a friend

I have battled with loneliness, friends have and still are battling with loneliness. But how do we get past that?

Courtney at Living Well puts it beautifully. She says "If we choose to turn away from God in response to our loneliness we will go down a very cold road. Job and Elijah felt so alone they wanted to die. Jeremiah wished he had never even been born. Satan can use this time to enter sinful thoughts into our minds such as self pity, self-centeredness, bitterness, anger, and jealousy. We may attempt to put a band aid on the pain by turning to the television, alcohol, shopping, binge eating, or excessive computer time.

"But, the only comfort I ever found was in releasing my needs to God in prayer and then trusting God. If you are struggling with loneliness today I encourage you to read Psalm 84:11,12. Place your trust in God, then go one step further and delight yourself in God as the rest of Psalm 84 says. "

I could not have said it better. Trust in God. And He will bless YOU.

If you want another good read - this is a fab one by Kelle Hampton. Every woman needs The Net.

fork

I have come to a fork in the road. No more going straight ahead. The choices are to go left or right. I am torn. I have prayed. I have asked people to pray for this situation.

There are both pros and cons to each direction. A seemingly easier road, which will be hard at first, and the other option is something that will get progressively harder, but things that make it bareable and not so hard. See what I mean?

I have prayed for direction. But I still don't see the clear way to go.

God please help me to see clearly.

I am not a patient person so this is very hard for me to wait for that answer from God to come clear.

If you are the praying type, please join me in asking God to help me see...

Thanks so much.

hugs&names

Me: "I'm going to hug you lots today okay?"
boy2: "whyyyyyy? ... then I'm going to!"  big smile on his face... then gives me a squeeze.

______________________________________________

boy2: "when the baby comes out of your tummy can we call it four-yer?"
me: "no we already know a baby Sawyer, we can call our baby a different name..."
boy2: "do you know what we will call our baby?"
me: "what?"
boy2: "no, do YOU know what to call our baby?"
me: "no we don't have a name yet. but sometimes i call the baby - baby4. because boy1 was baby1, you were baby2 and boy3 was baby3, now this is baby4!"
boy2: "and dad was baby fix [6] right?"

_________________________________________

while eating french toast during breakfast...
boy2: "what does this taste like daddy?"
me: "syrup"
daddy: "do you like it?"
boy2: "I kinda don't but I'm still gonna eat it."

_________________________________________

boy2: "are you thinking what I am thinking?"
daddy: "that you should have another bite?"
boy2: "that we have a hockey game after!"

_________________________________________

me: "what should we get [boy1's friend] for his birthday?"
boy1: "hmmmmm..."
boy2: "how bout not ketchup!"

more witty banter with children seen here.

growing up...

Last night boy2&3 & I read a book before bed time. We prayed our bedtime prayers. I asked boy2 to get into bed and I would be back to tuck him in after I put boy3 to bed...

Before I could get up, boy3 climbed into boy2's bed, crawled under the covers and laid his head on his big brother's pillow...

My heart melted.

See by this age [22 months] boy1&2 were both sleeping in big boy beds... but somehow, I am just not ready for boy3 to make that transition. 

Last night, it was as though he was telling me he was ready... Sorry bud, I'm not letting you grow up that fast.

The husband and I agreed that we would wait until baby4 is ready to move out of the bassinet to the crib. I must like my sleep too much to risk anything jeopardizing that right now!

Onion?!?

It somehow comforts me to know that the baby growing inside of me is the size of an onion... hmmm maybe comfort isn't the right word.

[from thebump.com]

Milestone: Feel first kick - CHECK! It's been about a week or so since I have felt those flutters...

~bright morning sundog~

~bright morning sundog~

snuggles

Short on words... big on love tonight... boy3 wanted 'up' yesterday so I said 'Boba?' Of course we lent that out for now, but had the Pipa Pack as a back up. Let me tell you, the boy LOVED it. And so did I. He snuggled in quite nice :) I didn't think the pregnant belly could handle it, but the belt around the waist fit nicely underneath... THIS is why I love wearing my baby. Must be done more often... definitely.

hello

hello monday

hello sunshine

hello warmer than last week weather

hello fresh air as we venture out for a teeny walk

hello five foot high snow banks & a step to be shovelled

hello successful nap time that ended with a cuddle with boy3...

hello crockpot who is doing all the work for supper tonight...

hello colorful organic eggs... [see the bluish green ones?!?]

hello monday.

7

...only 7 more days until I will be taking a wee bit of a bloggy break. Not completely, just not trying to post 7 days a week! Admittedly, it's a bit much for me...

Big Bunny

This is the big bunny that graced us with his presence one day. He slept by our deck the WHOLE day with exception to this time when we went hoppin around a lil and I snapped some pics... Notice it it turning brown? A friend says that means spring is on the way! Sure hope so :)
boy1 is sure it's a snow hare and denies it being a jack rabbit. It's HUGE though...

Dear Oprah [part 2]

ummm Oprah? I think you have too much money. Sailboats with your name on it? Yah, a lil much. And an O on the bridge? Nice. Of course Australia welcomed you with open arms, you brought with you a BILLION dollars!!

Photostory

This was the beautiful view and blue sky the other day with the sun rising. A light low fog & the sun burning it away...

I <3 the Canadian prairies... even if it brings us the occasional -45 with the windchill!

That hill in the background isn't mountains or a hill, it's a huge massive cloud... See the slight tiny rainbow on the right of the sun? We call that a Sun Dog. That means it's COLD.

This better late than never photostory about winter in these parts is part of the Writer's Workshop is inspired by Mama Kat.

Uhoh, it's happening again. The blogging mojo. It is waining... Fading away... Only today though. That's what happens when work & a sick snotty kid take precedence over all else. Like dishes. And blogging. And by the time the evening rolls around, kids go to bed. Laundry needs to be folded & a few TV shows watched. Like Big Bang Theory. I have a funny quote from tonights show I will share later. It's worth it's own post :)

Gifts & Wordless

1000gifts...

...a doctor that asked me TWICE, is there any concerns you have? as opposed to running out the door 3 minutes after arriving...

...a nice long nap after a long tiring morning the other day

...reminder from the passport office that my driver's license is expired [you know bc it's better than a police officer pulling me over and telling me so...]

...adult interaction [and not just via email nor facebook]

...a nice warm house in this frigid cold weather.

[#77-#81 & more here]

and lets throw in a Wordless Wednesday in there too :)

[taken this morning]

Dear Oprah

Dear Oprah,

As our pvr-ing relationship commences today, I am writing this letter to admit that it will not last long. Four days to be exact. You have ventured into my favorite country since Grade 3, Australia, and so I am taking in all of your journey! I know you will not mourn this relationship loss for long as your viewership is so large. I just wanted it to be clear that this relationship is short term...

Sincerely,
Pam

P.S. My children already find it annoying that I can mimic your excited tone, "Heeelloooooo Auuuuuuuu-straaa-liaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Yup a tad annoying.

The One Where She Is Part of the Odds

The One Where She Is Part of the Odds

1 in 50. Sometimes that is a good odd, sometimes not. In my case, it is not the best.

See, over eight years ago, I was the young single mom who went to hospital in a small town with my water leaking. My baby was breech. Two options: 1] go to the big scary city to try to deliver the baby or 2] cesarean section. Okay, let's go with option two. Not so keen on heading to a big city away from my supportive family and it wasn't a big thing to go ahead with the c-section.

Fast forward five years, now I am the married pregnant mamma who lives in said scary city, and it's not so scary after all. Months before baby is due to arrive city doctor says you have two options 1] deliver baby naturally [as known as vbac] or 2] repeat c-section.

Hmmm, lets think this through a tad. I will know my baby's birthday, husband can book off the day[s] needed. No labour [unless early] & pain associated with that. Recovery is not so bad with a bungalow [as opposed to two story with basement]... Sure, let's do it. Husband was on board.

So boy1&2 are c-section, and once pregnant with boy3 the doc says c-sections for you from now on... [actually she said that right after the birth of boy2]

Ok, no options there.

Man, that was the worst c-section recovery I have experienced of the three. Two story house, two flights of stairs, three children in total to take care of. Yup, it took longer to recover...

Present time.

Pregnant with baby4. I now know I have more than one option. Of course! I had the option all along. Natural birth. There is no reason why boy2&3 had to be delivered via c-section. Am I kicking myself for those choices? Yes. Because as a women, I have the right to have my baby! And honestly I feel jipped out of the whole experience. Really - NO labour, NO contractions. Some of you must be thinking I am nuts to WANT to experience that! And your next thought?!? What is her POINT?

My point is that I intent to give birth to this baby naturally [unless God tells me otherwise!] That would be called a VBA3C and is rare. Let me tell you, the road to this day has been a rocky one finding support in the medical world to do so. A lot of prayer requests and a lot of faith put in God to show to continue persuing this. The husband feels torn about this decision and I think it has to do partly with his 'role' in the hospital. C-section = early morning [for us at least], get admitted, watch me roll/walk off into surgery, walk in when they are about to pull baby out, watch them zip me back up. Not overly hard... Labour and delivery would be a tad different story!

Let's see some numbers.

1 phonecall to the local midwifery services to get my name on the 'list' and submit an intake form

4 more phonecalls to the BIG CITY's midwifery services

2 of which called back to say you are not in the city so we cannot accept your intake form

2 doctors who say, no delivering naturally is not a good option for you

and 1 of those drs say the odds of uterus rupture are 1 in 100 for vba2c and 1
in 50 with vba3c.

[I must state that each study varies and are based upon the bias of that study, and it is unsure if vbacs -vaginal birth after cesarean section- including home births are even part of those studies! A lot of the online research I have looked at included midwife home births for vba3cs...]

2 friends with recommendations of 3 or 4 doctors who may work with me

1 phonecall & letter noting that we were not accepted for midwife care in our area at this time.

1 return phonecall from midwife services in the BIG CITY saying they would accept our intake form even though we were outside the BIG CITY, but am willing to come in for appointments and birth there [yes of course! we would be doing that either way...]

16 weeks 1 day and found THE doctor that will go along with my wishes.

So as long as everything goes well and this pregnancy stays healthy as the other ones did, there is a chance that this baby could come naturally. That would be where 'she is part of the odds' and hopefully we can defy those odds like many others have and continue to do...

In the end, God is in control. I have said throughout this process that if He absolutely shows me that a vba3c is NOT an option than I will be okay with scheduling that c-section as I have the past two times... but since I saw those few glimmers of hope and pursued them, well, there is still a chance of vba3c for us!  On the other hand, if the circumstances end up where a c-section is required, I am okay with that...

1000 gifts

The amount of gifts given from God are immeasurable... and so with my sad but true post about a select few things I covet... it is good to balance that out with the gifts I know I have been blessed with. There are more 1000 gifts here that I already took note of.

...a healthy pregnancy

...freedom to pray for those who's pregnancy's may not be so healthy, may be trying to conceive, those who are mourning a loss, and those awaiting that very important phone call about adoption.

...friend[s] to call when i need to share something exciting!

...God's gift of Grace that is still beyond my understanding - although I know it's FREE and for everyone.

...impromptu games evening with all three boys including mexican train [dominoes game] and trouble.

...the wonderful feeling of flutters that is the sign of life growing inside my growing tummy!

...a God that does not slumber and is ALWAYS at work.

...the warm slippers I choose to wear in the house instead of socks :)

...the date night that is to come on Saturday [more about that in a different post after the fact...]

...a healthy household after a not so healthy Christmas break - with a loooong recovery.

[#67-#76]

Thou Shalt...

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... snowmobile.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... new car/truck/van.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... new house.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... warm vacations [with & without kids].

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... Christmas/Birthday gifts.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... faith.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... shopping habits.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... puppies.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... physically fit post partum body.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... cloth diaper stash & accessories.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... driveway.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... business.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... grass & landscaping.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's...spotless & tidy house.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... wardrobe.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... DSLR camera.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... photography skills.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's... new computer.

Why do we continue to want what other's have? Once we get that one item we have been longing for, that feeling remains the same, we still want something more, never satisfied.

I'm not perfect. Everyone has their flaws.
This is mine.

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house... nor anything that belongs to your neighbour." - Exodus 20:17

delurking day

So Nenette over at Life Candy says it's Delurking Day - January 14th 2011 - that's TODAY. And well, when she says it is, I am not gonna doubt her. I vaguely remember doing this last year sometime but not sure when and I'm not gonna look back to see ;)

That means all you readers, skimmers and the like, if you visit here, just comment! Like Nenette says in her post, if you usually use 'anonymous' to post, click 'name/url' instead...

I'll give ya some ideas for a comment too if ya need help:
1] hey!
2] where you are reading this: home, work, school, your phone on the bus!?!
3] what you would say to me if you bumped into me & recognized me at the mall...
4] sweet or salty - your fave snack

So what are you waiting for, say hi!

Shmursday

So this week I really lost my blogging mojo. It’s Thursday. Thursday shmursday... I missed Tuesday and Wednesday blogging and Sunday & Monday’s posts were pretty short and sweet. Life is catching up to me and I don’t have enough hours in the day to nap, blog, work, clean, love & get in more than two words [un-kid related] my husband. The stress of my workload is getting to me and finding the time to get two solid hours in a row to focus on it seems impossible in one day! Nevermind other time consuming items like passports, new birth certificates and the like before our hockey tourney trip...

Thanks to the wonderful blogger, it will look like I haven’t missed a beat so make sure you look back soon at the ‘lost and never before seen’ posts that will look like they appeared on that day ;)

My goal of getting this place in order started with our ensuite bathroom since the tile is now complete and we can shower in it. WOOooohooo!!  It was overflowing and the catch all of... well... everything. I took a day to purge, chuck and clean. Every single cupboard. Every drawer. TONNES gone. Haven’t used it in the past year? Chuck, recycle or donate. Easy peasy. It looks fab. The pics below just don't show the pretty shower curtain we put up...

Thanks for joining my Thursday Shmursday post :)

dreamer

I have always had big dreams. The only thing is putting them into action and accomplishing what I actually want to do. This time its below par. I am not sure if I want to throw in the towel and be done with it or continue making it work… Decisions, decisions! I feel like it is put on my heart to pray fervently about. This area has been neglected [praying about it like I should have all along!] and perhaps it is why my dream is way below par and not working out the way I had originally dreamed! Anyways, as with anything, time needs to be devoted to doing it and also LEARNING. 

NEVER.STOP.LEARNING. 

'Learn to be wise, and develop good judgment' -Proverbs 4:5

I'm just a dreamer...

1/11/11

bubble

a chocolate syrup bubble to be exact...

the close up for Pam :)

Sharing

Sharing is new to my blog. When I come across sweet things such as below I will share them with you!!

Head on over to Lisa Leonard's Blog to enter for a chance to win on of TWO word of the year necklaces! She also has a sweet sale going on in her shop :)

[from here]

boy2

boy2 - you have a twinkle in your eyes.
those baby blues get me every time. no matter if you are in trouble or laughing or simply trying to tell me something.
HOCKEY. it's YOUR sport. you can play it all day in the basement and are pretty thankful you have the space finally [since we moved here May long] as opposed to the kitchen in the rental house...
boy2 you even try to skip out on eating the rest of your supper because your 'game starts soon' although when we tell you the coach says his players need to eat their supper you are slightly convinced and when we help you finish you last dozen bites, it goes much faster...
you don't like wearing socks with grippies on the bottom because then you can't 'skate' on the floor like you want to. i am thankful that you now remember to wear your 'skates' [aka koala slippers with duct tape on the bottom for easier sliding...] when playing hockey in the basement.

just like boy1 did when he was your age, you have imaginary friends called your 'mini kids'. they do everything you do and are very well behaved :)

you love books. when i was reading the sesame street book 'blue and red monsters' to your brother, boy3, you were quietly playing with your toys a few feet away. when i paused you surprised me by finishing the sentence for me! and again only a page later, you recited the next line of the book! i was amazed at your memory. but there was no doubt in my mind that you are a smartie. you can now sing the abc's with us, and to us as well. and when you aren't even thinking about it you can count to ten, but when you do make an effort it's funny because you skip and/or add numbers! that could be the goofy boy in you as well...

just last night when dad and i were tucking you into bed, i said "you know what i love about your face?" pause "what?" you asked. "your bum chin!" and i gave it a lil kiss. well the reaction i got from you was not at all what i had expected. you burst into laughter and it was contagious! you could not stop laughing, which made dad and i laugh... i guess bum is a funny word, especially when it is related to your chin!

we found out that you do well when sleeping in your own room. you and boy1 do not go to sleep right away when sharing one and it takes hours [it seems!] to settle you down to sleep. i am still unsure why there is a bed in your room, because up until christmas [when you were sick] you preferred sleeping on the floor. usually with your head just outside the door so you could peek at the tv. pillow optional.

you are by far our most sensitive child & i'm sure we had a hand in that since we would come to your rescue each time boy1 would bug you. those tears would usually stop as soon as the kiss smooched the hurt better.

in may you turned three and by july you were already planning your next birthday since you wanted a fun mountain birthday just like your big brother. the cake you wanted would change every time, first it was an ice cream cake like big brother had, then after i had made marshmallow cake one day for a treat, you were positive you wanted that for your birthday cake!

being an early talker you impressed me with your words and sentences. you still cannot say your 's' sound first and sometimes say bad words, especially when we are in the grocery store and ask for a sucker...

you ask about God and aren't afraid to pray for us and your friends. even when your big brother is well you ask God to make him feel better... you are very curious about heaven and when we will get there.

your cuddles and 'i love yous' come at the perfect time and i love it. just now as i was typing on the laptop beside you on the couch, you put your hand on mine, patting it and said 'i love you mom'. please don't change who you are, don't change a thing, we love having your bubbly, happy spirit around here. and we love learning more and more about you everyday...

Mommy Madness - FOOD

Joining in on the Mommy Madness Friday Blog Hop at Mommy Moment :)






The topic this week - FOOD. What are your children's favorite food to eat and what are their ages?  What do they refuse to eat? Do you have any funny stories from meal time that you would like to share?

So boy1 is 8 years old. He LOVES Kraft Dinner - aka Macaroni and Cheese. When I try to fool him and make it homemade he actually gets back that I tried to do so [but will still fortunately eat it since he is on a 6 month growth/eating spurt!] boy1 is also a huge fruit and veggie fan!

boy2 is a fan of pb bread. He will asked for toast for breakfast but then you need to ask if he wants it toasted - he will say 'no'. He is 3 and a half [hey! that half is HUGE!] and has been my post pickiest eater. Every family has to have one right? He is not a fan of soups [which I LOVE and make a lot for lunches] but he has learned to eat it even if he states he doesn't like it or has a hockey game... <--- he has these 'hockey games' in the basement virtually every day and sometimes won't eat all his supper because he has to go to the game! We DO try telling him that the coach won't let him on the ice if he hasn't eaten all his supper ;)

boy3 has been our best eater thus far. Although he won't eat if it's too late. If we eat supper anytime from 5pm to 615pm he will eat, but if we sit down any later than that, he is done and won't stay sitting. His fave foods lately has been oranges, soup [YAY!], noodles and rice, even some meat like farmer sausage!  He won't eat veggies on their own but will if they are mixed in with other food... Something else that is new to us here is the removal of the high chair! boy3 is a climber and so he climbs on the dining room chairs, and thinks he's quite the big boy sitting at the table with us. He really hasn't used his high chair since Christmas [and even then, he wouldn't stay sitting in it]...

Do your kids have their own favorite foods or foods they refuse to eat?

Mexican Fiesta Salad Pizza

One Christmas present [I virtually bought for myself] was a Mix n Chop from Pampered Chef. If you don't like big chunks of ground meat, this kitchen tool is totally for you. It came with a handy dandy recipe to use it with! This post is coming later in the day since it's what we had [and devoured] for supper tonight. Even the husband had another piece for his 'evening snack.'

Mexican Fiesta Salad Pizza from Pampered Chef

First preheat your oven to 375F [109C].

Unroll your 2 - 8oz packages of refrigerated crescent rolls. Arrange 14 of the triangles in a circle on a lightly floured baking stone [mine fit 13 nicely] with the wide ends at the edge of the stone & points towards the center.

Place the remaining two in the center pinching the seams to seal. Roll dough to create a smooth surface. [this didn't work well for me at all, but I didn't have a rolling pin, but my baker's roller.] Bake 15 - 18 minutes until brown. Cool.

In skillet, cook 1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey [I used pork, can also use beef or chicken] over medium heat 10-12 minutes breaking into crumbles with the Mix n Chop. Drain if needed.

[forgot the picture of it nicely cooked!]

Combine 1 1/2 cups medium thick and chunky salsa, one envelope of taco seasoning mix [I used my homemade recipe that I had on hand], one minced garlic [I used three since we like garlic around here...] in a medium bowl. Add to meat mixture in skillet. Toss to coat.

Spread 1 cup sour cream over crust.

[looks appetizing in that awful light doesn't it?!?]

Spoon turkey mixture over sour cream. Top with 2 cups thinly sliced lettuce, 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced, 2 green onions thinly sliced [we omitted], 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup ripe olives coarsely chopped [optional - we omitted].

Serve immediately with additional salsa if you so desire!

Serves 8. Or in my case, family of 5, two of which with small appetites [tonight at least!] and enough for one helping left over for boy1's lunch tomorrow.

It does get a little messy, only because it's like a huge cheesy, meaty salad with bread under it... still delish :)

And this is what was left after boy1's three helpings, husband's 2 1/2 helpings, my 1 1/2 helpings and boy2&3's bites :) and before husband had his night snack :)

Linking up to Prairie Story's Recipe Swap. Enjoy!

Thrifted

I am following my friend Mel's ideas of buying used or 2nd hand, not new, when I can. Last week I had the chance to hit the local thrift shop on my own. How nice is it to just peruse around a shop to look at what ever you please without the 'Mom, look at this!' or 'Come see what I found.' or 'Can I have this please?' It's really nice. That was my own 1/2 hour to myself that day. Precious!

My main objective for the trip was to score a desk. Not just any desk. I wanted a wooden or metal one with drawers on at least one side. That's it. Well, I found it! It was gorgeous! It was also $40. It was a painted white wood one with drawers on the left side. I wanted it. But I mulled. I walked around the store debating it, continuing to browse... My mind was debating the Chinese takeout food I was craving and wanting for New Year's Eve dinner, or the desk. One or the other would have to make the cut because they were comparable in price and I couldn't justify both in one week.

While the mulling was occurring I scored a precious gem!

Welcome to the family 36 pieces of Ikea dishes, cups and cutlery. All for the low low price of $3.50!! [only 14 pieces shown here as they are THAT well used already]

We have a few plastic dishes for the younger kids but these are a nice complete set, so now I can donate our incomplete set that we have had since boy1 was a youngster. Yippeee!!

I walked out of the thrift shop that day with just spending $3.50 on the kid's set, and went to talk to the husband about the desk I found. His natural Mennonite instincts to NOT spend money instantly thought of the metal desk that his boss was trying to rid of. I was instructed to remind him to inquire about it Monday morning. He was able to pick it up same day and bring it home to me! I was beyond excited. It's not just a desk.

Here is the beauty:

And the action shot of it actually in use [so far]:

Looks as though Mr. Potato Head lost his arm! That was boy3 adding decor & color to the space. It needs something...
Note the office chair - my exercise ball! It's the most comfy of them all...

It is a desk for a work at home mom. Very important to me to have an actual work area and work space of my own. Not a couch, nor an end table, nor an island to use. A desk is JUST what I needed. Of course, rearranging beds, dressers etc had to happen too. boy2 is sharing my office with me right now until we get some walls up in the basement for his own room. We know he doesn't work well sharing a room with boy1 and highly unlikely to do so with boy3 as well...

Speaking of decor & color - don't you think the desk would look great with my own version of Color Me Katie's table with paper scraps she re-did? I have my own style and idea in mind! Here is a link on her change up to a scrapbook table. LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea :)

So that is what is thrifted and new to me this week!

The wind

The wind was from the south last week. It caused quite the snow drift on our driveway! Even the 4x4 my brother left here while he flew east got hung up. I was pretty thankful the neighbour came out to help shovel because I wasn't doing much to help the husband, especially with the shovel I had...

Then like it happens, the winds changed to a North wind and low and behold, more drifting, but it was different kind of drifts. This time, it covered more of the sidewalk up to the house, and more lightly on the driveway...

"That's not the way we do things around here" -Seth Godin blog.

It isn't. Around here, there is no one way to do it. We do things many ways. Different ways. The wind blows both ways, many ways actually.

Well what if it happened that I didn't do things the way you wanted it to go? Is it better to warn you that I am going to do it in such a way? Or is it better to go ahead and do it, then tell you, or better yet, have you find out on your own? Who determines what is the correct action or not? Two or more opinions may be different. If it goes person A's way one time then person B's the next, does that make it fair? What next? Is is person A's turn? Who keeps tabs?

This can be applied to many facets of life. A lot of rules are written in the Bible as to how we should act, different levels of government have laws as well. But there are many unwritten laws that we are unsure about. Norms. Community accepted principles. Oblige and obey, steer away slightly from the norm, or go totally left-wing and create your own norms.  Again, you get options.

God gives us free will. He lets us do what ever we please. It is our choice to make those [right] decisions. We can follow Him, we can choose not to. To lean on Him for HELP with those decisions or opt not to. We can clearly not make those decisions purely on our own. We would be foolish if we thought we could do it on our own...

In the center of the garden of Eden, there was the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God had warned Adam that he was not permitted to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent came along and convinced Eve that she would surely not die if she ate that fruit! "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil" the serpent said, Gen 3:5 NLT. This convinced her. The choice she made was to eat the fruit. She did not regard God's warning to not do so, nor look to Him for guidance. Satan fooled her. Eve made the decision which ushered sin into humanity.

Just as Cain's offering was rejected by the Lord in Genesis 4:3-5, Cain was given choices as to how to respond to this.

"You will be accepted if you respond in the right way. But if you refuse to respond correctly, then watch out! Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, and you must subdue it." Gen 7 NLT.

Unfortunately man failed again, did not respond correctly, nor consult the Lord on how to do so and Cain sinned by taking his own brother's life.

Choices - we are all given them. I waiver back and forth between loving the options of many choices, then other times loathing the choices when they are particularly hard ones. BUT, no matter what options/choices/decisions we are faced with, one must be reminded to consult God, to assist in these matters, because we cannot do it alone.

scarf x 7

welcome to my scarf heaven...

count them - 7 lovely scarves all hanging in my closet. they catch my eye each time i go in there for something. these are my most used scarves. the white shiny one is the most versatile, next the old navy striped is the warmest by far. the third one in from the right is the newest from my stocking this christmas. the grey one is a 're-found' beauty that was hiding in the winter stuff in the basement. blue adds a splash of [my fave] color to a neutral outfit, while the black adds a bit of shiny sparkles when required. and finally the pink is a skinny warm one that should really be worn a whole lot more...
what is your must have accessory this season?

Funk Rock Review

Funk Rock is the latest craze in cloth diapering to get out the ammonia stink. Ammonia Bouncer is another term for it. It is made my Rockin Green Soap. I recently purchased some from a friend and fellow retailer. I wanted to put it to use right away! But didn't. I tried to wash all my diapers (minus the prefolds) so that everything was clean, then do the Funk Rock soak as recommended. So once all the diapers were clean, I through them all in the tub with hot water and 4 tbsp as recommended.

I soaked for one hour.

Notice the unfinished surround above the tub? That's for another post and why I only soaked for that long, the husband wanted to start working on the tile!

Now came the fun part. Getting those wet diapers into the washer! I wrung out each and every insert and pocket. Hard labour!! Then plopped them into two ice cream pails making two or three trips down to the laundry room each time.

Next - I ran a rinse cycle [really just a short wash], then washed as usual with some Classic Rock. Wet smell test - CLEAN. How nice is that? I hung the pockets, covers and wet bags to dry, and threw the inserts and few prefolds in the dryer.

The real test came the next day when it was all dry and the diapers put together. The wet pee sniff test. This is not 100% accurate as this was the time when I was coughing, sniffling and congested. BUT if you know ammonia at all, it's a pungent nasty strong smell that will knock you over. And stuffed nose and all, I didn't smell that after each diaper change! I had even put boy3 in cloth over night [rare here since that ammonia usually burns him and gives him sores on his bum that take at least a week to heal, but this is the chance I took to see if Funk Rock is legit!]... and with success! I changed his diaper first thing in the morning and again - NO STRONG smell. Perfect. I'm sold.

Funk Rock passes the test. Confirmed - it is legit. The END.

new

It's a new day, a new year. New start. New and fresh take on old things.

2011 word = new

Many new things to happen this year. First of all, I have a WORD for this year for me. It's new. That's new to me. Not meaning new shoes, new car, brand spankin new things.

Meaning new. As is a new year. A new day. A new baby. A new to us house [for yes, we will be selling this one to live more within our means and love living where we are... that is one day in the country with lots of room to move around, so selling this house is our next step towards that].

I plan to continuing meeting new people in this new[ish] town, also within our new[ish] church.

Also going to blog every day in January. Things need to be put to paper. And daily blogging is good for that. This is not so new. But it is for the new year.  Who is in with me and up for that challenge?  My goal is to do this at least twice, maybe three times this year.

I also want to renew my relationship with Jesus Christ. He is always there, but I don't always look for Him. To help in this journey, I will be joining in to read The Bible Through A Year and Beyond in daily Bible reading. I attempted to do this last year but fell behind and am only about 1/2 way through. But I plug away at that because it is something. I am also in a prayer group of a few women who meet every other week. And the husband and I are in a Life Group with other couples from our church to delve deeper into the Word as well...

Something new - Centsational Girl just did a 12 months of favorites post and mentioned how in January she went through Declutter, Donate/Recycle, Organize, Store/File and Clean in five days which she coined 'Five Days to a Fresh Start'. Since the last two weeks have been slack with being sick & no energy, I am going to take this on and do it. Some major things are happening this year and if I don't get a handle on what is going on around here, the whole staging/selling of our house is going to be the death of me! That, on top of owning a business, doing year end, being a mom, maid and housewife all at the same time. Operation maintain sanity while keeping crazy pregnancy hormones in check! Phew!

So this is for 2011
 - My word for the year -- new
 - Five Days to a Fresh Start
 - Renew & re-energize my walk in faith with daily Bible reading.
 - Blog ALL of January and one or two other months in the year.
 - Open doors to keep meeting new people.