A family Journey

Baby #4 and other news

2011-12-15T17:51:00.000-08:00

Well our little angel has been here just over two weeks, and I am smitten by her! She is such a good baby, sleeping 6 hours then waking and nursing, then sleeping another 5+ hours through the night. She sleeps in, in the mornings until close to 10:30 which has given me the time to get up with the others, have a shower, get everyone breakfast and started on school and chores before she even gets up! Its wonderful! She is awake and a little fussy a lot more during the day-but this is of course expected! She has a full head of dark hair, and I think her eyes might stay blue-its really hard to tell this early, but I have been praying for a blue eyed baby(because mine are blue and all the other kids have different colors!) So we will see! Anyway she is a complete delight and it has been so much easier having #4 then I thought it would be. I am so thankful! It also helps that my hubby has taken a month of paternity leave, he hasn't washed any dishes or mopped any floors, but he has been keeping the stove stoked, he feeds cows and horses and does all the outside chores and he has been making progress on our wood supply. He has also been fairly good at occupying the middle two who like to find trouble to get into! This also means he will be home for Christmas which is a special treat!

In other news we are moved into our little two bedroom free house....it is definitely a small space and tries the patience of this little mama, but it is also a HUGE blessing! It has been so nice to be on my parents farm, it makes doing chores so much easier when you don't have to start a vehicle and drive over! As well we love the closeness of family nearby and the kids love to go to grandma's for cookies a couple afternoons a week.

It has been an incredible faith building journey getting into this house as well, doing everything as we can afford it has been challenging yet so rewarding. We have seen God's hand move in incredible ways countless times! An example-we had budgeted 1200$ for a wood stove and we had to wait and save for that amount-well before we had the amount saved up-and it was starting to get quite chilly in here, a guy Les works with said he had a stove and would sell it for 200$...well it is an Osburn stove-which is a really good quality stove-and what we would have bought new if the price wasn't 2500$+ . So long story short-we got this stove which is in great shape and worth so much more than what we paid for it and we got it two weeks earlier than we would have been able to get the one we were budgeting for-and praise God we did as the weather cracked down to -30 C the week after we got it! We would have been frozen! So needless to say that is just one example of God's provision to us in this situation-He is always faithful!

We have also had quite the interesting experience this fall with our milk cows! Yes we got the Ayrshire's I had posted about. We have had them since the end of August, we were milking the fresh younger cow about every other day. We left her calf on and then the night before we wanted to milk we put her in a separate pen from her calf so that we could have that milk in the morning. She was a pretty good cow, other than she had been a pail bunter calf and was a bit spoiled and Les had to teach her some manners...but she learned quick and her milk was wonderful! I made butter a couple of times with her cream but was just to busy packing and trying to set up this house to make yogurt with the milk! The great thing was my mother in law has an electric separator-dating back to the fifties and so I got to use that when I wanted to save the cream. Now I am sure you noticed that I am speaking in past tense-well about 3 weeks before I had Olivia, my dad decided to let Rosa ( the milk cow) out with the rest of our herd of Angus cattle. Well me being so far along in my pregnancy I couldn't walk all the way across two + quarters of land to bring her in whenever I wanted milk-so she stayed out there. Until last week when my dad found her dead. We have no idea what she died from, but she was just lying out in a pile of willows in the field. So now we wait and see if the older cow got bred this fall and if not we will have to wait until her calf has a calf next spring *sigh*. So these have been our milk cow adventures. We had lots of fun milking Rosa while we had her, the kids all tried and surprisingly my middle daughter who is only four did remarkably well and enjoyed it the most! I also had to take lessons from my dear hubby who was very patient with teaching us. Yes it makes your hands sore when you first start-but I actually found it quite enjoyable, the fresh morning air, and the nice warm sides of the cow...anyway for now our milking is on hold and I am very sad, but I look forward to our next milking adventure with great anticipation!

Well I have used up the few minutes of uninterrupted time I had, I am off to cuddle the cutest baby girl ever !!!!

She is here!

2011-12-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

Ok if there is anyone still reading this I apologize as our life has been just to busy for me to post! My big announcement is the arrival of Olivia Jayne Faith, she was born Nov.29 and weighed 8 lbs 7 oz and 19 inches long. She has a beautiful head of long dark hair and chubby little cheeks. Her sisters adore her and all I here is squabbling over whose turn it is to hold her! Her brother thinks she belongs to him-MY baby!!! She is a wonderfully voracious little eater and she sleeps wonderfully at night with a few fussy times during the day. All in all we delight in her and I praise God for such a beautiful blessing!

That is it for now I will fill you in on more of the details later!

Updates

2011-08-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

I think I should have just titled this blog-the update blog, because that seems to be all I ever do!

So we are almost 24 weeks along in our pregnancy-my ultrasound went well, but they couldn't tell what it was-surprise! Thats ok, I am guessing girl! I have everything for both sooo...I just like to know these things lol!

In other news-we are moving-AGAIN I know you can think horrible things about how we keep up rooting our children, the thing is we are moving up the road 1/2 a mile-into our own FREE house on my parents farm-yes you read that bold lettering correctly-GOD has truly blessed us and we were given a FREE house! It is small-only two bedrooms, about 850 sq feet, but it is completely free(other than setting up water, sewer and power he he) Did I mention we are truly BLESSED!

Its a really long story, but lets just say a neighbor who knows our situation was working for a really rich guy who owns a cottage on a lake just a few minutes from here-he was building a brand new three story mansion (for his weekend visits to the lake!) and asked our neighbor to get rid of the cottage-just haul it to the dump or something and paid him to do so-well our nice neighbor just about fell over when he walked into a house-that's completely livable-even somewhat nice with new laminate and tongue and grove pine on the walls! he thought -I can't just haul this to the dump-so he phoned and asked us if we wanted a free house-we in turn phoned my parents to ask if we could set it up on their farm-which was of course yes and so ya that is how we got given a free house!

To add to that however-we had decided to foreclose on our house in BC-after two years of prayerful consideration, and some financial counseling from our pastors-we learned that it is not morally wrong in our circumstances, and in fact that is why banks to appraisal and why we had an insured mortgage....so in other words we no longer own a house in BC, and the hundred thousand dollars + that we put down and the last four years of payments-just went down the drain...but God is still good-because despite all that we now have a free house, are debt free other than our 1 van payment, and we will finally be living on our farm, and I am getting 3 milk cows from some friends the end of the month-I have been praying and searching for what I want for two years and the timing is just perfect ( only one is freshening right now and one is a calf and they are purebred Ayrshire's) So their is much to praise God about.

As far as living in a two bedroom house with soon to be four kids-we were in a one bedroom with three-and haven't ya'll heard of bunk beds! lol Its amazing what God can make you content with!

Anyway-so instead of all the wonderful crafting I had just got started on-I am now busy going through and decluttering and packing so we can be out in September! So much for starting school in August lol! Good thing I home school and we can be flexible!

Anyway that about sums up the changes around here-I'll try to keep you posted!

Blessings

Baby projects

2011-07-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

I am now officially 18 weeks along in this pregnancy, definitely feeling better, but still having a day or two at a time of very sick. Very thankful the worst is over and my house is once again looking like someone cleans it once in a while hehe... even working on my children and some naughty little habits they have picked up from being somewhat ignored over the last few months *sigh*

I have my ultrasound next week and with that comes feelings of excitement-hoping to find out what we are having-mostly so I can start knitting, crocheting and quilting in a boy or girl color scheme!

Currently on my sewing machine are small size cloth diapers-I have cloth diapers for 6 month +, but never had any for the littler sizes, so I have found a wonderful super easy pattern, I got really cute neutral fabric from fabricland on sale at two dollars a metre!! And I have a bunch of bright orange flannel that was given to me that is going on the inside layer lol, I also got the best deal that same day and got elastic and Velcro for buy one get three metres free!!! Less than four dollars to do approximately 24 diapers-soooo cheap compared to buying them! So today I have been looking online for some wool soaker patterns and I have found quite a few that I like-they are simple and easy to whip up and way way cheaper than buying them! And so much nicer to use than rubber pants-so that is my coming up project-I need to get some wool first! But I am really looking forward to having my hands busy, even if I am not feeling well and have to just sit around a bit-I will feel like I am accomplishing something-and Julianna is really wanting to learn to knit and crochet, so this will be a good opportunity to teach her!

Ohh and I also that same day at Fabricland got the cutest red gingham pattern fabric for two more dresses for the girls. The pattern I am using is a like a sundress/jumper pattern that is perfectly fit(ie higher neckline that doesn't show anything it shouldn't) and that has enough room and looks super cute with a collared short or long sleeve shirt under it-which means the dresses can be worn in both summer and winter! Finally a solution! I was starting to get tired of how much sewing I needed to do! I am using the longer length in the pattern and just hemming it up so that I can take it out as they get taller over the winter-or as need be. One of these days I will up load some pics to show what I mean-but let's just say I am very pleased with how they are turning out! And I really love sewing and being crafty! And because my hubby works away a few nights a week i am alone, and after the kids are in bed and the evening tidy is done-I have lots of time to work on projects! Maybe one of these days I will get to my scrapbooking...I keep putting it off(even though I love it!) because I keep saying i have to finish my sewing lol! Trouble is I keep finding new sewing projects lol!

Anyway I just find immense pleasure in preparing for a new baby...even though I have done it before and I have plenty of blankets and baby things-I still really enjoy working on a few little projects with each one-I always pray for my little ones while I am sitting knitting or crocheting and it kind of builds a bond with them in my heart. It also brings me great pleasure to see them wearing or cuddle in something I made for them. I don't know-must just be how God made me!

I will leave you on that note and promise pictures will soon follow!

Blessings

Announcement

2011-06-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

We are expecting! In case you were wondering where I have been for the last month and a half, I have been hugging the toilet, barely moving from the bed or couch and trying desperatly to stay on top of my house and children and all their activities. But at last-there is light at the end of the tunnel-I am now 14 weeks, and I heard our sweet babes heart beat last week at my visit with the doc. Praise the Lord! I am so thankful that it didn't take two + years to get pregnant this time! It was less than three months from when we miscarried. So thankful!

Now that I am feeling somewhat better you may hear from me more, also tommorow is the girls ballet recital-at the Jubilee Auditorium in the city-I am so proud of them! So after tommorow I am free!! No commitment until vbs in July and swimming lessons....so I am very excited that I can finish my sewing and get started on my scrapbooking which hasn't been touched in two years! Hurray!

Ok well that was just a little update/announcement-hope you have a great day!

A homeschool field trip

2011-04-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

This past Monday, I took Julianna and her friend Ethan(whom we have known since he was in his mommies tummy) on a homeschool organized field trip to Fort Edmonton Park. The park is not yet open for the season, so it was arranged for us to just see the actual Fort(there are many other wonderful things to see). I have been on two school field trips here and it is one of my favorite places! I love all things historical and it turns out my daughter is just like me! lol. She loved it!! And it was so fun to see her excited about history and trying to understand their way of life. She had a million questions and listened so closely to the director! It was very cute to see and I enjoyed seeing her enjoy something that I love.

However, all that to say-it will be a very long time before we go on a homeschool field trip again. Unless I organize it and make the rules(which would give me freedom to enforce the rules!) I was absolutely horrified at the way the mothers and one father allowed their children to act. they were rude, disrespectful, loud, interruptive constantly! They touched things the director specifically asked them not to touch (more than once) They went in doors they shouldn't , took articles out of buildings and got them dirty. Mean while the mothers are all standing in little groups three feet away chatting up a storm and not paying attention. I was so MAD! and embarrassed, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. Julianna was upset a couple times because two particular children (the oldest in the group-about 12-13) kept interrupting the guy talking and then he would lose his spot in his story and she missed out on a few endings to some really neat stories. When we were driving home she even said to me-"mom, how come those kids were so rude and why didn't their mommies make them listen?" HUH good question!!!

Anyway, so this is a post to remind any homeschool parents out there that when you are on a field trip-you HAVE to make your children follow the rules, or one day these wonderful places that we get the privilege to explore for really cheap, will no longer be made available to us...so please don't ruin it for the rest of us who have taught our children to obey!

Ok-rant over *smile*

I do have to give credit to one amazing mom who had all her six children with her-they were all so well behaved and the older ones helped with the littles and the whole group of them was quieter and more polite than the oldest kids there!

Hope you had a blessed resurrection weekend, and that you didn't have the stomach flu like this family!

Blessings

Volcano science/school project

2011-04-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

So these pictures are not in order because I am slightly blog/html illiterate so scroll to the bottom of the picture to see them in order!!! We had so much fun making this paper mache volcano and even more fun erupting it! Julianna and I went through five of our different science type books and read all the info we could find on volcanos, we also watched videos online of different eruptions. It was a little over her head some of the vocab, but I am sure we will do this project again in a year or two!

messy girls!!! Good thing little brother is napping!

Sunday

2011-04-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Today my oldest daughter who sits with us during service-the littles go to childrens church and the nursery, was standing beside me holding my hand during worship and singing her heart out...because she is finally able to read all the words of the hymn or the song on the projector. What an amazing moment that was for me, hearing her very off key *smile* voice singing praises to our saviour. Loved it!

And now as I am writing this my middle one begged to the point of tears to let me let her wash the dishes. So wish I could record that and play it back to her in a few years lol!!!

A few meandering thoughts

2011-03-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Its been a really busy last few weeks as we have had to be in the city twice most weekends, as Julianna had exam prep classes and workshops and then her actual exam for her RAD grade 1 ballet. I am very proud of how she has handled the pressure, however we will probably not continue down the exam path next year. Due to the fact that we have moved twenty minutes farther away from the city, and the fact that I do not wish to spend sooo much time in my vehicle, the cost of fuel and really I don't intend for her to become a prima ballerina-we are going to go back to a one day a week, open ballet class next year. We will continue with the same dance school as it is phenomenal and I know she will learn much and be taught properly without so much fear of injury. Doing the exam class was an awesome experience for her, but it is just too much. It means exams and prep classes, festivals, and recitals which also means added fees for all those extras. I do feel she learned so much this year, and her posture and dancing have improved drastically, but I definitely feel we need to cut back to one day a week. I also have Hailey in an intro class and I will put her in that again next year if I can coordinate the same day as her sister. We will also be sticking with our piano violin teacher and Hailey will be joining Julianna in lessons next year as well. Its always a challenge as a mother to find balance. I don't want to force them into things, and I don't want to deprive them, but I also want a simpler lifestyle, with a focus on family, and our faith and I think running around all day makes it very hard to meet those goals. I want more time to stay home and sit on the floor and read to them, to do more hands on (meaning messy which I don't usually like ) crafts and activities because all three love these things. So after much thought and consideration we decided to cut back a bit. We feel like we have some new and time consuming things going to be happening soon and want to make sure we have time and energy to give our full attention.

We are hoping to get some chickens soon, specifically these ones !

AND for the big announcement....

We are in the process of becoming licensed foster parents!!!!!

There will be more info on this soon, but for now please keep us in your prayers as we navigate the waters of foster care here in Alberta.

I'm back

2011-03-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

I have finally return to the computer world...my computer met with an unfortunate accident-ie-I dropped it after I tripped over a small boy and his trains-thus breaking the screen...it is finally fixed and I am using for the first time sitting in my school/craft/office room in my NEW HOUSE!!!!!!

Yes we finally moved!!! I am so very very happy in this wonderful new space-6 beds/4 baths beautiful kitchen, wonderfully finished basement! God has been so good to our family!

I will slow down a little and give you a more detailed update...

As of our last post we had miscarried our baby. God has been so faithful in comforting me, I had about a week of fairly frequent bouts of tears and grief and I finally called out to God and gave it all back to Him, thanking Him for her life and for being so faithful to us as we trust Him with our family size. After that teary, fall on your face kind of crying out to God-He has been soo faithful to meet me where I am at, and He has given me such grace.

One of the best things for me to kind of get over something is to be busy and throw myself into something-God obviously knows this so it worked out perfectly that we finally got to move out of our tiny little one bed/one bath apartment in the goat filled stinky shop! So for the rest of the month on top of all our regularly scheduled programing I packed up a storm-and then proceeded to unpack as quickly as possible! We have had two get together's here; one had over forty people and then we have had three sets of weekend overnight guests! And its only the first week of March and we have more coming!! So I had a week to get unpacked and settled before the first party-Les and Benjamin's birthdays! I am of course in my glory! I truly believe hosting is one of my gifts and I find great pleasure in making sure people feel comfortable and welcome in my home.

It has been such a pleasure being able to unpack things we haven't seen in over two years-and also a pleasure to recycle some of our things that if we didn't need them in the last two years-we don't need them!! I have my books all out on shelves-they have many built in bookshelves in this house!! And I have already loaned out about ten to a few different people! I love my books! And I love being able to bless others by loaning them out!

I have also taken great pleasure in being able to decorate the bedrooms a little-I am going to post some pics in a few days but it has been so fun to decorate Benjamin's room, and the girls are loving their huge beautiful bedroom. Les and I adore our wonderful master with AMAZING en suite! Well basically we love the whole huge wonderful house-except I am not loving the amount of time I am now spending on cleaning! lol!! However now that we are not so cramped we don't feel the urge to get out and go somewhere-in fact all of us bemoan the times where we must leave to go to our different weekly commitments! So we are definitely staying home more-which in turn leaves more time for me to keep the house clean. I am still working on getting into a routine-and implementing the children's help...one of these days I will get that figured out! In the mean time lets just say I am sooooo blessed by this house.

I will tell you one more big bit of info- I have to brag a little about my God and my husband!

First off we will give all credit to God for the timing of this -my husband is a conductor for CN -Canadian National Railway, he loves his job -other than the all night yards that he sometimes get called for. However his job will eventually become quite hard on his body-he has to jump on and off rail cars going up to 15 MPH and a few other back and knee damaging things. So he had put his name in for engineer's training so that one day he can just sit in the engine and drive and not be so hard on his body. Well he thought that he had a few more years to wait for the training because it is based on seniority and there are guys higher up the ladder waiting for training. So he was quite shocked when he got a call last month asking him if he wants to take his training. He of course said yes-as you only get on chance-if you turn them down you don't ever the opportunity again. Now the thing with this training is -that you have to take a HUGE decrease in pay for about six months and then within another six months to a year you are making substantially more that you were before! So the reason he was called on so much sooner is because many of the guys who turned it down couldn't afford to take the pay cut. So this is the biggest blessing to us as it means his seniority just jumped 30 guys which is HUGE!!!

It also means that we were barely scraping by before-as we have to complete households to pay for-that we are not going to be able to make all our payments....next blessing-Les's parents have offered to pay our rent here at the new house for the six months he is in training! This is truly a miracle if you knew his parents! So that is the hugest blessing. Then today I had an appointment with the bank and because we were paying an accelerated rate on our mortgage and that even when we got behind we were able (by GOD's grace) to get caught up and pay off almost 40 thousand in debt last year-they are going to waive our entire mortgage for the next four months!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you believe that!! What an amazing God we have. This is such confirmation that we have been doing the right thing by not giving our house back to the bank. We have had a few people tell us-oh just give it back...and we prayed and prayed and felt that that was not something we as Christians should do. We made the commitment to buy that house and even if we have to sacrifice even some of our basic needs-we feel we have an obligation to uphold our contract. Now over the last two days before this meeting with the bank I have had two people tell me that they think we have done the right thing and that God is going to bless us for it-well is it anymore obvious that this!!! HE HAS!!!!! We are sooo blessed right now and I just want to give all the glory to Him!!Thank you Jesus!

Ok on that note I better go-in case I have lost you all with such a boring post-but just so you know I have FULL bars for reception in our new house and I can sit anywhere even the basement (I tried hehe) and have Internet reception!! SO you should here from me a lot more regularly!! Yippee!!!

Blessings to you all!

Loss

2011-01-17T12:58:00.000-08:00

We did miscarry, and it has been a hard week as my husband went to Red Deer for work this week and it is so much worse by yourself at night. I had one night of up till four in the morning just unable to sleep. We both feel like it was a girl and we have named her Joy. Because she brought so much joy to us, and because one of my devotions this week is from the book of James-"consider it pure JOY my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of you faith develops perserverance..." Anyway one of the hardest things has been people's comments-some who have miscarried have been very helpful and understanding and yet others have been very flippant and callous in their remarks, and usually I can handle things like that well, but this week with my hormones adjusting it is cutting deeper than usual. I would appreciate your prayers as I struggle to keep up a good face for my kids and all the people around who are asking about it. Thank you.

When everything falls

2011-01-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

That song by Fee Everything Falls is playing on my playlist and I love it, it has gotten me through some tough times this past year. And it worked again today as I sat for four hours in the Grey Nuns hospital waiting to find out if the spotting I have been having for the last two weeks (which I was told 2 weeks ago by a different doctor was just a yeast infection) means I am miscarrying. My dearest hubby sat beside me as I waited shivering in my little gown for the doctor to come in and tell me if my worst fears had been confirmed or if my hope and faith were to be rewarded. Well he couldn't give me a definitive answer-my cervics is closed, but the bleeding has picked up a bit. Its not ectopic. So he decided there was no need for an ultrasound, just go in two days from now and have blood work taken to see if my hcG levels (pregnancy hormone) had doubled like its supposed to. So we wait two more days not knowing if I am about to miscarry or if its like he thinks-a possible bit of bleeding from the growing placenta or from a slight tear in the placenta. Its amazing how many thoughts can go through your mind in such a situation. It feels like all your hopes and dreams are falling through the floor and there is absolutely nothing you can do to change it. It also feels like if you just have enough faith and pray hard enough God will see how badly you want it and give you your hearts desire. Sitting here tonight I feel like either way God is in control and not me. And some how that is enough. What if this baby has something really wrong with it, things I can't see and that it was created just to be in heaven with my Lord. I don't know what God has planned for this precious life, but I do know that I don't want the control to choose. I am glad He has that right-I can't imagine the burden of that decision. And I know that either way He will give me the strenght to get through. Whether it be to experience a miscarriage which NUMEROUS of our friends have gone through, so that I can understand their pain, or to be on bedrest the rest of this pregnancy, or to love and cuddle this precious life in my arms-He is faithful to stand beside me and strengthen me, comfort me, encourage me-sustain me.
Thank you Jesus for the precious gift of life, for the three beautiful children you have blessed us with and this amazing little life inside me-I pray that your will be done for each of these blessings and that you will help me to be the best mom I can be. Thank you!

P.S PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY-OUR MIDDLE DAUGHTER HAS SCARLETT FEVER AND IT IS VERY CONTAGIOUS, AND ALSO VERY HARMFUL TO PREGNANCY. THANK YOU.

Excitement!

2011-01-06T15:42:00.001-08:00

Its so fun to be thinking about another little person in our family. For many years we have tried in our own ways to get the things we want-mainly a larger family. We have done three home studies, been matched with countless birth moms and had numerous failed adoption attempts. But God is faithful and He IS gracious. Les and I have prayed for quite some time now that God's will be prevalent in our lives. That we would trust Him with our future family size and that if three was it for us that He would help us be content and to continue to treasure the children we have. And He has! We were both content with our family and enjoying our children to the fullest, and I truly believe that in trusting Him with our deepest desires, our future and timing, that the joy we have with this pregnancy is the richest blessing we have received. I know that may sound funny, but I don't think either one of us has been as thrilled as we are with this baby. NOT to say that we weren't over the moon for our other three children, but for some reason this pregnancy feels special, different somehow-because it was through no design of our own-we were not uber obsessive about making love on the most fertile day, or trying to adopt or anything-we were not preventing-but then we never have so...anyway I just wanted to share how excited we are! And how wonderful our God is!

I also wanted to share that I lost 33 lbs doing herbal magic, which I obviously haven;'t continued with since finding out. I am so pleased with how healthy I feel and how much more energy I have. I am also praising God for the fact that I am NOT sick! It is truly a miracle as I am normally almost completely incapacitated for the first three months! I am truly enjoying this pregnancy and am having fun thinking up names and all that fun baby stuff. I am so glad that this never gets old-right from the peeing on a stick to finding the most creative way to tell my hubby to keeping it a secret until Christmas and now planning and preparing -its still just as joyful and exciting as the first time-I LOVE THAT!

If you knew me as a young girl you would know I have always been slightly obsessed with babies, and pregnancy-I loved looking at the baby clothes and always found reasons to go down the baby aisle in supermarkets. For some reason it brings me immense pleasure! I love babies! And to be honest one of the first times I felt stirrings in my heart for my husband-was at 12 years old(yes we have known each other since we were children) he was playing with his nephew who was about eight months old, and he was amazing with him. I remember thinking ooh he will be a great father some day...neat huh?

I am also excited to share with you that it looks like we are moving into the big house I was telling you about for Feb 1st. Very excited that we will be able to stretch out a little and enjoy all the space of this new place. Also happy that I will be able to do a little nesting this time as last time we were so in limbo with our living situation. And although we were getting quite comfortable in our little apartment, the neighbors did move their goats into the shop and now our house just reeks unless I have the windows open all day and the heat cranked up! So kind of looking forward to getting out of stinksville!

We are also relisting our house in BC as there is no way for us to keep afloat with two house and two sets of utility bills. We are basically dumping it for what we have left owing on it-which is over 100 k loss for us...*sigh*. Please would you pray that it would sell quickly so we don't get behind on any of our bills? Thank you so much. Well I better go, today I am over at my parents house using their Internet and computer because now that I have a new Internet stick my computer has decided to crash...lol! Wishing you blessings as you begin this wonderful new year!

I am still alive-honest!

2011-01-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

Due to technical difficulties-ie-my turbo internet stick jumpin out of my pocket while in the city-I have been without internet until I could afford to replace said stick-*sigh*.

Much has happened in the 2 months-but mainly I have wonderful amazing news!! We are expecting a baby due in August!!! We are so excited and thrilled by this news! God has truly blessed our family!

I have much more to share but will have to update later-expect to hear much more details in the next few days! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wishing you all the very best in the new year!

A week in the life of a homeschool mom

2010-11-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would give you a little glimpse into our daily home schooling life. So far this year has been wonderful, Julianna is just turning seven and doing *grade two*. However we didn’t finish her grade one math book last year and so we are finishing that up this first half and hope to be done it by Christmas. Also last year I felt that our language arts was seriously lacking. We did a phonics book and finished it but I found that it didn’t teach grammar or punctuation which I think are obviously important. So three quarters of the way through last year I bought the Language Arts program ‘Sing, spell, read and write’ and we used some of the reading books which I LOVE. So this year we are going through the actual workbook and playing some of the games and reading all the readers. The pace we have set is quite brisk but I have found this year her attention span is significantly longer that before. We are sitting sometimes for six hours a day doing school. And she is asking for it and eager to learn more! That of course is the key otherwise I wouldn’t be pushing her this hard. So our goal is to have the math workbook and the SSRW program done by Christmas. Take a break and then start the new math workbook and I plan to order the level two workbook from SSRW. Next year I am not sure if we are going to keep up with this piecemeal idea of different books from different publishers or if we are going to try Alpha Omega’s switched on schoolhouse or do their life pac’s with unit studies of our own thrown in….stay tuned for that decision! So without further ado here is our day/week schedule

Monday- Mom up at 6:30, devotions, shower make breakfast,

kids up at 7, eat, clean up breakfast, do chores (unloading dishwasher…) till 8.

Julianna and I head downstairs and practice piano and violin (both of which her teacher has seen significant improvement this year!!!) for one hour. Other two either play outside or play around us quietly. She then takes a break and I start a load of laundry. We then do an informal circle time where we do our calendar and

weather etc…all three of the kids participate in this-we also do some preschool

songs and finger plays.

x # of pages in Math book, using manipulative, doing chalk board lessons and filling in work book.

She usually only gets this far before lunch so we break for lunch and she plays outside for awhile and then I put the littlest down for a nap and we continue - Hailey is starting to do some preschool like things -file folder games and such…

X# of pgs in SSRW workbook, singing the songs, playing the games (like sound-O instead of bingo, reading the reader that corresponds, do spelling test

Of course while she is doing some independent things I do house work lol!

We then study her memory verses for Awana and do our bible study-I did purchase the proverbs people book as well as a Pearables book on teaching character. I don’t like everything in either one but we are working on the things I do like. Another great resource I found online is Kids of Integrity-I love it!!

So after this we put it all away and tidy up and make supper, then bath, pack our bags for ballet, piano and violin read our bible together and nighty night!!

Tuesday- same routine as Monday but when we are done practicing I do the girls hair in their buns for ballet and mom comes and picks up Benjamin and we head to the city for the day. Music lessons from 1:30-2:30. Do any errands I need to do then head over to the ballet studio on the other side of the city Hailey dances from 4:30-5:15, Julianna does her school work, then we eat the supper I packed and then Julianna dances from 6:00-7:15. Then home we go and mom brings Ben back and then we all go to bed!

Wednesday- same as Monday except we go to AWANA from 6:45-8:00 I drop the girls off and then my mom who is volunteering at cubbies brings then home. So I get the evening to myself-which usually means housework or sewing because I still can’t get caught up on my sewing!

Thursdays-same as Monday and Wednesday but we do a social studies project and occasionally I have to run to town as every other Thursday is payday and I have to go pay bills, groceries etc..we sometimes meet up with a friend who also home schools and take the kids to the park.

Friday-same as Mon, Wed, Thurs, but instead of social we do a science project or go on a nature walk etc. I do more laundry and baking and we get all packed up and ready for ballet.

Saturday- do our morning routine, after we are done practicing we head to ballet for 10:45- 12:45. Then we come home and do the rest of our school and get ready for Sunday. Baths and bedtime routine.

Sunday-A day of rest! We go to church, visit with family or friends, play games together, go outside and do something with daddy if he is home etc…

Now I am sure you noticed that my hubby is not mentioned much -that is because he has been working like crazy lately. He is on the spare board at work -he works for CN so he is basically on call all the time. Today for example he is on his way home from Jasper, he left yesterday at 4 am and he will be home tonight probably after the kids are in bed. He will then probably be called again by tomorrow morning…however this is just for a time as we get caught up on our bills incurred by our renter!

So there you have it-a week in the life *smile*

25!

2010-10-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

Celebrating the sweet victory of being down 25 lbs! Despite the fact that I am currently down and out with a cold this week and my weight loss has slown due to my high craving for carbs, I am still thrilled about making such a huge milestone on my weight loss journey!

I hope those of you reading have not completely lost faith in who I am and my core values. I was reading back over some previous posts and realized that to those of you who are new to this blog and weren't aware of my previous blog-this one makes me sound a teensy bit vain-that girl always talking about weight loss and getting her teeth fixed etc...but I want you to know that these changes in my life are not based on vanity.

I have a thyroid condition which has caused me to gain excessive amounts of weight over the last six years and I had to take action or face major health concerns. I am not losing weight just to be skinny, but to keep myself out of the hospital! As for my teeth-my parents are farmers and never had dental insurance and when you have to pay 200$ just for a cleaning there was no way they could afford to have the twenty thousand dollars needed to fix all the genetic problems in my mouth. However now that my husband has dental coverage with work, and my teeth had gotten so bad that I have had two root canals, an extraction and would have soon had to face more surgery we decided to trust God to provide for us in this area and took a step of faith and booked an appointment at a new dental clinic for a consult. Boy did God ever bless us-what was originally quoted as 20,000 $ we will now pay around 8,000 and that is before insurance coverage which will cover around half. Praise the Lord! I was so blessed the day I went in and they gave me that quote-what a blessing from God -that is 16,000 less that what we were originally quoted! Thank you Jesus!

So all that to say-on my last blog I said I would rather spend 20,000 on a living heritage (adopting children into our family) than on something as vain as perfect teeth, however it turns out that when we entrust all areas of our life-even something as seemingly inconsequential as teeth-He is faithful! And even though we do not have an adopted child or children (yet) He has been faithful there too-we just can't see yet all the details.

Have you trusted God with the smallest details in your life today?? I encourage you from experience to give it a try!

Blessings

Erin

7 quick takes

2010-10-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

Stealing my friend Kacie's quick take idea-so here is a brief update on life as I know it

1. Renter has moved out-very little damage-praise Jesus! Praying for new wonderful renter to move in by Nov. 1. Hiring a property management company to oversee future renters!

2. Fall busyness is in full swing-piano/violin and ballet on Tuesdays, AWANA on Wed and ballet again on Saturdays. So far so good...Hailey is also in ballet this year as well as a tippy toe and tap class on the Sat because Julianna is already in her fourth year of ballet and now has to do two day a week 1.5 hr classes. She is loving it! And so is Hailey! Music lessons are going well, we are quite organized and have been practicing an hour everyday but Sat. Homeschooling is also going well...we are a little behind but not to concerned, went on a three hour nature walk with the whole family to kick of the year and have already done a lapbook on all the trees, shrubs in our area-daddy totally rocked this!

3. Weight loss update-only gained 2.5 lbs while on holidays-have already lost five since we have been back-doing wonderful! Only 13 lbs to go to my half way goal!!! yay!! However it is Canadian thanksgiving weekend and I have three dinners to go to...praying for willpower!!!!

4. After being so worried and concerned about what we were going to do financially about our living situation (we were also told that where we are currently renting was soon not going to be an option as they had decided the are putting their goats in the shop this winter because they don't have a barn...EWWWWWWWW) we prayed for God to open a window where it seemed all doors had been shut to us-well praise His wonderful name the very next day my mom phoned to say that their neighbors (whose house and land is for sale and that we would love to buy if our house would sell) had phoned and asked her if she thought Les and I would be interested in renting their house as they are building a new one on property they had inherited. They said they thought of us because they knew we would take care of it -they are also Christians and so I am certain this was brought about by God. Guess how much they want for rent-just guess!!!!!!

$500/mth!!!!!! That is exactly what we are paying here for our teeny tiny one bedroom apartment!!!!!! And I haven't told you the best part yet-Its a six bedroom four bathroom AMAZING house!!!!!lol!!!! Isn't God soooooooo amazing!!!! I am so unbelievably excited about this!!! Mom and I went and looked at it the other day-absolutely stunning-master bath has huge double jaquzzi, two living rooms upstairs, walkout basement has huge rec room with floor to ceiling bookshelves, two bedrooms and the awesomest girls bathroom with two vanities!! Upstairs also has a huge office-soon to be my homeschool room with a counter top desk area 15 ft long!! Ahh I can set up my sewing and not have to put it away!!!!

Ok anyway-just had to share my excitement!!

5. Today I finished sewing a nightgown for Julianna, as she is getting so tall I had to make her a new one. I also baked 6 dozen buns for the upcoming family dinners, as well as 10 dozen banana berry bran muffins! Love busy delicious smelling fall days!!!!!! I am always inspired to bake this time of year!

6. Another note of praise -since arriving home my husband has been gone all the time it seems, God has truly been blessing our financial situation with wonderful paying trips on the train for Les. He has had two trips to Jasper-which is one of the highest paid trips he can make, and numerous other ones. It is hard on all of us for him to be gone so much, but we know it is only for a short time until we are caught up again. We are praising Jesus for this abundance of work!

7. My last is actually a question for the homeschooling crowd or someone who was homeschooled-does anyone have a good suggestion for a bible curriculum that is not just Sunday school like stories? I am very interested in a series called Proverbs People I have seen it and think that it looks like what I am looking for-it's an indepth character study based on the book of proverbs. Well anyway I am looking for something meatier for Julianna, and being as how I wasn't raised in an uber Christian home or homeschooled or grown up on the mission field I am searching for some options that will give her the knowledge and foundation I saw in many of the kids I went to bible college with. Please anyone out there-share your wealth of knowledge???!!!!

Well that about sums us up for now-blessings and happy Thanksgiving!!

Please would you pray?

2010-09-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

After our long journey home from California, we came to check on our house here on the lake in BC. We had planned to stay for a few days and visit some friends, check on the house and then head on home so Les could go hunting for a few days before his vacation is over and he has to go back to work. Well we checked on our house the first day we were here and our renter was there-he wasn't supposed to be-he was supposed to be on a hunting trip. He knew we were coming and had left us a key. But when we got there he was there...hmmm so then we did a walk through and everything looked ok except the cabin. The cabin was locked and had some of our stuff still in it and was off limits for our renters. Well he had done some reno's in it and it was locked and supposedly he didn't have a key...suspicious right? Well then we noticed that the little bedroom was blocked off and the window in that room was covered. We left and came back to the friends place we are staying at and we decided maybe we would head home the next day as we were vacationed out and just ready to be home. But our friends have a couple of rentals and when I told them we were a little suspicious about our renter and that I was having some serious feelings that something wasn't right-they highly recommended we get into that cabin. So being as how the cabin was off limits and not part of the rental agreement we were allowed to just break the lock and go in. So we told the renter we were coming over and that we needed to get in the cabin-and he tried to convince us not to and to wait till the next day-which confirmed our suspicions. So we showed up and discovered a grow opp in our cabin.

So we are now stuck out here trying to get our renter evicted -which turns out to be so much more difficult in BC than in Alberta (typical BC) and dealing with suing our renter for damages.

Anyway we are in a really difficult situation and would really appreciate your prayers for direction,and finances and if we are supposed to move back...I am a bit of an emotional wreck, I feel so violated by this guy. He totally pulled the wool over our eyes and it makes me feel so stupid and naive that we trusted him...anyway I would just really appreciate your prayers-thank you.

Disneyland or bust!!

2010-09-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

Yup you guessed right ! We are in California, currently I am sitting poolside watching the girls play while Les and Benjamin went for a walk. We arrived here this afternoon after four nights of camping and five days driving-we totally took our time and had a blast!! However I forgot to charge my computer battery and had no place to charge it up until we got here so instead I did the old fashioned journal by hand trick to record all the details! As I have time in the evenings I will add a new post about our trip! It has been amazing, from the Oregon coastline to the giant redwoods to southern Cali we are loving it-the kids have been fairly good, Benjamin's been a little fussy at times but not too bad.

Well that's all for now as Les and Ben are back and the girls are ready to get out...hmm maybe I won't get as much done as I thought lol!
More later.....
Bye from California!!!

Weightloss update

2010-07-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

So I just had to share with you I am 1 1/4 pounds away from my first goal which was 15 lbs!!!!!!!! Also when they did my inches last week I was down 8 1/2 " in the past two weeks making 12 1/2" my grand total so far!! They count 12 " as a dress size!!! SO SO proud of myself. I had hit a bit of a lull for about two weeks-I gained two and then lost two and then sat at this one spot forever but this week has seen significant loss 31/2 lbs this week already and its only Wed!!
So that was what I had to share with you-only 58 1/4 lbs left WOW!!!! Doing a happy dance!!
OHH yeah by making my 15 lb goal I get to keep my dentist appointment for Monday to have my teeth fixed!!! AHAHAH!!!!!! This is a whole long story about how God in his miraculous way made the work for my teeth cost less than half what I was once quoted!!! I'll save that for another post though! Anyway just had to celebrate a little!!!
Blessings
Erin

A few more...:)

2010-07-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

These are some pics of one of my favorite winter activities-sleigh riding! These particular ones were taken on boxing day at a cousin of mines place near Breton. We had a whole bunch of family meet together from all over the province to enjoy a big huge delicious meal and to sleigh ride and tobaggan and play games -my kids were SO exausted they were asleep in the van before we made it to the end of their driveway-playing all day with your cousins and out in the cold will wear little ones out faster than just about anything! Had such a blast! I have some other sleigh riding pics from my birthday but I haven`t uploaded them yet...hey I`ve been busy!!! The other pics are from skating at the tri, and tobaganning with some other cousins who live near by(cousins are sooo wonderful)

There are so many things about moving back to Alberta that have made me happy-one is how much closer we are to extended family. I grew up living within a mile radius of like 12 different cousins-and I love those memories of sleigh riding, tobagganing and skating. I am so blessed my children will grow up near their cousins(actually my cousins kids as my siblings don`t have any kids yet and only one of Les`s sisters has kids and they don`t live with her) To me this was one of the things I missed so much about being away-family! Now don`t get me wrong family is a double edged sword in some ways and we have had our share of troubles with certain ones-but on the whole it is so much better than wasting away in lonliness out in BC.

Thanking my heavenly Father for the blessing of living in Alberta and being able to share my favorite childhood memories with my children!

Some photos of our crazy life!

2010-07-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

So I think I have finally made some technology work for me-I am posting some pics from the last few months...These first few are from this spring, we ran out of round bales( we feed about four 1200-1600 bales per day to ours and my parents herd of black angus cows) On this particular day we had to buy some bales from a neigbour who actually hauls in bales from out of the area and then sells...he only had big squares available which are quite difficult to feed if you don't have the right equipment..so we improvised and hooked up the wagon that the team (of horses) normally pulls. Worked like a charm! I think I should submit the photo of me carry Benjamin in my (wonderful amazing stupendous...) Ergo baby carrier! Talk about being put to good use-and he LOVED riding in it as we fed! This was a wonderful day for us-we spent so much quality time with eachother and yet we were still working and doing chores! What can I say-we both just a couple of farm kids!!! After we were done that day we went in and had some nice warm hot chocolate and cookies mmmm!

I will keep posting pics over the next few days stay tuned to see more adventures from our Faithful Family Farm!

Update

2010-06-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I thought maybe I had better do an update on my weightloss progress-today is the week three that I have been on and I am 1/4 of a pound away from being down ten pounds. Very very proud of myself! It has been going fairly well other than the weekends....we have had birthday partys and dance recitals and the list goes on and on and I find when we are out I don't track what I am eating as much, I forget to take my supplements and I eat things I shouldn't *sigh* However this weekend was better than the previous two and I have found a great spinach salad with low fat raspberry vinagrette dressing to eat at Boston Pizza. Its more than I can finish almost (I add a chicken breast because I am always struggling to get in my protiens!) Anyway today was a problematic day because I was over at my parents house painting their basement as they just had a guy come in and mud and tape it. Well my mom has a ton of junk in her house to eat and I just started into it...icecream drumstick, bowl of nuts, chocolate covered cookies...so all my good choices this weekend are out the window... however I have been doing excellent with workin out. I have a three pack of Jillian Michaels dvd's (shes from the biggest loser I am told) I am using her 30 day shred every evening and today I did one in the morning as well. So proud of myself on this front as well because I am terrible at working out!
Anyway now that you know all the intimate details of my life!!! I will keep you posted on my progress-I weigh in three times a week, and they measure inches lost once every two weeks.
Well better go, I am working on a beautiful shawl for my mom for her birthday in five weeks-and I am a slow knitter!
Erin

A peek in the past

2010-06-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, my dear friend Kacie did up a post on her blog all about my wedding-her and another dear friend came up from Chicago for the weekend and it was the best best best time ever! I don't know what I would have done without them-possibly killed my mother in law and sister's in law!
Anyway go check out her post -she has some awesome pictures! However Kacie dear your map is a little off!! We lived two hours west of Edmonton and the cowboys around here wear wrangler jeans not Levi's( however one of Les's best friends name is Levi!) Thanks Kacie for this amazing post and I still can't believe its one of the most exotic things you've done lol!!! Oh and did I happen to mention my husband is soooo ahhmmm SEXY in is tail coat tux and black hat!!!!
Check her out at www.papuagirlindallas.blogspot.com
The post is titled One of the most exotic things I've done.

Opps! Sorry!

2010-06-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

I guess I just didn't realize how long its been since I have been on here! We have been extremely busy, and with all this lovely rainy weather I have my internet has been sketchy at best! My apology!

So this will be a whats new post!

Where oh where to start...

Busyness- Julianna had her piano/violin recital this past Sunday and it went quite well, she was practicing twice a day for the week before the recital and it paid off. I am always so taken aback by her, she always reminds me so much of myself, but then there are moments when I see how very much she is not like me-or not like what I was at her age-said recital was an example. She marched right up to the front and said her name and what pieces she would be playing and just went right on ahead and did it-in front of all those people! When I was her age I used to figure skate and did for almost ten years of my childhood-but if ever I had a family member other than my mom come to watch-like my grandma's or aunties (who by the way never supported my mom in TRAIPSING me about at such a young age...poor mom) I absolutely froze! I would get soo sick to my stomach and start crying and there was no way I could go out on the ice-I hid by the boards and sobbed as my knees shook! So thankfully my daughter takes after her father in this aspect!!!

We also have two little girls in ballet. Julianna's recital is coming up in two weeks and Hailey just finished her last class yesterday THANKFULLY! So we have been very busy going to regular classes as well as dress rehersals etc...We also had our lovely homeschool coordinator out to see us for her year end visit which went extremely well! I am very pleased with the progress we have made since the babysitting has ceased! We are still going to be doing some work over the summer-finishing up a math workbook and doing a lot of reading, but it has been a good year and I am looking forward to next year-hopefully with less critics!

So thats been some of our busyness, now add to that a new endevor I have begun-I am a little scared to admit this but here it goes- I joined Herbal Magic almost two weeks ago-they are a weight loss program that consists of following an eating guide-all normal store bought foods, coming in for consults three times a week (ouch the gas as the closest location in still 35 min from home!) as well as taking some supplements to aid in metablizing you food and other things...
Anyway I am done eight pounds in a week and a half and the estimate 2-4 lbs per week as healthy ( the beginning you usually lose a little faster) So I have 71 lbs to lose and at 2 lbs / week I will be my goal by end of January. If I keep going at the rate I am; hopefully it will be more like end of September. I am sure you are wondering what has brought me to this painful descision-lets just say that when the scale topped the 200 mark and I saw a recent picture of myself I was so disgusted fed up with the whole thing that I decided to do something real about it. The day after I decided I was given a coupon for 50% off the whole program by a friend who is at her goal weight and has kept it off for over six months now! Praise the Lord my decision was confirmed and amazingly enough the money has not been a problem! So I hope you will join me in my efforts and support me not criticize. I have only told my mom and one other very close personal friend as their are some very nosy people in my life these days that feel they have the right to criticize every move and decision I make. And one specific person has done Herbal Magic before, lost all the weight and then gained it back a few years later so she would be extremely critical and maybe this is not the right attitude-in fact I know its not but-it will bring me some satisfaction to lose the weight in front of her while she herself is not able to after trying other methods. Typing that out made it sound even worse, but I wish you could meet this person that I am struggling with whom I see several times a day. She is a very highly critical person and right now I am tired of being picked on and bullied. So there you have it. Please stay updated as to my progress and yes I would appreciate any cheering you felt like sending my way when I reach certain goals!
Well that is all I will leave you with today as I do actually have so much more but I am just to tired to type it. Hope you are all doing wonderful!
Blessings
Erin

A little bit of sweetness

2010-04-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

I have returned home to Alberta and am so glad to be here. My trip feels like a distant memory most days and I pray that God would continually remind me of the lessons I learned while living in BC.

But that is not what I wanted to blog about tonight-tonight is a night to share some amazing blessings in our lives-
First we found out today that the fire at mom and dads was truly a blessing in disguise-we are being reimbursed for $10,000 dollars for all the things we lost in the fire...this money will pay off the last of our debt from living in BC. We will be free of all our debt except our mortgage. GOD is SOOOO GOOD! This is the most amazing blessing to us. It frees us up to live a little-to buy clothes for our children, to put food on our table...sooo many things! I could go on and on about this but I won't -just had to share how amazing our God is!

Next blessing-today a little girl in a pink body suit and and adorable bun, came running wildly arms flailing when I called her from the yard to go to her ballet class. She stopped about half way to me turned around and ran back to her sister and excitedly told her "I doing to ballet Juanna!!!!! I miss you, I love you-you want come to?????" And proceeded to give her a great big enormous hug, to which said big sister replied-I love you to Hailey-have lots of fun OK-I'll miss you too!!!! Then little pink tutu girl proceed to hug each of the neighbour kids and jabber continuously that she was going to ballet and that she would miss them and that she loved them.
SO PRECIOUS! This is the difference not having dairy and corn makes-what a different little girl she is. So sweet and innocent and just soooo different-still has her moments but just so much more of a joy to be around. Seriously love that girl!!

Emotional vacation

2010-04-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

Hello blog world, I am currently typing this blog post in my hotel room in Lac La Hache BC...why might you ask am I here typing in the dark as my three children sleep? Well as I recently explained to a friend-I blog to think through my thoughts, to process the daily happenings and emotions of my life.

This little vacation I am on-has been a roller coster of emotion for me.

First lets start with the reason I am here and then I will digress to my emotional well being.
I am here to clean our house that we still own on the lake. We have had renters in it and they just moved out yesterday. I had new renters moving in today. So I was here to clean (along with my three children). Well thankfully the house was not too messy it just needed some spot cleaning and the new renters are going to steam clean the carpet, because even though the previous renters said they did-you certainly cannot tell! And I don't have the time or ability )with all three kids in tow to steam clean.
So the long nine hour drive with two not exceptionally happy children was well LONG... however while they were napping and the oldest was watching a movie I found my thoughts wondering and the tears beginning to leak out. See I have driven that particular stretch of highway many many times, first when I was twelve on a trip to my still favorite place-Tofino, then when Les and I were dating we did a crazy four day road trip to Tofino as well, a few more times for a vacation and our honeymoon and then my folks moved over by Kamloops, so again many many more excited highly anticipated trips on good old highway 5 the Yellowhead. Then came the trip when we packed up our house in Alberta and moved with a three year old and a three week old out to my parents place while we waited for Les to get hired in Williams Lake. On the drive out here we talked so much about our hopes and dreams for the fresh new start in a place where no one new us as `so and so`s son or daughter` We sang songs like-Go west young man don`t you know California`s (BC we sang)full of ( well we won`t say what the rest said) but we were just so hopeful. It felt like the first time we had made such and important decision that changed our course as husband and wife as a family of four.

I guess that is what made the tears flow. Was that we had such HIGH hopes and such beautiful dreams, and the drive out here, especially when we stopped at all the familiar stopping places that have become and tradition, and when we went through the little townsite of Vavenby and all the farm land came into view and so much of it was green. ( Alberta is having a very bizarre year as we even have some green already-normally we have snow well into May) It just made me remeber how much hope we had and how badly dispappointed we were, how hurt we have been out here. So yeah...been a pretty emotional few days, a few other incidents haven`t helped the situation and at fear of saying to much and offending a specific person, I won`t say what the other things are, but we`ll just say I am unfortunatly remebering alot of the reasons we left as well.
Another emotional bit was going to the house-again we had such high hopes of friendly bbq, skating and swimming parties, play dates and games nights-all that never happened. And its sad to look down your hallway and see in your mind two little girls dancing around in their little dress, remebering that Hailey learned to walk in this house, and Julianna discovered her passion for ballet and classical music. And I guess sometimes remembering just hurts because we can never go back to that time, we can never feel those emotions and relive those precious moments, except in our minds. So I think I was crying for what I am sure many mothers do-that time is going by so swiftly and our sweet babys grow up so so fast. I wanted that time back today, standing their looking at the wall that has our heights all recorded on it. I just wanted to go back and hold my babys again and love them even more, because I know how precious that time was.

I feel in some ways like we have gone backwards, before we moved out here we had so much more stability and things going for us-two houses-one with rental income enough to pay both mortgages and still have some left, our own home, established friends and church family. Now we are living in chaos, in limbo and I feel like this past year has been wasted, lost and I know I can`t get it back. I know this post is rambling and I am sorry, like I said before I need to write to process my thoughts so that when I am done I have come to some peace, understanding, clarity, finality to my thoughts.

Anyway, I just needed to deal with all these swirling emotions, these wishes and dreams that have been dashed, these feelings of regret and sadness. Thank you for listening to me ramble on.

I have one more interesting antedote-my visit back would of course have to be cursed with snow, as you all know how much I hated the bad roads out here, but not only that I have even been to the local hospital with Hailey who is covered in a rash from head to toe, has a low grade fever an ear infection and a lymph node that is swollen the size of a golf ball...doc says rash is a result of ear infection...I say after reading and researching she has slap cheek-there is another funny latin name for it, but I am almost certain that that is what it is. Thankfully she was contagious before the rash arrived three days ago and is no longer contagious-sorry little neighbor kids at home but for once we are probably going to make you sick! Thank goodness no one here will get it. So my most difficult child when she is at her best is well you could say not exactly making this trip pleasant!
I will end this post on a some what positive note- realtor said he had a couple stop in at the office after seeing our sign on their way south, they are going to be coming back up on Monday and want to have a look at it-he said they are the first real firm bite on the place-so that is good -I think. I am having mixed feelings of course-you know I am greedy I want the cake and icing too. I want a farm in Alberta and I want lake front here haha! Like I said GREEDY!
Ok blessings from the Lac La Hache hotel!

Drama

2010-03-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well we have had some major drama around here lately-some good some terrible...I will start with the bad ....my son turned one on the 16th of Feb. Last week Monday he fell down my full flight of stairs to a cement floor. It was my fault because I ran down to give the girls some water after tucking them in and I left the gate open at the top of the stairs. Usually little man is in bed long before them but not that night. He threw his balls down the stairs and decided he wanted to go get them. Praise God that the only thing he hurt was his arm. He broke it between his shoulder and his elbow. I am giving God all the glory that he didn't hit his head once. He is not even bruised anywhere. Just a broken arm. God is soo good! I spent 10 hours in two different emergency rooms and about midnight the next night we had a john deere green cast put on ! He looks like such a little tough guy with his arm in a cast and his newly cut hair...but he is still my sweet sensitive little lovey! What a cuddler he is! This incident has of course delayed our weaning (not that I was actually setting a time for it) my girls weaned themselves before a year-they just stopped and didn't want anymore(or else just bit and never drank!) He on the other hand is such a little bosom baby! (I always tease my hubby that he is daddys boy!) So I have been letting him nurse fairly frequently as it is to hard for him to hold his sippy cup with one hand!

Well in other news it looks like we might be buying a modular home and putting it on mom and dads place while we wait for our house to sell. Lets just say the whole falling down the stairs thing was the straw that broke the camels back. In other words we can no longer live here in this house -we want out! So we are waiting for the banks approval -hopefully by this week and then we will have to wait for the road bans to come off the road before we can move it onto their land. But I am very excited because we will be able to order what we want for a floorplan and decor and its going to be 1520 sq. feet and we will be able to plant a garden and I am already looking for a Guernsey milk cow and Les and the girls can get their dog (not so sure I like that but..) Anyway it finally feels like we are moving forward instead of sitting in limbo. It also means we might be able to do foster care or possibly open ourselves up to adoption again...maybe. Anyway I am just very excited by all of it and glad to be finally thinking about getting out of this little apartment!

I wanted to share a little about our homeschooling-I bought the program sing, spell read and write and I am SOOOO happy with it. It is a wonderful program that teaches not only phonics (which she had been doing already) put grammer and comprehension etc...the readers that come with it are by far the best readers I have found for beginner readers! I am sooo please with the program-Julianna is starting into the grade one about half way through it but I am already working a little with Hailey on the letter sounds and recocognition. Mostly because she is so interested in doing school too! She has the attention span of a flea! Anyway it has been fun to try something new and I am very pleased with her progress.
This week in homeschool julianna is also learning to sew. She got a machine for Christmas and we were supposed to use it before this but life just kept getting in the way. So this week I am working on two quilts for a friend who just got two little boys in her foster home. She needs blankets for their toddler beds so that is what I am making her. So this is the perfect opportunity to teach Julianna. She has been begging me to use it and to teach her so it shouldn't be to hard!

Well I better run and get some piano and violin practiced with Julianna while mr. man is sleeping!
Blessings from the nice and warm province of Alberta!
Erin

Natalie MacMaster concert!!

2010-02-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

eOk I am just soo excited..I just got home from going to see an AMAZING Cape Breton fiddling/dancing concert. I am sure some of you have heard of the famous Natalie MacMaster-she is an amazing Canadian legend! Well a dear friend of mine here and I along with our two oldest who are both taking violin lessons (julianna is taking piano as well) went to see this amazing lady and it turns out (I didn't know this) that the guy who was playing with her is her husband. He is Donnell Leahy and he is part of the family band Leahy. I have heard them on the radio before but i had no idea they were married. Anyway this is their first tour together seperate from their own bands. It was sooo AMAZING!!! They are such down to earth people with amazing characters. They had us laughing at how goofy they were, and clapping wildly when they played unbelievebly fast duels...oh I could just go on and on. But the coolest thing was that their kids were back stage. And when we first got there the fire alarm went off and we all had to evacuate the building...then they couldn't start right away because they had to put their three little children back to sleep! Then at the end of the concert the kids had obviously awoken and were watching and joining in the dancing on the side of the stage-it was soooo cute!!! How wonderful to be able to perform together as a couple and have your children be able to come on stage with you!!! It was just so wonderful!!!I am going to post a you tube video of them (if I can figure out how to!) Just to give you a taste of what they are like! what can I say-I am absolutely smitten!!!

ok once I figure out how to upload a youtube video i will put it on here!

Chatter

2010-02-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

Today there is the feeling of a lazy Sunday afternoon-wait thats what it is...however Les has some days off so this is a special lazy Sunday afternoon. Right now Daddy is working on his Daddy Do list. Because he is gone six days a week and on his one day off we try to do special things like swimming/skating visiting family etc...he hasn't had a chance to work on some of the little projects that three adoring little people have been waiting for.

Today is the day-currently he is putting together the er interesting Christmas present our oldest recieved from hmm who else other that the mother in law...an easy bake oven-which is great but I thought it was a little old for her. She of course thinks its amazing!

opps got pulled away and I saved this as a draft-it is now Tuesday....

I guess I need to do a little updating...since my last post we have had some very interesting goings on. First off the night of my last post I got a call in the middle of the night-from my dad saying the shop is on fire-this is where all of our storage stuff is stored other than the few things we have brought to this tiny apartment. Thankfully my pictures and scrapbooks are all here and of no one was hurt. But all our stuff??Well some is water damaged which is heartbreaking and some is smoke damaged. BUT praise our Lord the insurance company has brought in a special cleaning service that cleans all the smoke damaged things. So when they finally showed up last week we had to go through ALL of our things ...in the FREEEEZZZINGGGG cold. But it looks like most everything is salvageable minus a few not to sentimental things. Praise God!

Now the next thing we have had going on is the buying of some land-6 quarter sections actually. The neighbor farm across from mom and dads place is for sale and when they came sleigh riding at for my birthday I commented to them that if my house in BC was sold I would make them an offer on the quarter across the road from mom and dads. It is just a raw 160 acres, but beautiful rolling hills and a mix of open and treed land. LOVE IT. Well they must have discussed it and they approached us and said-make us an offer and we will put it pending the sale of your house in BC.
So we did! and they accepted!!!!! So now we are finishing getting our house listed and praying heartily that God will help it sell ASAP! This is sooo exciting for us, we also offered to buy the 5 quarters of lease land for a much cheaper price obviously, but still that is 640 acres!!! We will finally be able to farm!!! And it is so close to mom and dads and yet still our own place!
We are working on housing plans-we intend to build my dream house (a square log 2 storey with dormers and wraparound porch!!) Yippeee!!! I am sooo happy about this we will finally have a place to call home, to put down roots, to hopefully welcome a few more little people into! Seriously things are looking up around here.

Which brings me to the next wonderful bit of news-I am DONE babysitting the neighbor kids!!! I had been praying for the entire month of January-please Lord take this from me, I am failing as a mother to spend enough time with my own children let alone do a good job of caring for some one elses, I am doing a terrible job of homeschooling my daughter and now my youngest daughter has been diagnosed with some pretty difficult food allergies (corn and milk) how Lord can I do all these things and do them well? And so he answered me in the most perfect way and this is how I know it was from God. She got laid off. So I didn't have to quit which I didn't feel was the right thing to do, she didn't have to quit which she didn't feel was the right thing for her to do. God totally arranged it. So this is my second week of being free! Last week felt worse than the babysitting because I had appointments in town every day. This week (it is only Tuesday BUT) feels amazing. We have done lots of schooling, and house keeping and piano/violin practicing. And I don't feel exhausted and worn out. I am enjoying being home with my kids. I have a bunch of fun projects I am getting ready to start working on. Like teaching Julianna to sew on the little machine she got for Christmas. She has also asked to learn how to crochet. I have a knitting project I would like to finish up as well as a few dresses to sew for the girls. I am just so thankful to be done and have this precious time to focus on my family. ********deep sigh of relief*******
So I am quite sure that this post was more than long enough, thank you for reading my ramblings oh and I have a question for any homeschoolers that may be reading this-have any of you used the sing, spell, read and write program before?? What did you think of it if you did?
Thanks and may the Lord bless your day!

Post Christmas/Post Birthday

2010-01-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

I guess I missed blogging about Christmas so I am just going to say it was good....and skip to my birthday which was GREAT!!!
Other than the fact I had to babysit the extra's on Friday my day was wonderful, had a dear friend that I miss so much come over and have a sleepover (so cool!) and we played cards and visited till 1:30 in the morning (sort of regretted that,baby was up the rest of the night with a fever!) Then Saturday we went to mom and dads for a full day of sleigh riding!!! And the weather here was sooooo beautiful! + 5 C out! We also went tobagganing into the evening and another trip with the team after dark-so cool! We drank homemade hot cocoa and sat around the fire roasting marshmallows mmmmmm itwas sooo wonderful! And then joy of joys we got to do it again with a whole other group of family today! What an amazing weekend! What a spectacular birthday! I will post pic a little later because I used my film camera and as soon as I get the prints and cd back I will put them on here! Seriously-haven't had this much fun in a really really long time!

Typical

2009-12-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

So I sat down to write this post after reading a bunch of blogs, my middle daughter screamed in her bed for the last hour and a half, and well I just realized I was about to do the typical whiny complainy thing that has been the bane of my existance for what seems like the last year. I had a friend comment to me the other day that I seemed to have come out of a slump because Iwas acutally saying nice things about my husband again etc..then she implied maybe I had a little post partum depression...so now I am pondering the past year and wondering have I been that upset and that -depressed? Maybe-maybe not. I know I have been angry alot, discontent alot, frustrated and antagonistic to a lot of people including God...but I don't know if I should be blaming that on an actual medical condition or on my poor relationship with God, a character flaw disappointed dreams...anyway just a little peek into my foggy brain.

So in an effort to keep this on a cheerful level and not stoop to my former complaining ways, here is a little bit of Christmas time chatter

-My mom and I always watch White Christmas before the holidays, I don't remember when we started doing it, but it's been over fifteen years since we started.
-I LOVE snow-I HATE the cold and just so everyone out there knows we just survived -46 degrees CElsius!!!!! Today it snowed over six inches and when I was walking back across the yard to take the neigbors kids home it was dark and the yard lights were on and the snow was twinkiling and sparkling like only fresh snow can do like a billion diamonds thrown out across our little yard...it made me think that God must have had fun creating snow, snow that catches the light in the same way diamonds do, that when its cold crunches in the most fabulous way, I really do love snow!
-I grew up on a 2000 acre ranch and we had a team of horses and a sleigh and my favorite memories are sleigh riding with my dad and any friends or family that were along-we sing jingle bells and drink hot chocolate and it really is the most wonderful feeling in the world-you feel like you are so blessed to experience a fairy tale moment, and the warmth of loved ones enjoying it around you is so amazing! My dad is going to be getting the team out for the first time this year on Christmas day and I am so excited to take the kids and go for a sleigh ride with them and 'papa"!
-I also have fantastic memories of toboganning down the hills by our house. I remember when i was quite young-five/six ish, I would tell people winter was my favorite time of year-and it was but everyone thought I was crazy so they would ask me why-know what I told them?? Because there are no bees in winter!!!lol I was soooooo petrified of bees as a child that if one got in our car while we were driving I would actually try to jump out of the vehicle-I went balistic!! And if you know me you know that I still don't have a fond relationship with bees, and that in fact I am a bit of a freak about most creepy crawly things-in particular roaches and any spider bigger than a little old house spider!
-More memories of growing up on the ranch-we used to live on our own private lake-now it didn't have nice sandy beaches or anything and it was only about a mile long by a half mile wide-but we still swam in it in the summer and of course my favorite-had skating parties in the winter-my dad would take the tractor out and plow a race track way out and all over the lake and we would clear a rink and play hockey night on Kathleen Lake. I have very very fond memories of skating parties with bon fires and hot chocolate and cousins and even a few boys that I had crushes on (I married one of them)
It is really fun to look back on your old memories-thank you for letting me go back through and dust off some favorites, and you know the best part of this reminising -is that my girls are old enough to be forming memories of their own-what do I want them to remember? This was a good reminder to pass on some of my favorite things!
Hope you all stay warm this holiday season and in case I don't write again-have a very merry Christmas!
blessings
Erin

A little of this a little more of that

2009-12-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

I know its been a while again, I'm sorry I can't help it! I will give you a little bit of an update-
My mom and Julianna and I went to the premier of the Nutcracker ballet last night. It was so beautiful! It was so much fun to get all dressed up and fancy and go out to an adult event! I was also struggling with the thought of how much opulence and upper class snobbery was going on... and how their are children around the world starving to death and in terrible circumstances and here we were out lavishly spending money (well not us personally!) And I was reading in the brochure they give you about how much money is donated and the cost of the production etc... SOOO much money on a BALLET! I just couldn't help but think how much that money could do for all the unfortunate around the world. So the ballet was amazing, but it was also a reality check as to what things in life we put as priority.
On a different note, I have been having some conflicts lately in my spirit as to what we are supposed to be doing where we're living...we are currently living in a one bedroom apartment in a friends equipment shop on a farm a little over an hour from the city where my husband works. Now he doesn't drive everyday and neither do I but our gas bill for our vehicles is like 500-600$ per month. We are living sort of rent free however-I am babysitting in exchange for rent. Now this is where the dilemma comes in-there is an adoption possibility locally that we recently became aware of 3 little ones in foster care that are approved for adoption, they are AA or should I say African Canadian, and absolutely beautiful...our hearts were stolen immediately. So we are taking the steps to be approved to adopt them if we are considered a compatible family for them. Now getting them is not a guarantee and we have quite a few of the necessary steps already done but this means we would definitely need a bigger house, and as our house in BC hasn't sold yet we would have to rent. Now this is the dilemma, we are living in the area that my dad and grandparents grew up in. My grandparents farm and house has just become available for rent-it is five bedrooms. It is also 1150/month rent...
So what I am struggling with is -do we go for it or not? We are comfortable here in our little apartment and God is teaching us to be content no matter what our circumstances, and I am afraid to go after these little ones without their being a strong possibility at least of us getting them... I don't want to rent this house just to be able to be approved for our homestudy. We had actually been hoping to buy the whole farm or do a rent to own agreement with the land owner and we think he is possibly open to this as he had it for sale all last year and it didn't sell.
I guess I just don't have the confidence or maybe its faith to do it. I have been feeling a little betrayed or angry at God for all these failed adoption situations. When I put it right out there I feel like we were doing what we were called to do-adopt- but every situation has fallen through. It is making me second guess myself-was God really calling us to adopt-or was it just me wanting to build my family my way? I am very torn about this situation, and I am struggling with my faith greatly-we started this process over four years ago and its starting to take its toll.
Anyway there you have my big dilemma, please keep me and my family in your prayers if you don't mind.
I guess I ought to be going and do something useful like fold laundry or something!
blessings!

Eight

2009-11-15T11:12:00.000-08:00

Is the number of children I am looking after today-on my day off-sigh...it is also the number of days off work my husband took for sick leave-H1N1....I even think I would say it is the number of hours of sleep I have had in the last week....and that is not an exaggeration!
Six is the number of teeth my son has now-he has been contributing to the lack of sleep!
I guess there isn't much else going on around here of importance, my internet wasn't working for awhile so I was unable to check email for a couple weeks. So instead I borrowed the first few seasons of Gilmore girls to watch in the evenings while I work on my crocheting and knitting.
But alas that is all the time I have-mister man is screaming his complaints and kids are getting into things they shouldn't....gotta go!
Blessings

wow its been awhile

2009-10-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hello long lost blogging world...what can I say I am a busy lady these days lol. I realized tonight when I was thinking of what to write that everything I was going to say was very whiny and complainy and when I read back over my last blog post I realized I still need a daily reminder to be thankful in everything. So tonight I am thankful that all three of my children feel the need to scream at the top of their lungs for an hour past bedtime BECAUSE it means they are healthy and alive and that I am doing a good job of being firm and not giving in to their schemes to stay up later! I am also thankful for the FREEEZING COLD weather out here in Alberta because it means that I am no longer in BC and miserable this winter, it means that I can bake bread at a reasonable time of day because its not sweltering up here in my second story apartment, and there are no more wasp (we killed the last one in the girls bedroom yesterday!!) Thank you Lord for the cold (shiver, shiver!)

For my American readers it is Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend thus the whole being thankful topic!

hmmm well I guess that about sums of the life of little old stay at home me...had all six kids today for 13 hours (arggghh) but was able to watch them at their house ( they have a big screen tv and satellite with treehouse!) so I actually had time to do a little reading because I wasn`t at my house with all my pressing chores beckoning to me! And tommorow we are supposed to have swimming lessons but I forgot that because of the long weekend they are cancelled YAY an extra day to stay home and get caught up-we went away this weekend and why is it that one little old suitcase of clothes adds up to a week of being behind in laundry!! Anyway!
Wishing all of you a blessed Canadian Thanksgiving weekend!
Erin

Heart wrenching

2009-09-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

Well with a title like that I can't start off by telling you all about my busy life.
Instead I will tell you about a heart breaking story of a girl who lives just up the road from me whom I have become friends with

S is a 27 year old lady who has three children T. in grade one, M in kindergarten and H. is 2 1/2. She is due in four weeks with her fourth baby a son already named H.
Today I went to her husbands funeral.
I have never been to a funeral of a young person-I have been to numerous older people funerals but never to a young father, husband, brother, sons funeral.
I have never seen grief like this before.

Today I phoned my husband whom I have not been getting along with very well lately. We have been having some major struggles that I thought had been dealt with earlier in our marriage.
When I phoned him I started crying and I told him how much I love him.
Because it doesn't matter how awful things have been going for us, he is still alive tonight, he is still going to come home this weekend and give my daughters piggyback rides and tickle them until I tell him he has to clean up the pee if they pee their pants. He is going to pack my son around and blow zerberts on his tummy. He is also going to not pick up after himself, sleep in till noon and spend money we don't have...but he is going to be here and when I think of what S is going through this week-thats all that really matters.

Hoping if you read this it will remind you to be thankful for even the frustrating things in life.
A poem was read at this young man's funeral I am posting it because it just really struck home today. Blessings Erin,

The Dash Poem
by Linda Ellis
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

©1996 Linda Ellis

Yummy!

2009-09-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ok you all may or may not be interested in this , but as my daily life involves cooking and baking for 8 people I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes with you!
First off is my favorite bread recipe, it is fast and easy and I make it healthier by adding whole week flour and a little vital wheat gluten.

4 cups flour
1 TBSP fast acting yeast
combine

3 cups very warm water
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup sugar
6 TBSP oil

I combine the appove ingrediants adding the water last to keep it warm
Then add your wet to dry beat with a fork or hand held beaters for 1 min, slowly add 3-4 cups more flour, knead just until its all mixed together and let rise 20 mins beat down, rise 20 more min beat down then shape into buns or bread let rise one hour bake in 375 f for twenty minutes for buns, 30 for bread.
YUM
I normally double this recipe and it makes eight loaves of bread when doubled.

My next recipe I made just last night-

ALL AMERICAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I double this recipe as well. (I will write it in single form)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter softned
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 package 12 oz semisweet choco chips

combine flour baking soda and salt
beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture, stir until well blended. Add in choco chips. drop heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 375 f for 8-10 minutes
YUMMMMMM

So now onto the daily ramblings of a stay at home mom
We picked up Julianna's violin yesterday in the city (Edmonton). She absolutly loves it and has been begging to play it all day. Her lessons start tommorow. We also got my piano moved from the old barn to the downstairs here-a very tight squeeze but worth it! So this morning there have been many small fingers banging away on it and I am very grateful that it is downstairs where I can close the door and not have to hear all their musical attempts!
We also started our homeschool this week and that is very exciting Julianna is in grade one this year and we are all excited about the things she is going to learn! She is already reading and she loves loves loves to read and of course be read too! We just finished reading the second book in a series called Big Apple Barn-all about horses lol how could you guess! We are farm folk after all! There is a new christian girls series out I wonder if anyone has heard about it or knows anything about it-Precious girls club or something like that?

Anyway I guess I should go the baby is fussing!
Blessings from this little family homestead to yours!

A little this a little of that

2009-09-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hello, after reading some really amazing and thought provoking blogs tonight I realized how exceptionally shallow my blog sounds...I don't really write all that I am thinking or feeling or analyzing-I guess I am a little worried, my last blog I shared some things and it caused our adoption to be put on hold. And I know some people who read that I am not sure I can trust with all the details. So anyway for now even though it is shallow and maybe not interesting to anyone, I am going to write the little daily things that are what make up my day. I enjoy writing and processing my thoughts through writing so even if no one out there is reading, I am still able to benefit from my efforts!

So today I had the six kids -I babysit three extras under five. Today the weather was miserable and so they were inside all day. We are living in a small one bedroom apartment above our friends shop ( garage thingy). Needless to say it was a very long day. The children are really good but they are just busy and we normally spend three quaters or our day outside playing on the amazing playground they have here. Or we go look at the goats, or they ride their bikes up and down the country driveway. Today we watched cartoons, we colored some pictures, made a huge mess with some playdough, ten minute tidyied their moms house and they also fought with eachother, bit, kicked screamed pushed and cried together! So this is what winter is going to look like when the weather hit thirty or forty below and we are stuck inside this little apartment ahhh!!!!!!
So for all you creative minds out there who enjoy a good challenge- what are some amazing crafts, games, activities to do with two five year olds a three year old two two year olds and well the baby. lol I have a couple of cool childrens books but still could use some good ideas. ok my computer is totally acting up it won`t let me use the question mark button....anywho-so that is my challenge to you!
Well gotta go my long awaited husband has finally arrived home from a week away at work!
Blessings

Opps

2009-08-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry its been so long I can't believe how fast a week can go. Well I went to BC for 6 days or so...the wedding we went to was very interesting-done by a JP (justice of the peace) and there wasn't a single word about God in the whole thing. It was strange to hear the couple say "I am legally able to commit to this marriage" not a thing about promising before God etc...it made their vows not seem sacred or anything-it was just a legal aggreement-weird. That and the brides mom was their with her girlfriend-yes in the lesbian sense, and the grooms cousin was a cross dresser and I couldn't tell if he was a guy or a girl the first night...strangest wedding this little country girls ever been too! lol!

The rest of my trip was well...hmmm lets just say that camping in the rain with a friend who you get into a disagreement with isn`t exactly the way I was hoping to spend my only week off this summer...

Anyway when I got back the next day we went to the airport and met Sharla and her new kids just arrived from Ethiopia!! Welcome home Sharla!! She was on the front page of the Edmonton Journal the next day and there were film crews there as well (I don`t have tv but I am sure they were on the local news!)

My parents moved into their new place this weekend. It is just ten minutes up the road from where we are-it is such a beautiful location! I love it! Hopefully we are going to be able to build our house on their land!

So in other news I am totally loving my Creative Memories digital scrapping software-I did like 8 pages last night! I am going to see if I can load one onto here...ok well it loaded just not in the right spot...isn`t he cute!!

Well I guess I should go still have the top floor of the house to tidy while everyone is napping

Blessings!

grin

2009-07-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well yesterdays post was extremely pathetic, not only in the fact that it didn't make sense (hmm did that have anything to do with blogging while babysitting and parenting six small children??!!) And that I was completly exhausted.
Doing much better today in case you were worried...got a decent nights sleep (the amount that you get when your still getting up in the night to feed a baby, but not having to get up with two little girls who are having nightmares or have to go pee!)

I also just went and got the mail-and praise the Lord there was a HUGE cheque in there with my name on it that I wasn't expecting or even aware of-apparently the government in Alberta gives us Albertans money for an employment tax credit! Yippee for me!!! I was just praying yesterday about the money needed to buy school curriculum and pay for ballet and violin-well this cheque should cover it all!! GO GOD!!

Maybe that has something to do with my better mood-that and my husband is home and there have not been any residual fireworks from our battle a couple days ago-wheeewww.

So now I am free to focus my mind on more exciting things-like the fact I am going on vacation for a week! Leaving Saturday for BC for a wedding! And then visiting and camping with a few friends-see ya soon Claire!!!!!Justine!!!! (Kim oh Kim you just had to be going away this week *sigh*)

I can also think about the new digital scrapbooking software and contents I just got for free from my creative memories party! And the scrapbooking spa and social I am going to tommorow night!!! Life is looking up!!

Well on that happy note...I am off to check on all the sleeping babes! By the way did I mention how good it is to be back connected to the online world!!
Blessings!

Good morning???*

2009-07-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

*yawn* so it is like 8 am here and I am already losing my mind...is it a full moon or what because the half dozen kids I am looking after are driving me crazy and its still morning *sigh*
I have had two very stressful days this week, a huge battle with my husband and in laws which is so wearying and draining and well just plain miserable.
I was reflecting this morning on my past a little and I was thinking that for so many years I had to fight so hard for things-to be a christian in a anti christian school, to go to bible college to live my life the way I felt I was being called. And I have paid a high price for it...but I am discovering that I am getting so weary and tired of fighting against what is everyone else's normal. I am losing that strong passion and the sense that it will be worth it in the end. This is spilling over into the way I raise my kids. My oldest daughter is extremely well behaved, other that when we move and she takes a month or two to adjust, she really is a good kid with a compassionate heart. She was trained. I feel like I did a really good job with her-not to toot my own horn but I was really involved and tried really hard to teach her right from wrong etc..

My middle daughter is to say the least a very very difficult child. She has been since the day she was born. I struggle with her daily. And she is wearing me down. I find myself snapping at them and yelling at them(which if you knew how I was raised you would know that it is absolutly killing me to be like that). I find myself wishing for a break and my mind travels down the road of what if...what if I had not been engaged when I went to college and married someone else, what if I hadn't married and I was single and pursuing other things...what if I was not a mom at all and what would I be doing with myself? I think hmmm I would maybe have gone to bakery school and opened my own cake making business, or gone overseas and done the missionary thing that I felt so passionate about, or be a published author because I actually have time to write and the brain space left at the end of the day to form a sentence. After the last two days thoughts like this start to overtake my mind, even though for the most part I am happy with this life I am living.
I usually embrace it in fact. I have a friend who is the oldest of 12 kids and she was very much responsible in a negative way for raising them. She can't wait for her children to all be in school and be able to pursue her own interests. I am choosing to homeschool because I can't stand the thought of my little girl being away all day. I didn't have kids so I could send them to someone else to raise and teach up and train. I love my kids soo much. But I guess today I am just weary. And I know this verse keeps going through my head-do not be weary in doing good because you will reap a harvest if you do not give up(thats my paraphrased version) But somedays you just get tired. If you think of me today please pray for me.

Out of the dark ages and into the light!

2009-07-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hello! I am writing to you from my own little apartment out in the Alberta countryside, from my new laptop with my Bell internet stick!!! YIPPEE, I am part of the modern world once again!
I have looked at many of your blogs over the last few months while I was able, but unfortunatly I was unable to comment due to the time constraint of using the library's internet *sigh* However I am back and albeit really busy as I am babysitting three extra's that makes 6 kids 5 and under...I am soo glad to read and hear from all my wonderful blogging friends!

So not much is new since the last post other than we moved into a smaller place-we are renting a one + bedroom apartment above some friends shop on a quarter section of land out in the boonies, and we are loving it ( other than the one bedroom thing but we are managing!)
Little Benjamin is growing like crazy and he gets cuter everyday. The girls are loving having little neighbor kids to play with everyday and they have an amazing kids playground, so that makes the babysitting go a lot easier. The lady we are renting from is totally into scrapbooking and together we are getting into digital scrapping which is soooo cool loving it!

And I am totally loving living in Alberta I missed my home!!! I missed the friendly like minded people and I missed the shopping and all my friends. But I will say I miss my lake out in BC and I miss the few dear hearted friends out their-hi kim and Justine and Claire! And one thing I noticed that I didn't before which has its good points and bad-is that in BC nobody follows the norm- so the good in that is that you could homeschool, and not vaccinate your kids and not get any flak from anyone-in fact everyone embraced being different (for the most part) however the bad in that was that being a christian was not that cool...every religion was embraced and I found that hard...but like I said I also find it hard being critisized for not vaccinating and for homeschooling and for wanting to do things out of the norm...but you know-I think I thrive on being different-it gives me a challenge and keeps life interesting and really thats what made us move to BC in the first place-to try something different and step out of our normal. And as homesick as I was and as glad as I am to be back BC definatly had its good points.

Well I guess that is a good length first post...I wouldn't want to bore you all to tears with my rambling.
Blessings

UPDATE!

2009-05-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Well I am sure you all thought that I had fallen off the planet-I have not, so hear is a brief update on our lives-
We have a son who is three months old Benjamin Harvey James, he was born on Feb 16th via emergency c-section ( a small reason for not being able to update!)
Our birthmom changed her mind, however we are still able to adopt until December so we are hoping and praying that God brings whomever he has for us soon.
WE are temorarily renting my aunt and uncles farm as we search to find a place togther with my parents
My dearest husband has been transferred thankfully!!! And his first pay check will arrive next Thursday over 4000$ for two weeks!!! PRAISE GOD! I am considering spending the summer out at the lake if we don't rent out our house.
WEll thats all I can manage for today, DH is at home with all three children lol!
Blessings

Matched! Again....

2009-01-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

Hi...so after a title like that I can't just start rambling about my Christmas and everything that is going on with me now can I? So I will tell you the amazing news first-we are matched with a birthmom that is due mar. 2 with an AA boy-she is a scheduled c-section and she is in Loiusiana. She picked us before she even saw our profile (the social worker was telling her about us being Canadian etc..) So my c-section should be on the 19th of Feb....yes I had to go with one or I might not be able to travel to get my other son! So wow!! Isn't God amazing??!!!!!!!!!! We are so beyond excited and get this-I got the phone call on my Birthday-last Thursday!!!!!!! Happy birthday to me!!!
So now all the trouble we have is agreeing on two boys names-we were having enough trouble when it was just one lol!
So here is your chance to give your opinion-these are the names, you vote and tell me which ones you like best or you can give suggestions and if yours is the one we pick I will send you a prize!!!

So here they are
Benjamin
Levi
Isaiah
William
Jacob
Josiah
Samuel
Riley
Justice

So yeah...HELP!!!! I have this thought of wanting them to sound nice together ie Jacob and Josiah, but i also love the meanings behind many of them...and I have a husband who likes to be argumentative just for the sake of sending me over the edge lol! So give me your favorites or a combination of two and maybe we can solve this dilemma-oh and such a glorious dilemma it is!!!

Oh and I am soo pleased-I just picked up my passport-my very first passport!! I feel like I could see the world!!! lol
God is good so so good!!!

I am found again!

2008-12-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

I am no longer the long lost blogger! I am back! So sorry for the absence but moving to an entirely different province and not having internet hooked up at home is not exactly conducive to blogging!
So here is an update:
First off-we had our homestudy update last Wednesday!!! And it went great! So seriously love living in Alberta-why oh why did we leave!!!
Les is still in BC-hmmm this is not good-we are waiting to hear tommorow after a week of meetings between the company and union-if they will let him transfer. PLEASE PRAY!!
Good news is he will be here for Christmas!!!
WE have started working with a new agency in the US, they have been amazing! Our other agency ABL is not willing to work with us-which is completly retarded as they have $8000. of our money and we have an approved updated homestudy grrr!!!!!!!!
Any way-I don't have much time right now, but I just wanted to let you all know we are in Alberta and LOVING it!!! HOME SWEET HOME! And our adoption is going to go through-how amazing is our God?? In case I don't get a chance to write again-I pray you all have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Frustrated

2008-11-14T13:37:00.000-08:00

So today has been a day of phone calls and emails...I had almost forgotten how intense this adoption thing is. I have been trying for the last five days to get a hold of our Indiana agency..to no avail. I have phoned, emailed and basically harrassed the receptionist...until today at long last I heard from Tina. And it was a little discouraging but she said she would have to present our new info to the board and decided if they could still work with us-she said she will get back to me next week. GRRRRRR-she never ever gets back to me and excuse me but I have already paid you $8000 dollars-you ARE going to work with us. If we have an approved homestudy they (which we do) they should still have to work with us-we have a signed contract after all! So that has totally annoyed me. Plus I have tried contacting about 10 other agencies this week and only heard back from one. That one is looking very promising. She emailed me back three times in 10 minutes. We have a possible situation of a boy in Florida due on the 8th of Dec. The fees are really high though and the birth mom said only one child already hmmm...well the agency says we are the only ones interested and she is due in just a few weeks...so we will see. I am signed up with referral agencies and checking websites that post their available situations, if you know of any agencies with available AA situations please pass them on to me!
Anyways that is my whining for the day-sorry! I am so thankful that we are able to pursue this adoption thing and that Alberta is willing to work with us. God really is good. Its just so hard to wait when you feel like you have been waiting forever (three years is forvever isn't it!)
Anyways, on a side note-today I got a phone call from a lady who just moved here from a small town up north. She was given my number by a lady i know who scrapbooks in a different town. So this lovely lady has two small children and grew up on a ranch just like me. She loves to scrap and do crafts and she only lives ten minutes away...I am like-grrrrr now that we are moving of course someone shows up!!!! LOL anyway I am taking her with me to ladies craft night tonight and hopefully she will have better luck making friends over here!
In other news, my youngest is potty training right now and this morning she was running around with no pants on but a toque (winter hat for you American readers) and mittens and her shirt!!! Then when I wasn't noticing she decided to go #2 on the pot...so a few minutes later she comes up to me for a hug-I pick her up and EEWWWW poop all over my arm!!! But hey at least she did her business on the potty-she just couldn't wipe lol!
Ok well I think that was about enough for this post! blessings!

Moving! AHHHHH

2008-11-13T16:38:00.000-08:00

Well, God is good-in fact He is great!!! We are moving back to Alberta! They are letting my hubby transfer and they are letting our adoption go through!! AHHHHH praise the Lord! I am so excited that I am even enjoying packing-er well somewhat tee hee. I am a little sad to leave my peaceful sanctuary that we have here on the lake, however we are not selling but renting it out so hopefully we will be able to keep it as a summer home and come back and visit all the lovely people we are sad to leave behind.
Our Alberta agency has been soooooo unbelievably amazing to work with, they are willing to bend over backwards for us, they are going to come out to our rented house within two to three days of us arriving and do our update ( we are not telling them about being prego...this is not sitting great with me however I still view the whole situation as a door opened by God..tricky isn't it) So anyway they told us not to put ourselves on hold while we are moving, but if we get a call the executive director herself will come to our house that night and do the update if we haven't done it yet! WOW and that was right from her mouth...talk about a difference in agencies-Choices was in it for the money and were very legalistic in their approach to everything, these guys are just wanting the best for our family and are willing to help us whereever we need it-PRAISE GOD!
So anyway that was my little giddy dance around the room lol! I guess I better get back to packing...the hubby and kids are out taking bottles to the depot and dropping off recycling and taking garbage to the dump..we live in a rural area so no garbage pick up. So while they are away I should really be making better use of my time, its just so much easier to concentrate whilst there is no one else to interrupt my thoughts! Anyway hope you are all doing great and thank you lovely ladies who commented-it is sooo great to be back and have you all for support!
Blessings

A fresh start

2008-11-08T21:55:00.000-08:00

I decided to try this again. My last blog got me in more trouble than it was worth as someone reading it reported to our adoption agency that we were expecting and to read my blog-which of course they did and therefore called off our whole adoption and unmatched us with our birthmom. So despite my previously horrible experience-I have discovered over the last month how much I miss blogging, and how much I miss keeping up with everyone! So here I am again...this time-no revealing info, and hopefully minus the nosy in laws. Hope you still enjoy reading my daily musings and snippets from our life.

A family Journey

Baby #4 and other news

She is here!

Updates

Baby projects

Announcement

A homeschool field trip

Volcano science/school project

Sunday

A few meandering thoughts

I'm back

Loss

When everything falls

Excitement!

I am still alive-honest!

A week in the life of a homeschool mom

25!

7 quick takes

Please would you pray?

Disneyland or bust!!

Weightloss update

A few more...:)

Some photos of our crazy life!

Update

A peek in the past

Opps! Sorry!

A little bit of sweetness

Emotional vacation

Drama

Natalie MacMaster concert!!

Chatter

Post Christmas/Post Birthday

Typical

A little of this a little more of that

Eight

wow its been awhile

Heart wrenching

Yummy!

A little this a little of that

Opps

*grin*

Good morning???*

Out of the dark ages and into the light!

UPDATE!

Matched! Again....

I am found again!

Frustrated

Moving! AHHHHH

A fresh start

grin