with my mom and dad and headed off to the house with a huge salad and some dinner.

He knew I was coming and I already heard and saw change in him. Company! A night with his wife at the house where he sleeps alone.

I arrived and he jumped to give me a hug and helped me unload the gifts of food and bedding. I changed quickly since the house is so dusty with drywall dust and other stuff that I would be sure to destroy my clothes if I touched anything. I then asked him what I needed to do. We decided to sit and have dinner first which was nice. We sat side by side, me in a very dusty lawn chair and Dave on a drywall compoud bin and ate our dinner and talked and smiled... It was so nice. Once that was done I had a bit of a more detailed tour of the work that has been done (my house is going to be so awsome) and then when I suggested work, Dave looked at me and said' "Lets just watch a movie. How often do I get to spend a night here with my wife?"

So thats what we did. I made up the air mattress with fresh sheets and clean blankets and Dave set up his projector and we snuggled up and watched a movie together. Everything was just so pleasant. Warmth of his company, happiness and joy filled us both right up with each others calm company. I felt like stress completely left him for the night.

We slept like the dead and when we woke, we headed to the local restaurant for breakfast. I must admit I was eager to get there because I wanted a bathroom. Thats right, we have no functional washroom. When I had to use the toilet the night before I made Dave come with me. Out came the flashlight, warmer clothes and a huge blue tub full of water. The toilet, you see, is in the side of the house that is not being worked on currently thus is not heated except some of the heat that escapes past the door. Once finished in the washroom, Dave takes the big tub of water and pours some down the toilet which then gets it to flush. Then the adventure is done. So, needless to say I wasnt to thrilled about having to use it more than when it was bare necessity.

Anyways, breakfast was wonderful and Dave seemed well rested and then it was all over. I headed back into the city to pick up the boys and Dave headed on back to the house to get back to work.

I have been so impressed with him. He is so stressed out and I see it in him so easily (as do others) but he never complains. He eagerly plays with the boys, helps me with anything I ask for and humors me in small ways but there is always something obviously hanging over his head. What needs to be done tomorrow? How long will it take? How much will it cost? These are all stresses that dont touch me because I am so far removed from that part of the house.

Soon Dave will start working again. I know this is also on his mind. Any work outside of the house brings in money but slows down the work considerably. He so badly wants us all under one roof (As we all do) but its him who has to make it happen.

My husband is an amazingly talented man. He is building us such a beautiful home full of unique things and I get so excited thinking about it all. It was so nice to treat him with a visit (it was treating me as well). I look forward to doing it again. My small action meant so much to him. I hope and pray it helps keep his outlook positive and brings him encouragement that will help him make it to the weekend when we can see each other again.

I am reminded through this whole ordeal of a conversation that I had with my Aunt Peggy. She just told me that all of this is but a breath. While we're in it we think it might never end but we must remember it is all so short. An end will come and other things will take its place. We are on this earth for but a breath. And it is that truth that helps me remember all the blessings I have.

I love you Dave and all the hard work you do for our family. You are an amazing man and I cant wait to be under the roof of that house with you for good.

New Years Wagon Ride

2011-01-04T20:17:00.003-05:00

Dave bought the boys a surprise gift after christmas just because. It was a pretty awsome gift that Matty was incredibly excited to get into.

We really broke it in on New Years Day before Dave left to work on the house. We took the little ones who were interested out for a walk and here is what it looked like:
It started like this! Levi seems to have gotten to worst of this deal but he took it like a little man and just looked at what he could see.
We soon switched matty to the back since that only made sense and here you can see how Levi still got the worst end of the deal. Matty wanted to hold his face the whole time. Eventually we got Matty to put his arm and just relax.
Finally this. So typical of Levi. I was walking beside DAve and looked back and there is Levi standing in the wago. He really liked having more room once Matty left. I decided I should bring up the rear of the wagon for the rest of the walk since at times he was actually trying to hang off the back to grab the wheels. SCARY BOY!!!

Christmas Creations

2010-12-30T12:19:00.000-05:00

My mom and I made our ornaments together this year. Little bed time mice.

I made Monograms for all my nieces and nephews this year. 11 all together and they were lots of work but I loved every single one of them. Butterflies and birds for the girls, trains and cars for the boys.

Christmas Festivities

2010-12-29T19:36:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas to all. I have been very neglectful in my posting the past while. I have to say, this season is tough and then not being in your own home can make things harder to organize so I've been bad at getting posts off. Forgive me???

I am pretty sure you all read my sisters blog so I don't think you all want to hear about our Millar Christmas since Im sure she has already filled you in on the details. I can tell you that we had a great time. I learned I need to step up my game with Matty's stocking since he had only two little gifts and then his few under the tree. He saw his cousins loot and kind of looked at me with this expression of " hey, mom, whats up? Where are all of mine?" and then kept trying to steal some of Isaiah's present. So, that note was made. He was very happy with his gifts and I think Levi enjoyed the hype of it all. Metalic food was a bit of a bummer but I think the only hitch.

Once everyone left, I came down with violent stomach flue and had to suffer through that for quite a while. So much fun and then Connor (my little brother) got it too. We spent the 26th together on seperate couches sleeping. I felt great on the 27th and no one else was showing any signs of illness so we thought we could head out and see if there were any great boxing week sales. Guess what? Levi chose to suddenly show a symptom: vomiting! All over himself and the carseat. We had little choice but to find somewhere to get him cleaned up and I was out a snowsuit so I found a blanket on sale and we had him wrapped up tight. He seemed to heal up pretty quickly. The next day we fed him cautiously and all seemed to go quite well. So by the 29th we were home free.

Then we had the celebration at Dave's parents and once again it was a great time. All the cousins together in one place being spoiled rotten. Here are some pictures of our time.

Here we have Matty and Henry tearing into a gift from Oma and Pake.

Once again tearing open gifts and having a wonderful time.

Here is Brenna and Eleanor opening some of their gifts.

Henry and Sam enjoying some Pake lap at the dinner table.

This years two youngest together.

Oma went out to the library and, knowing her grandkids, remembered their favourite books which they enjoyed a lot.

Five of the six grandkids together on the couch. Brenna had only just woken up and wasn't quite ready for the crowd.

Levi enjoying absolutely everything!

We left there with very full tummies, gifts galore and eyes sagging with fatigue. It was such a good time had by all that it kind of went on until close to 10 and then we had an hour drive home again. Dave and I had an eventful drive home. As we were driving Levi spewed once again. All over the clean snowsuit and carseat. I guess I was wrong about him being better eh? We had to stop at a Macs, buy some papertowels and do our best. Blah!

I remember growing up, Christmas with our cousins always meant someone was sick. Is is Christmas without sickness... I woudntl know!

Anyways, this time of year always leaves me feeling so blessed (vomiting or not). All the luxuries we have and the gift of families that love us and whom we love... We can so easily take it all for granted.

I hope you all had a wonderful time full of great memories. I know we did.

Good Ol' Hockey Game

2010-12-11T14:41:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Jo and Aidan's neighbours celebrated their son Aiden's second birthday by inviting us all to attend a Sens game. I had told Matty about it earlier in the day and for the rest of the day he kept asking me " hockey game? hockey game?"

This was some experience for Matthews first NHL game because they had a box. I always knew the boxes were suppose to be lush but I had not expected what we got. 4 or 5 different hot trays full of fantastic food, drinks of every kind (alcoholic and not), a fire place, leather seats, 16 seats overlooking the ice, a private bathroom, a coatroom, and sliding glass doors to block out cold and noise for those not wanting the game experience.

Matthew went nuts for it all. He grabbed a plate right away and started piling it high with pop corn and pretzels and onion rings (the reachable platter) and then got a drink and headed for a seat.

He enjoyed the lights and the folding seats a lot but then the game started and everything changed. He was in awe. It was absolutely adorable. He even said "Oh!" and pointed. He then looked at me with a smile and said "Hocky Game!"

The kids ate, cheered, threw things at unfortunate dwellers below us and played games as the got bored. I think great fun was had by all.

At one point the mascot came up to say hi to the birthday boy and Matty was the first to spot him. He jumped out of his skin and just started to scream. I tried to convince him he was nice but the most he would do was to say hi while standing behind me. Thankfully everyone else enjoyed the mascot otherwise the special visit would have been a waste.

Aidan enjoying some of the food while looking out onto the ice.
Matthew's fantastic hat head watching the hockey game with facination.

Levi was in on the action too and loved every minute. He was a little vacuum though and I had to constantly tear things from his mouth before he chocked on them.

We didnt stay the whole game since the little ones were beginning to get tired (actually it was probably more because I was getting tired of chasing Levi around) so we heade3d back to the van and returned home. it was such a great time and i ate terribly but wonderfuly.

Happy 2nd birthday Aiden. Thanks for all the fun!

A Glimps of Things I Find in Levi's Mouth.

2010-12-07T10:34:00.003-05:00

Ornament hook, piece of floor tile and some piece of food from the floor.

SCARY!!!

All Quiet on the Home Front

2010-12-03T12:52:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I have mentioned anything at all about the house. The reason being there isn't too much to report yet.

Dave was working the month of November. He tried to spend his evenings at the house working away after a long day of work with clients. However, many nights ended up being busy with other events and so he spent some time with the boys and I as well as other friends.

Now he is back at the house plugging away to make it liveable by Christmas. He's framed in the windows and has even installed some of them. He's put in new plumbing but there is still no water and he's hoping to finish the electrical soon and then have it inspected. The tile is bought for our bathrooms and the basement is some what dug out...

I havent been out to the house in a while. The last time I went I had camera in hand ready to take pictures but I couldnt really capture what was done in a picture. Hopefully in a week or so I will have a picture or two to show you of something.

Just thought I should give those of you who are interested an update on our home.