A handful here, a handful there

I have a problem. An addiction really. One that I am trying to break but so far have not been completely successful. The problem centers around my pantry and my lack of self-control. Do you think when the Fruit of the Spirit are mentioned in the Bible they are talking about self-control as it applies to semi-sweet chocolate chips. :) Well, I have a feeling that what they list there can apply to all sorts of life situations, including fist fulls of chocolate chips. I remember that my good friend Doris (now hanging out with Jesus) used to have the same struggle and had recently kicked that habit before she passed away in March 06. It's silly but part of me feels a little closer to her and her memory when I sit on the couch with a good book and a little dish of chocolate chips.

However, I have actually improved a lot. Just so you don't think you could walk into my house at any given time of the day and see me in the corner with a bag of chocolate chips and melted chocolate all over my face and hands. The fist fulls now only happen once in a while with exceptions for bad days, brought on by my children's behavioural issues or lack of sleep the night before. It has also been better since I joined Curves and I have some accountability in the area of fitness and weight. An area where I have seen some very encouraging improvement in the last three months. So, all this to say that these pictures of Liam reminded me of my own issues. This is him during a snack a couple days ago and come to think of it, I think he's actually eating something healthy like raisins. Oh, wait...never mind. At closer inspection I see that he is partaking of the chocolate Easter bunny that Uncle Brad brought by the other day. We do get this honestly as it runs in the family.







The picture above is the picture that reminded me the most about my deep-seeded chocolate chip issues. It reminds me of those pictures you see on the tabloid covers with someone like Brittney Spears walking out of somewhere with her hand out in front of the camera covering, in her case, a bad haircut, so the photographers can't fully see the gruesome details. Consider this next sentence the small print...in using this example I am not wanting to or attempting to put myself in the same category as Brittney Spears. :) I may consider myself to have much different ideals and morals but no matter what each of us has done or not done we are both in need to improvement when it comes to the Fruit of the Spirit...as I am daily reminded whether it be with chocolate chips or patience with my three year old.

Well, I feel a little hungry...I wonder if there are any more chocolate chips left...just joking. Maybe I'll grab an apple. :)

Mommy's Little Helper

This video just came to me today in an email from my Aunt. It made me laugh and reminded me of how much Liam wants to help with things around the house. Anything from putting on his own socks to cracking eggs for cookies. He will not be viewing this video. :)

More from a three year old's perspective

Liam asked if he could take one picture the other day. I was there so I thought it would be okay. I got called away to something else and a couple minutes later returned to see Liam still walking around with the camera. I asked him to relinquish it and much to his disappointment he did. Later when I downloaded the pictures onto the computer I noticed that my cute little boy has a bent for photography...or just likes to press buttons...probably more the latter. He took several more than the ones below but I won't bore you with the blurs that I think are actually close ups of things in Libby's room.

Our little rock star

We bought these sunglasses for Liam sometime during his first year of life and they quickly became known as his Bono glasses. For those of you who are not U2 fans or know who I am talking about, here is a picture.



It has come to our attention in the last few weeks that Libby either has a very long tongue, a short tongue tie, or just really likes to show off her tongue so we are noticing it more. The picture of Libby above made me think of Bono but with that tongue the lead singer of Kiss, Gene Simmons also came to mind. I was going to include a picture of him in his Kiss get up but decided against it. They are kind of on the scary side...not "ahh, texas chain chainsaw massacre" kind of scary but more "seriously, what were those guys smoking" kind of scary. :) Feel free to look it up on your own time.

The things kids say

The last two mornings at breakfast Liam had said something that has made me laugh. Yesterday I opened the curtains to see that it had snowed quite a bit over night. Liam sighed and said, "I guess it's not summer yet". This morning he was eating breakfast and talking about his Leapfrog letters on the fridge (this is an every meal occurrence) and he once again was lamenting the fact that we lost the "Q" a while ago. He looked up at me and said, "maybe outside there is a Q shop". If it only were that easy. :)

1920's Bookie or Amish Man?

So, what do you think? It's the Co-op's big anniversary celebration and because Brad works there (in the Nipawin Home and Agro centre) he and the rest of the employees were supposed to dress up like they would have in the 1920s. This picture was taken on Monday when my parents and Grandpa were here. We had a good laugh because with the beard a few of us thought that Brad looked more Amish than someone you would meet in an opium den in the 20s. What do you think? Does Brad look like he should be milking a cow (minus the tie) and driving a buggy or dancing with a girl in a flapper dress?

Brother and Sister

This was taken last weekend when my parents and Grandpa were visiting with us. It was a busy weekend...soccer tournament, Board meeting, visiting, mom getting sick...all in all it was really good to have them here. The kids did a good job of sleeping and being happy when awake, even with all the company. It was actually a fairly easy transition for the kids from company to just mom during the days following their visit. For the last couple days we have enjoyed more company. Our friends Matthew, Robin and Nathaniel are here because Matthew took a class this last week. It's been really good to connect with them again. So you can see why I haven't blogged lately. :)

The Doctor Called

I just got a call from my doctor this evening and I do indeed have Strep Throat for the second time in a month. I am on a different kind of penicillin this time and my doctor feels this one will work better than the one prescribed by the doctor on call in the ER ward last time. I'm thankful that I was able to hear back from my doctor already and hope things clear up quickly. I'm also thankful for the ability to see a doctor when I feel sick, have them know how to diagnose the problem, and receive drugs that will make me well again. All this only took $2.46 out of my pocket, plus the gas to drive to the hospital and pharmacy. Sometimes I am floored at how much I take for granted. There are people all over this world who will never experience that kind of freedom. I am reminded of a friend of ours who is a missionary in Zimbabwe. She teaches midwifery at a mission hospital in Karanda and she just recently shared about her ministry at a Ladies night we had at church. Women have babies on the side of the highway by themselves because they have no one who can come with them and no other way of transportation. If it wasn't for mission hospitals no one would be able to have the help of a doctor or medication and even then it is hard to come by. Without even thinking I assumed that I would have Liam and Libby in a nice comfortable Labor and Delivery room surrounded by machines and even a jacuzzi tub for my aching back. I assumed, when I jumped into my car yesterday that I would be able to see a doctor when I walked into the hospital. I was even slightly irritated that I had to wait a while before getting into a room. I sit here pondering this and feel ashamed...and then I feel thankful and want to not take these things for granted.

Emergency Room, Throat Swabs and a call from the doctor

Yep, that pretty much sums it up. I had strep throat last month and I think I have it again. I had a high fever last night and my throat just keeps getting more and more sore. Linds was able to stay home for a bit this afternoon so that I could visit Nipawin's version of a walk in clinic. Our walk in clinic is actually our Emergency ward at the hospital. Of course they will put the more pressing needs ahead of someone with a sore throat but I always feel bad when I go there with something that in comparison to a gun shot wound is pretty inconsequential. The last few times I have had to go there I don't feel as bad because getting in to see a doctor in this town can be difficult...and I have a family doctor. I think we have had a few doctors move on in the last couple years which doesn't help things. Anyway, I went in today and the doctor took a swab to send to the lab to see if it is indeed Strep. He says he will call with results. I've had my share of throat swabs over the years and my fair share of visits to the ER or doctor's offices with throat things. I can thing of a few things I would rather do than have a swab taken but it does usually lead to a cure and feeling better...I'm up for that. We sure have had our share of illness this winter and I hope this will be the last of it for a while. Parenting is just a lot easier when one feels healthy and has energy.

Thinking about summer

The weather has been a bit warmer this week and it got me thinking about summer. Here's a video I took of my guys while we went camping at the Nipawin Regional Park.

I'm not sure if you will be able to catch all the dialogue but the jest is that Liam is talking about checking out the barn later (there is a small petting zoo type barn at the park) and he is roasting his first hot dog. Don't get us wrong here, as much as I would love to keep away from all the scary things that make hot dogs unhealthy this is not his first hot dog, just the first time he has roasted one on his own. Can't keep those little people (or my husband) away from the things. :)

The Many Faces of Libby

In my attempt to get as many pictures of Libby as we have of Liam, here are some close ups I took last week.

We have the "Whoa, what is that thing mom is holding...oops, now I'm falling out of my Bumbo seat"


Then we have the "Winston Churchill...filling her pants look"


Oh, we can't leave out the "someday I want to be a singer, better practice keeping my mouth open. Man this tongue is a weird thing"


"Okay already, Mom I will smile if you get that camera out of my face"


"Here, will this look work for you? I call it the 3 month old thinker"

Bumbo Seat

A couple weeks ago I went to a local store with the intention of purchasing a Bumbo seat. Friends of ours had one with their little guy and I've had my eye on them ever since. I had to dish out a bigger amount of cash than I probably should have but it has been a great addition to our baby repertoire so far. They were designed in South Africa and are made out of polyurethane. The support of the chair allows babies to sit upright before they can do it on their own. This is great for our spit up queen who needs to be upright following feedings. It's also nice to have her closer to us. She can be up on the counter with me when I'm preparing supper and down on the floor beside us when we are playing games. Thank you to the campus ladies who contributed money to our gift...this is what I ended up buying.

Playing outside in the snow

The other day I decided that we had been in the house far too much with the cold weather. It happened to be on the warm side that afternoon so we bundled up and headed out to play with Liam's sand toys. They might be designed with sand in mind but they worked well and helped bring sanity back to this mother. I can definitely tell that Liam does not get the fresh air play time that he is used to during the warmer months. Sometimes I feel like grabbing the duck tape and taping him to the wall with his feet about three feet from the floor. Since that act would probably score me that "worst parent of the year award" I decided playing outside was the next best thing. One of the cool things about being a parent is that I get to do things over again. Playing in the snow is something that I remember I loved to do. The novelty has worn off a bit for me but it's fun to hang out with Liam. Libby at this time was inside having a snooze. As much as I love me son I think I might have rather done that activity.

After a bath

I love wrapping my kids up in their towels after a bath and seeing their little faces peek out. Now Liam stands up in his towel while I wrap it around him and runs through the house looking for the other parent. "I want to see Dad". This is probably from all those times that we paraded him in front of the adults visiting while all wrapped up in his towel.

Obah Night - In the Future

A couple weeks ago we had another Obah Night on campus. We go to supper in the Dining Hall dressed up according to the theme the Student Council has picked for that night. This time it was "In the Future". Lindsay and I decided to dress up like old people with help from the Salvation Army thrift store.




Liam dressed up like a hockey player playing for the Montreal Canadiens. People joke that everyone in Canada thinks their son will end up playing for the NHL. We are not holding our breath. We'll see what he ends up doing for hobbies and interests. In the meantime he loves to wear his jersey and play mini sticks hockey with Lindsay.



We didn't take a picture of it because she was asleep in her car seat for most of it but Libby was a rock star. She just wore a cute little outfit that we call her rock star outfit.

We joked that our kids (NHL star and rock star) will end up supporting us in our old age. Maybe they will be able to afford better clothes for us. :)

Bob the Builder...Can he fix it?

In case you are not a parent of a small child, the answer to the question above is a very energetic "YES, HE CAN". Bob has a very supportive group of talking construction machines to back him up on this. :) Liam enjoys watching Bob when we get DVDs from the library but he was very excited recently when he was given this puzzle. Friends of ours from campus handed down some puzzles that there kids had outgrown and we've had a lot of fun with them. Here is Liam hanging out with Bob the Builder. They look small because I am standing on the counter taking this picture.

The Circle of Life is complete

Yesterday Liam and I were spending some time in the kitchen. I was baking some brownies and he was practicing his "A"s on a piece of note paper. His task must have left him wanting because I turned a minute later to find him using the ball point pen to color a few of the white cupboards. Of course this is not something he is supposed to be doing and I'm fairly certain he knows it's wrong. So, as punishment he sat in the kitchen with a wet rag and some baking soda and went to work. As I watched my little man try to scrub off his masterpiece I was reminded of a similar incident that took place during my childhood. That brings me to the circle of life.

My Dad had just finished painting the upstairs hallway of the home Brad and I grew up in. It was a special textured paint that had what felt like sand in it. One evening, very shortly after the finished product had been produced, I decided that I would take some wax crayons and make my own little masterpiece. My parents came up to go to bed that night and much to their horror saw my handwork. My Dad says that he was thankful I was sleeping that night because he was angry. All that hard work. They stayed up talking about what my punishment should be. The next morning I guess I woke up happy like nothing had happened. With cleaning products in hand they told me, in very excited and happy voices, that I would be doing a special project that day. They tell me later that I had been very excited to have a special project and I went to it with gusto...until about 15 minutes later when I yelled downstairs to them..."I'm not having fun anymore". I'm not exactly sure how long it took me but they made me stay there until it was done. I don't remember coloring on the wall or being told that I had to clean it up but I do have a faint recollection of the scrubbing. I think that's the part that my parents wanted me to remember anyway. It worked...I never drew on the wall again.

So back to yesterday. While Liam was scrubbing I called my Dad at work and then my Mom at home to tell them the news. Of course they laughed at me, like all Grandparents should. I think it actually gave them great joy to hear that the cycle had been completed. :) I've written on the blog before that I appreciate my parents very much. Their consistency and creative correction in my young life was tough for them (and me) but I'm so thankful that they loved me enough to say no and mean it...and stick with it. Thank you for your example to me as a mom!

The cupboards look great now and Liam only spent 20 minutes doing it. Thankfully it wasn't wax crayon!

Coughing, sputtering and runny noses...

Yep, I haven't posted in a few days because I've been busy with two kids that have colds. Liam is actually doing really well. You would never know during the day that he has a cold, except the very telling runny nose. At night he sometimes wakes up but it's Libby that has me a bit worried. I'm sure all she has is a cold but I think she's a bit confused at what to do with all the excess mucus and phlegm she has going on in that cute little body of hers. Since birth she has been a gagger. So with this cold she will cough once, all cute and lady like and then the next "cough" sounds like Gohlum (spelling?...that Lord of the Rings character) with a head cold. It sounds bad and I'm worried she's hurting her throat. She's been sleeping fairly well at night. Nothing out of the ordinary that way. This morning I think she woke up too early and just wasn't hungry. When I tried to feed her she just wasn't interested and cried quite a bit in protest. I do hope and pray that things will clear up for her soon. It can't be fun being that small and not understanding why you feel poorly.

Learning to Skate

Liam is wearing the bob skates that his Grandpa and Grandma Anderson gave him for Christmas last year. We think he's doing a great job but it still isn't his favourite thing and I have a theory about that. I think he's a bit like me...he wants to do something, like skating, but he wants to be good at it right away without the falling. I can list of number of things that I have tried in the past and present that I have let frustrate me because I wanted to go from beginner to expert in about 5 minutes. Let's see...we have piano lessons, French, soccer, learning to drive our 5-speed cavalier, being a mommy...the list could go on. I am not very patient with myself and I lean towards being a perfectionist. Not a great combo. Liam wants to be able to skate like his Daddy and I have no doubt that he will one day be able to do so, but he will need to practice. A concept that his three year old brain struggles with. Understandable when my 29 year old brain has trouble with it too. We'll keep trying.

I've Been Tagged

I have been tagged by Jamie.
The idea is to click on your 5th picture folder & post the 5th picture.

I just did that and came up with the picture below. This past fall my friend Susanna did something very brave and decided to be baptized. This picture is from that day and shows Susanna with her Dad (who was the one to baptize her) and her husband Adam (who prayed for her). A bunch of students, staff and her family members filled up the NBC chapel to support Susanna in this. I was baptized some years back and remember being terrified that I had to speak in front of people about my story...the story of how God brought me to himself. I know that Susanna was also worried about having to share but she did a great job and I was, and still am very proud of her for taking that step this fall!



Because I was tagged I am now supposed to tag five other people to do the same thing...so here it goes.

Jen (the Glen one)
Alysun
Laura
Crystal
Tina

Future NBC students perhaps?

These pictures were taken back in October when our campus enjoyed it's first Obah Night of the year. I think I blogged about it back then because I remember trying to explain the "Obah" thing. Anyway I came across these pictures while trying to clean up the desktop and thought I would post them. Liam is there with his friends Cole and Addison (also campus kids). They are downstairs in the dining hall on the computers that the students usually use to check their email and such. Lynda captured the moment and it made me think about how fast these guys will grow up. Before we know it they will be off to college themselves!

A summary...

I was writing an email to my aunt last night and realized I hadn't posted in a while. Here is a short summary of why and what's been keeping me away from the computer.

Playing games with Liam, reading stories, making meals, trying to keep the house in some assemblance of order, play dates with kids (and moms), story time at the library, work for the NBC alumni committee, and just last night...cleaning up after Libby's "through the diaper, down the pants, splat on the floor and all over mommy, resulting in a hose-down in the bathtub" sized poop. :)

I laugh at the place (motherhood) that God has brought me but I really do appreciate it...even the poop! It's amazing how happy I am with Libby's full diapers. She is much happier when she gets it out so I rarely find myself upset with it, except when it's all over an outfit on our way out the door. Or after I've just finished washing that last load of laundry. Libby is 11 weeks today and I am so thankful that she is a part of our family and healthy. Liam is really starting to learn what gentle is and I can tell he is very proud of his little sister. His little heart is so refreshing.

Thank you Jesus for the gift of these two little ones. When they warm my heart and make me smile but also when they are driving me nuts.

Fun with Photobooth

Mommy...can I write a letter?

Every time I am on the computer Liam will come up to me and ask, "Mommy, can I write a letter?" He finds the computer fascinating so we keep his time on it to a very small minimum but once in a while he is allowed to write a letter. In fact he just asked me again as I type this out. :) What you find below is a sample of a typical letter and a response from my parents.

nbnngjfghfg nhnnnnvnfvnfvnmfngffnfgnbgfbb b bbbjfhfhbfhfhtrrrrhhhrhjhghngthjgthghghghgth ghj ghhgt htht hjt hthjthththththhththjththhthhththththjthjthh t t thgthrthrh hththththtthjthjthththththdvdvdvdvdvvdfbvnjfdnfdnfdfdnfn bfbbfbff zzzdn gfxngngngngngngngbnbngngbgbkkbkmbmkbmbmngbngbngbnnngngbmmmgmhgmhgnmgmmhmgmmgfvbngfbfgbfgbbgfgbbbbbbmmthhththththhththhthhthththtrhtrhthhthththtbtblmkkjllghll loootokk ookokyoyyikiyyiy kyk kjjjkkmjkmjjjgnnngnnnghjnjgtgfnnj n nngngnnngngngnnggnnng n gggb cbc c c c cdcdcbdcvdcvdvdcvdbbnhnnhvdvdvmkkffkjgfjgfjgj ggjgjtij jjjtjtjtjtjtjjjtgjgtjjtgjtjututjuigjjitjijjjjttiti jjjjtjitjijtjtlglgkgkgkkkgkkgkgkgmk n nnkklgjljkljkjkjkjkm,jjjkjjmkmjkjkmjmlkjljklk kklkkmmj mjmjkmjkmjkjmkj kmjjmkjmkjmkjh mj mjhm ,jh m

love liam

---------

Nanny & Pappy's reply:

Our Dear Liam,

We liked your green and red letter to us. We wish we could be there to give you a big hug. We miss you and your sister and Mommy and Daddy so-o-o-o-o much!!
We are patiently counting the sleeps until we come to see you -- there are 26 sleeps left -- that's 3 more church days. We are looking forward to doing your new big puzzles with you.

We hope you are still being a good big brother and helping Mommy and Daddy with Libby. Sometimes being a help means quietly playing by yourself and not whining. Even adults sometimes whine, so we understand how hard it is to be good. But it's so important!

Love you a "bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!"
Nanny & Pappy

Point of view from a three year old with a camera

Liam loves taking pictures with our camera. He does a pretty good job but we don't let him loose with it because it's a camera...an expensive on at that. He doesn't get to take pictures often but there are three that he has taken recently. I especially love the one with Libby and I were his foot is front and centre.

The Smile

Here's Libby flashing us a smile. The picture with her in a pink dress is from last Sunday. She went to church sporting a pink knitted dress that my Grandma Skeldon knitted for me when I was a baby. Hard to believe I was once that small.

A while ago we went bowling with Liam for the first time and shortly after that experience I blogged about it. I have been trying to figure out how to upload videos on my blog and this is from that night. I think the problem was that we only had high speed light before and now we have high speed for a few months.

Smiles

Lately Libby has been warming our hearts with her big toothless grins. Those of course are difficult to capture on camera so this little smirk will have to do for now. She is usually the most full of smiles when Lindsay and I are tucking her in for the night after that last feed. She is starting to doze and full of milk...a little drunk you could say. :)

Cousins

Libby, Isabella and Liam are pictured here hanging out this Christmas. Izzy was a lot of fun to hang out with. She's at a great stage. Full of smiles, holds her head up and is working on rolling over. I think Liam picked up on the fact that Izzy was a little more attentive to him than Libby.

Liam's debut as a shepherd

Instead of doing a Christmas program this year our church went around to two seniors homes in Nipawin and did some caroling. The kids dressed up and sang some songs. Very cute.

I Will Rise

A few weeks ago I bought the Chris Tomlin CD entitled "Hello Love". I didn't know a lot about his music but was up for something new. I have really been enjoying it. The music is great and the lyrics are very encouraging. I was in the CRV the other day doing some errands around town and had the CD playing. The song "I Will Rise" came on and it was one of the first times I had been able to zero in on this particular song's lyrics.

I WILL RISE - Chris Tomlin
There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
[x2]

These words immediately made me think of my Grandma and her relationship with the Lord. Because of that relationship she is enjoying a place where there are no more tears or pain. While thinking about that my mind drifted to how the words of this song can be an encouragement to us still here. With the joy and fulfillment we experience in our lives there is also the potential for a lot of heartache and disappointment. People that we hold dear will leave us, plans may fail, sickness cause us pain...the list can go on. Nothing is certain...except the promises that Jesus has made. He has promised to never leave us through the good times and the hard times, to bring peace and rest. He's able to keep these promises because he has overcome the hold that the grave has on us. I'm so thankful for the legacy that my Grandma left for us. She lived these truths and she was able to die knowing that death would not be the end. We can live knowing that the victory has been won!

"Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57.