Days of Summer #15

Joel is such a shy, quiet, mama's boy.  So it took a lot of courage and a lot of sweet candy to get him to play soccer this summer, and he did!  Tonight was his last game, and he ran after the ball with a smile on his face.  Not anything more this mama could ask for.  So proud of him, love him so much!

Days of Summer #14

I'm spending a lot of my summer days babysitting up to 4 extra kids.  Although I quite often struggle with the idea of this being one of my gifts God gave me, God did give me the opportunity to watch 4 of the best kids ever.  My kids all happily get along with them, and rarely do we have issues we need to work through.  (Outside of the normal messy house!)  I love finding these kind of moments and having the chance to snap a picture to remember it!

Days of Summer #13

Here's the whole gang for 2015!  A few realizations this weekend for me.  One, our kids as they get older, camp life gets much easier.  Two, watching them play and do things with their cousins is so much fun and three, to take a moment and realize that you're in the midst of memory making, that those moments are being imprinted on their little hearts and minds forever and that one day they are going to look back on these days as some of the best days of their lives, it's amazing to know that!  

Days of Summer #12

2015 marked 15 years of employment for my wonderful husband, and to mark the milestone, we purchased a new kitchen tent with the company's help.  Thankful for that, but more importantly, thankful for those 3 adorable children we've been blessed with!

Days of Summer #11

After a hot day, spent biking, endless trips to the toilets, swimming in the lake, making meals and washing dishes, we all enjoyed ice cream.  Who couldn't love this face?!?!?!

Days of Summer #10

Each year we go to the Pinery Provincial Park with my brothers and family.  It's a favourite spot, and we anticipate the days there.  This year we are amazingly blessed with perfect weather, beautiful, sunny, hot temperatures!  One of the favourite things in our day is watching the sun set over Lake Huron.

Days of Summer #9

A couple of great moments happened today.  First of all, Joel stayed with his VBS group without me.  Caleb had his name drawn twice for a prize, and he took Joel up and let him pick a treat.  Amberly passed the swimming test-finally!!!

And out of the crazy busy time of preparing for camping, I ran to the grocery store in Elmira, without my wallet.  Mert came to the rescue and bought the groceries!  

Days of Summer #8

One of our favourite songs this summer, we were introduced this song from church!  Kids love it, can't help but dance to it! "You are my freedom"  "You are alive in us"  "Your love has set us free"  "You are all we need"

Days of Summer #7

This little guy puts up a real fight to stay out of the water, but this mama's determination took over and won this guys smile!  So proud of him!!!

Days of Summer #6

Celebrating 7 years with this beautiful girl. I love her so much!  This is her finding a surprise on the front porch from a little friend who loves her too!  Happy Birthday baby girl!

Days of Summer #5

Swimming in Katrina and Owen's pool!

Days of Summer #4

Celebrating Canada Day!  And hanging with the family at the acre, celebrating Buddy's birthday and Amberly's!

Days of Summer #3

Summer Celebration at our church, kids loving the VBS!

Days of Summer #2

Playing at the park, enjoying the sunshine!

Days of Summer Day #1

Kicking off the first day by hanging at Trevor and Beth's for some farm fun and campfire!

The End of Another School Year

Joel completes JK, Caleb completes grade 3 and Amberly completes grade 1.  Love them so much!

Have You Ever Loved Your Trees?

We are heading up to 3 years in Alma.  It's a different life really.  We don't have all the conveniences 2 minutes away.  Even if we did, we couldn't use them all the time, we are living on one income, which means we have learned to go without.  We have learned how to truly enjoy and appreciate the things we do have, all our needs are met, we are provided for, and our children know what a treat really is.  But there are days when I struggle, I see what others have and I start to dream.  When this happens I walk around the yard and see where God has put us, and I see Him here in His creation!

 I LOVE our trees.  Growing up on a farm, trees were everywhere.  We had forts in one, a swing in another.  We had secret gardens in the back bush where all the trilliums grow.  Then I move to a town, where I have no trees.  Or I have one on the boulevard, a sliver stuck in the ground.  And for about 8 years I live without the trees.  Finally we get to here, and I have never been more thankful for trees!  Have you ever loved trees?  One of my favourite things I praise God for.  Yes, it may be silly, and simple, I may not have the newest car, the perfect front porch or the hottest new pair of shoes, but friend-I've got TREES!!

Always Learning

Before I became that mom, that "stay-at-home" mom, I wondered what those mom's do all day when their kids are away at school.  I would be teased by other co-workers as I headed off to a mat leave with statements like "have fun eating bon bons all day while watching all the soaps" and I thought, really is that what people think?  Is that what I thought?  It's been 2.5 years now since I've been out of the work force in my home.  This is the first year that all 3 of my kids are in school  Yes, we originally thought I would return to work when this time came, but as it approached, reality hit, what about summers?  pd days?  Sick days?  Winter and March breaks?  We just weren't ready yet.  But I had to do something, I had to find a way to bring in a little bit of an income to help buy groceries every week.  And God provided almost immediately, having a neighbour call me in August asking if I could watch her kids before and after school.  It's not something I wanted to do, but it was something I could do, and fit into my routine mornings and afternoons. So I took in 2 extra kids, which then became 3, and now it's 5 extra kids before and after school.

I'm learning lots.  I'm learning that boys have no volume control, when sitting side by side they need to shout at one another about the hockey game results.  Yes I know they are trying to top one another with the facts they know, but for some reason they feel they need to do that very loudly.  When I ask them to stop shouting they say "sorry" and continue on chatting to one another as if a mile is in between them.

I've learned that little boys can destroy a room in less than 10 minutes.

I've learned that little girls can destroy a room in less than 15 minutes.

I've learned that boys can carry on a conversation about Minecraft for 5 days in a row.

I've learned that little girls stop what ever they are doing if the words "let's colour a page" ever gets mentioned.

Someone once casually told me, "you can only clean the house so much in a day".  Well I've learned that I CAN NOT clean the house ENOUGH in a day!  With 8 children in and out the front door morning and afternoon, 2 cats and a dog--No, I can't clean the house enough.  I clean the main floor almost daily and I will enjoy the clean floors and tidy tables for maybe 2-3 hours.  But then the crayons explode, the stones from the playground find homes on my rugs, dog hair clumps on the carpet, books hop of their shelves, game controllers are left on the couches, marbles are hiding from one end of the basement to the other, lego becomes dangerous walking hazards and crumbs, oh the crumbs,  they never seem to really disappear.  I can not clean the house enough.

I've learned that it's best to set their clothes out the night before, and fight those battles then rather then in the mornings.

I've learned that the only way to keep a clean toilet is to force the boys to sit down to pee.  And the only way to keep the sink and counter clean is to put the toothpaste on their tooth brushes for them.

I've learned that even though the many frustrations I experience in that one hour leading up to the start of the school day, doesn't take away the fact that I miss them when they are gone, and I look forward to collecting them at the end of the day when the bell rings.

I've learned that it's never about me.  This isn't something new I've learned really, I found this out when Caleb was born.  Kids are so fascinating, they have so many neat stories, their imaginations are cool, and they are smart.  That when I'm with them, it's always about them, and when they are gone, what I do is because of them.

I've learned that not all kids like rice krispee squares, marshmallows or popcorn.

I've watched relationships grow among my group that couldn't be better.  I could have wound up with rotten kids, with kids who are disrespectful, or rude, bad influences or tempers.  But I don't.  I have THE best bunch of kids, who all get along and truly like each other!  

There is probably so much more I could add here, but my mind is now thinking about how my dinner is probably ready for me to tend to!  There are days where I feel unimportant as a "stay at home" mom.  Sometimes I feel as though I have to defend myself as to why I am at home.  But the rewards I'm experiencing with my children take those feelings away and replace them with feelings of joy, love and privilege.  Sure maybe one day I'll enter back into the workforce, but for now, the sacrifices we have made in order for me to stay home, has been the best career path I've taken.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is

Another new favourite I keep replaying.

New Words for a New Year

2014 I spent a lot of time in a morning group studying the Word with different ladies from around North America.  I remember that when 2014 rolled up, one lady asked us to think of just one word we wanted to describe our year to be, what we wanted to work on, strive for, become.  The word I came up with was "intentional" .  I wanted to make my days full of intention.  Even in the mundane things, be intentional.  Finding purpose in what I did.  I wanted to be intentional with my kids, put in my time, invest in them personally and emotionally.  As the year has since past, I look back and think that I did an ok job about being intentional.  So with 2015 here, I've been thinking lately what is my word this year?  Can I come up with one that I can conquer?  Oh yes, living intentionally will definitely continue, I need to be purposed and continue working on making each day count and matter.  But what other word can I work on this year?  I've come up with the word "peace".  As a mom, with 3 busy kids, peace is hard to come by.  Plus adding anywhere from 2-6 extra kids before and after school, peace hides in the closet.  But it's not just in the craziness of our house full of kids that I hope to find peace, I hope to find it in everything else, in my decisions.  We make thousands of decisions a day, from what colour of socks to put on to what to have for lunch, to where to go for vacation.  So many things to decide about, and often we make the decision without thinking twice, but then often times we struggle finding the right decision.  I would love to just have peace through all of those decisions.  So this year I hope to "intentionally" seek "peace" and pursue it (Psalm 34:14).