The Last Day of 2014

We have reached the last day of 2014.  Was the year all I had hoped it to be?  Did my expectations get met?  Did my hopes come to be?  To be honest, I don't think so much about all that stuff.  My mind is in the "One Day at a Time" mode, and for me to reminisce about the year, or critique myself or even just analyze things, I just don't do that.  Or I'm not in the mood to do that today.  What I do know, is God has truly blessed me, with my family, provisions and health.  Here's a quick look back of the year in pictures:)

After the ice storm, we had weeks of ice to skate on in our yard!

Caleb runs his first 5km race!

 Amberly loses her 2nd tooth, and doesn't swallow it!

Amberly agrees to chop off all her hair, we send it to charity.

A visit to the Toronto Zoo, Joel loves mascotts!

Caleb plays soccer for the sunmmer

Joel plays T-ball for the summer

Amberly broke her collarbone falling from a tree

Lots of campfires with friends.

Just because....

Last day of Sk and Grade 2.

Canada Day

Camping, often in the rain!

Inverhuron

Inverhuron

The Pinery

First day of Grade 3 and Grade 1

First day ever of school!  JK

The plum dies, and we replace it with Black Beauty.

Joel turns 4.

Caleb and Amberly represent their school for Cross Country running.

Love .

Walking to school

Princess Ball

Last night of Track and Field Club.

First snow fall of the season

First snow storm!

My totally adorable Canadian daughter!

I have thousands of pictures to tell the tale of 2014!  So I only looked in my iphone file for these!  (saving time and sparing picture overload!)

Friends, Old and New All in One Day!

Loving our free time over holidays.  Today we were able to spend the morning with old friends, catching up over hot chocolates, colouring and video games.  In the afternoon, we took the bus to the pool for public swimming.   It's a great set up, the local optimists hire a bus for our little town to take us families to the Fergus pool for their public swimming all at the whopping price of $1/person!  The best part is, when you show up to meet the bus, you also meet up with school friends and neighbours!  I was pretty lucky, Caleb's close buddy and his family came, so the boys happily entertained each other, leaving me with just Amberly and Joel to play with.  After we got home, we were all tired.  But happy with how our day played out.

Hanging with my Little Peeps!

Dave was back to work today, so I had the kids all to myself.  We met some friends at the local arena and did some skating.  During the afternoon, I took the kids to Walmart.  2 of them had money saved up to spend and another one had to return a duplicate Christmas gift and pick something else out.  This became a very stressful visit.  After a lot of indecision, and back and forth in different isles, minds were made up and we made it to the check out.  All 3 were happy with their choices and were preoccupied once we returned home.  Overall, we had a very fun day together!

Wonderful Church Family

We are so blessed to be apart of a great church family.  It's taken awhile to feel at home there, but now each Sunday we look forward to and love attending there, to see what God has in store for us.  This morning we witnessed 4 people being baptized.  We also learned a new fun song!  Take a listen!

More Family Time

Hosted some of my family for dinner today.  It was nice having them over, to see our new things, our decorations and lights.  Kids loved having more people to play with.  Definitely love the holidays for all the family time we get in!

A day of Utter Nothing-ness

Today I did nothing.  Well outside of the regular referee jobs and tidy up.  But I stayed in my pjs until past noon, and watched netflix for a good long part of my day!  Played new games with the kids.  But that sums up the day really!

Thankful for a cozy home.

Christmas Day

The best part of my day and my most cherished gifts....

A part of me wishes that I too was still a kid, Christmas was my most favourite times of year.  I do catch glimpses of those magical moments, you know, the ones where you get all warm and fuzzy inside, with a little bit of giddy.  I'm just so thankful that I can still feel that way and experience it now through these 3 precious darlings!

Merry Christmas!

The Children are Nestled, All Snug in their Bed

It's been a wonderful day with my family!  I love being with them!  That's was my favourite part of the day, and this....seeing my 3 precious babes, sound asleep, on Christmas Eve.  (Couldn't get one of Caleb, too afraid of waking him up)

Final Preparations!

As we draw down to the last day before the Christmas celebrations begin, I begin to over think and worry that I didn't get everything done that I wanted to.  Does anyone else have pictures in their mind what Christmas should look like? High expectations?  I sure do, and every year, after it's all over and done with, I wonder to myself, why did I pack it so full?  Why did we need this or that?  I also put a lot of pressure on myself for wanting to create perfect memories for my kids.  My heart knows that what is important is being with the ones you love, not with what the house looks like, how much food is prepared, what kind of cookies are made, but who I'm with and how our time TOGETHER is spent.  So today, I lay aside the clean floors, the organized kitchen, and I let the kids help bake and decorate cookies.  Memories made!

Unexpected Plans

The kids asked what we were going to do today, I told them we'd have a lazy day at home.  But that is not what happened at all!  We ended up having a day with the neighbourhood!  We met up with some at the arena and did almost 2 hours of skating!  Then we were invited back to a friend's house for lunch.  After that we headed back outdoors for a game of road hockey!  We left home at 9:50am and didn't come home until 4:30pm!!!  So much for the lazy day---it was the complete opposite, which was super!!

Christmas in our Community

Today was the Alma Parade.  We haven't been around previous years to see it, so this was our first experience.  We had family and friends over to share it with, and we had a great time.  It was a great little parade! Definitely added to that Christmas feeling!

A Yearly Tradition, on a Different Day

Year after year, my mom's family gathers together for Christmas on Christmas Eve.    This year, due to schedules, and availability, we moved it to today in hopes it will suit for most.  It was a great turn out and I love catching up with my cousins and their kids.  Everything was the same, the food, the games, the company, it was odd going home realizing that tomorrow is not Christmas.  But at the same time it stretches Christmas out for a little longer, which I think is great!

These would be all the great grandchildren of my Grandma and Papa.  (Missing a few, including Joel and Amberly who flat out refused to get in the picture)

Friday Night Wind Down

I love Friday nights!  A night where we can all unwind from our week and just relax and have fun!  I especially love seeing my husband kick back and have fun!  He's a big kid at heart!

Little Glimpses of Magic

A friend sent me a picture of Amberly and Joel meeting Santa at school.  She captured a precious expression on Amberly's face-which just brought a little of the magic into my heart!

Theme Days

This week, the school has had theme days leading up to Christmas holidays.  Monday was Red and Green day, Tuesday was Santa Hat day, today was Elf day, tomorrow is Christmas sweater day and Friday is a pajama day!  All the kids had matching elf hats to wear courtesy of my neighbour whose children I watch:)  They were all just so cute!  When I snapped this picture, they were all singing at the top of their lungs Christmas carols!

School Christmas Concerts

Our little school does an amazing job at pulling off a wonderful Christmas concert.  This was Joel's very first concert, and admittedly, I wasn't expecting much from him.  But to my complete surprise, he was quite the little performer.  He was loud, expressive and knew all the actions!  I was so proud of him!  He's the little one in red off to the right!  Pretty adorable!



Our other 2 did an awesome job as well.  We're so proud of them, and so grateful for all the work the teachers put into this to make it a very special show.

Normal Routines

After a busy weekend with late nights and excitement, returning to normal routines brings peace and happiness to our home!  Here we are winding down from our Monday, cozy with eachother passing the time until our heads hit the pillows.

Christmas Foiliage

Today I received an early Christmas gift from my mother-in-law.  It's a beautiful arrangement, given today so that I have time to enjoy it.  Love little surprises like this!

The Early Christmas Gift

On this day, 8 years ago, this little bundle of joy came into our lives, changing our lives forever.  I still can remember the experience very clear, and I find it hard to believe that it's been 8 years already.  But yes, he's become a handsome little gentleman.  He runs off to school without a hug goodbye anymore, he becomes shy if I volunteer in his class, but I do get my special moments I'll forever cherish at home, with snuggles on the couch, books being read to me, stories of his day told, kisses multiplied at bedtime.  Oh how I love him entirely.

Friends

Thankful for a couple of great friends who were eager to help us celebrate Caleb's 8th birthday party!  Also thankful to realize that a huge party is not always necessary to make it a special time!

Twinkling Little Lights

One of my favourite things about Christmas is being outside at night and seeing all the glitter and colour the twinkling lights bring.  But even better than this is the amazing sunset that happened.  I wish I had got it on my camera...

More Reminders of the True Meaning of Christmas.

Blessings

We have wonderful neighbours.  Yesterday they brought over a bag of clothes their daughter outgrew for Amberly.  And this was her most favourite thing, had to wear it today to school.  

Christmas Baking

One of my most favourite things about the Christmas season is home baked things!  I have many memories of my mom baking lots of cookies and squares.  Today I started my baking with one of my favourite cookies, whipped shortbread.  Hoping that my kids will one day look back and have the same sort of memories as I do.

Birthday Celebrations

Celebrating 2 most dearly loved children today.  Their birthdays aren't until next weekend, but due to the busyness of the season, and schedules, we celebrated them today.  We love them to bits!  And my adorable photo-bomb girl off to the side!

Christmas in Concert

This is the 3rd year we've attended Christmas in Concert at the church my friend Jay attends!  They do such an amazing job, and this year was just as wonderful as the last.  It's a huge production, with orchestra, band, choir and singers.  So much talent!  We had a great experience, bumping into new friends from our church and chatting with them in the lobby while waiting to be seated, to having front row seats.  Only downfall is I didn't get to see Jay :(  I did catch her hubby before the show.  They had so many neat songs this year, one of my favourites is posted below, take a listen, it's a really catchy tune!

Nights, when all is settled and tucked in

I've been walking with a couple of friends from the neighbourhood, we head out the door any time after 8:30pm and we go around Alma two times, which is about 5kms. By the time I get home, everyone, including Dave is in bed.  So I've been missing out on just relaxing in front of the tv or playing a round of ping pong with my hubby.  I'm very thankful for the exercise and connections made with these lovely ladies, but I'm also so thankful for a night where I can just snuggle up to Dave and watch a movie by the fireplace.  We're getting old, so we only got half way through the movie before heading to bed (The Million Dollar Arm-it's really good!) but just loved every moment!

The Feeling of Proud

This little guy for the first time, picked up his backpack and stood in his line at school and marched right in.  He did this 2 days in a row!  So proud.  A big change from me having to toss his bag into the school and shove him into the arms of the teachers and hurry away!

Snuggles

The time to break out the snuggly, fuzzy warm Christmas Jammie's!

Filling up our Home.

I love having our table full and listening to the stories, the jokes, the experiences and most of all the laughter that fills this house after school.

Love Came Down

December is here, and yes, I've failed to be a good "blogger" this year.  Only 2 entries since today.  Hoping to post daily in December.  Things I'm most thankful, the big and the small each day.  To remember what truly happened to have us all celebrate Christmas.  It's when Love Came Down to earth.

Life Got in the Way

Wow, I have not had a night where I could sit in front of a computer and just browse, since....well, according to my last post January!  Life is crazy!

So thankful for the warmer sunnier days to be here.  Love the long days, the large amounts of fresh air and outdoor activities, and deeper sleeps at night!  Since the weather is here, also means our schedule is really full!  Monday's baseball, Tuesday Track and Field and baseball, Wednesday t-balls, Thursday soccer and Friday brings the weekend which by looking at the calendar has something written on it every weekend!  Between tournaments, races, gatherings, functions and soon camping, we are on the go!

It's nights like this that I long for simpler days.  But I'm so content, and continually learning to be thankful and happy for the things we have and just living intentionally in the moments that come, fully engaged and present.

Just thankful!

New Year, New Beginnings

We are officially half way done the first month of 2014.  This has been the first week of real normal routine around our home.  Last week started out with buses cancelled, school closed, buses cancelled and power outages, Thursday was the kids first official day back to school.  Joel was lost with them gone.  So was I!  But when Monday rolled around, I started to feel that control came back, and routine began.  Although it's Thursday night, and the kids are excited because it's already the weekend here due to the pd day that is tomorrow.

Our Christmas was great, low key, and we really just had time to enjoy.  Sure we didn't decorate to the nines, cook huge meals, and spoil the kids, but I think we pulled off a happy time, a great family time.

When January rolls around, do you find yourself starting new things, starting over things you never seem to make a habit?  I do.  One thing I've started is a memory jar for the family.  We write things down that happen in a day that we want to remember.  I'm sure people do this daily, but I've been doing it with random things on random days, like the day Amberly lost her tooth, or when we had company, funny things that were said, things like that.  Then on Dec. 31, 2014, we open the jar and go through it all.

Other than that I have the typical things I want to work on.  Of course one is to get fit again.  Last year I let it all slide, I didn't care what I put in my mouth, and never opted for the healthy options, I just let it all go, and boy is my body showing the evidence of that!  So I've started to think about what I eat, and really listen to my body, most of the time I'm not hungry!  And I've been exercising 5 days a week.  I've been getting up at the dark time of 5:20am and I drag myself down to the basement where I ride the exercise bike for 30mins.  After that I spend time in God's word.  I've just started doing a new study with the girls from Alma called Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed.  It's so far great!  And lastly, I've been apart of an online group called Hello Mornings, where we're encouraged to rise early, spend time with God, plan for our day and exercise.  I've been doing 2 of those 3 things, but I've not been a planner.  So this week has been a simple challenge to just pinpoint 3 things you want to accomplish by the end of the day.  Easy!  I've been tired, trying to adjust to my new early start times, but I already find that I get the best sleep at night, and I just feel better.

2014 makes me nervous as it moves our family into a different stage in life, leaving behind a stage I'm not sure I want to leave quite yet.  This past week, I completed the form to register Joel into JK.  I'm not sure he's ready to go, and I know I'm definitely not ready!  It means that I don't have any babies at home, and that makes me sad.  But the thought of having another baby doesn't sit well with me either, there are times, yes, where I would love to do it all again, but I've come to appreciate the little bit of independence that has re-entered my life.  But with Joel's return to school also makes the question of returning to work come to mind.  Yes this was the original idea, I would return to work when Joel starts school.  As easy as that sounds, it's not.  We still have summers, school holidays, pd days to contend with, as well as the unexpected illness that requires a day off school.  And it's the rushing around, the schedules and the list goes on.  I've gotten used to this life of being home full-time, and I feel that I've been doing it well.  But I just don't know!

Lots of things to think about early in the mornings!  What's in store for your 2014?

November?

Whoa, where did October go?  I can't believe we have been shoved into November already.  The chill is in the air, and all the Christmas things are looming in the stores.  My 3 year old happen to see the box of Christmas lights in storage and has been begging me at random times to hang them.  Today would have been a perfect day to do that, but it didn't happen. 

The time change didn't go as smoothly as it has in the past.  Joel has been miserable all day!  And he refused to nap because Gramma and Grandpa and Benj was here.  So we've hit the 7pm mark and squeezing every ounce of patience left out of me to get him to bed for the night!

I have found that October was a month where my boys have tested me.  It seems at the same time, Caleb hit an attitude where nothing I do is good enough and the slightest thing frustrates him and makes him upset.  And I hear countless "I'm Bored" coming from his lips.  He has developed an attitude that when he's tired, he thinks that all disrespectful talk is fine.  It hit the fan this week when he spoke to me in an unacceptable way at school in front of many mothers.  I even got glares which make me so angry, why do women think it's fine to judge you, as if motherhood gives you an entitlement to pass judgement on other mothers.  I am not the type to raise my voice in front of an audience, nor do I want to discipline with a crowd of judgmental mothers.  I asked him to wait in the van.  And I still didn't have it in me to talk to him because I was done.  I emailed Dave and asked him to talk to Caleb about how to speak to his mother, because I was beyond on the point of reason, I don't think he would care about anything I would say to him.  So Dave spoke with him that night, just him and Caleb, and for the past few days, I've noticed he's been really trying to watch what he says.  All at the same time Joel has discovered temper tantrums. I honestly don't remember my other two going thru this, but surely they must have and I've just chosen to forget.  But patience is running thin in this mother at the moment.  Who would have thought that my spirited 5 year old daughter is truly an angel!!!!  It's usually her that I have issue with!

Amberly has been dealing with anxiety at school.  She apparently doesn't like change so much.  Finding this out had surprised me, out of my 3, she's been the most outgoing.  But this has now changed, and she's very shy and holds tight to me.  We have put her through a big change with church.  We are attending a church that has 4 times the amount of children she's used to!  Her class has about 10-15 (just 5 year olds, that's a lot!)  I don't know if this change has reflected the change in school, but she's become the teacher's shadow and stays close by her side.  Hoping with time, she'll get over this and return to her outgoing self.  She's loving being a spark, so up her alley the crafts and girls!

With the year quickly coming to an end, I'm really beginning to realize how really we are like vapors in the wind, shadow in time.  Trying to hold tight to the time I have and really make use of my day.  But some days I do just want to stay in bed all day, in the comfort of warm covers and silence.....