The look of excitement

This picture was taken back on Easter Sunday this year. We hid eggs for Liam and this year he was much more into it. I love that he captured the excitement on Liam's face when this picture was taken. He had just spotted the egg by the TV.

Haircut

I got a haircut back in April and mentioned on my Facebook that I would post a picture. Well, some time has passed and I'm almost in need of another haircut but I thought I would post this picture anyway. Besides, I think it's a good picture of Liam and I. Do I really get to spend every day with him? Sometimes I am just struck by the blessing in that.

The Cool One

I mentioned in the earlier post about Brad's graduation that he is now the cool one...this picture definitely clinches it. Maybe the person taking the picture should have given me some warning. :)

Waiting for the wedding to start

Liam did a great job this weekend. Sunday, the day of the wedding was probably the hardest for him because he was finally out of the car and wanted to run. We've never seen him so bouncy. All in all he did very well and it was neat for him to be there to see the Derksens.

Brad's NBC Graduation

This April, Brad (that wonderful but slightly quirky brother of mine) :) graduated with his BA in Biblical Studies from Nipawin Bible College. It was a great day that included the receiving of his diploma, receiving the Grad of the Year award (presented to Brad by Lindsay), pictures, saying goodbye to friends, and of course a few tears by the emotional, proud and pregnant older sister.

I say a few tears, but it was more like a mini hoover dam explosion. I've always wished that I could cry like they do in the movies. You know, a single tear down the cheek. But no, for some reason my face feels the need to cringe up like the face of a two year old that has just eaten a piece of lemon. So there are tears but there is also this, "please shoot me to put me out of my misery" expression on my face. No doubt I embarrassed both Brad, myself and most of the people standing around me, but it's not every day that someone so special to me accomplishes so much.

It's not just the diploma, which shows that Brad worked hard in his academics to warrant receiving those two letters beside his name (BA). It's remembering Brad as a young boy growing up into a teenager and then coming to Bible College for the first time. He was a timid and yes we should say, skinny freshmen but he has grown into someone who loves the Lord more deeply, is learning more fully how to rest in His Savior, trust the plan that God has for his life, and interact well with those around him. In a society where going to Bible College is often considered a waste of time and energy, I am so proud of Brad. He knows that all he has and is...his time, his talents, his resources, his dream and plans...all belong to God. I know that he will continue to learn lessons as he walks the path of life but I am so thankful for the foundation God has given him through the ministry of NBC. It has been a privilege to watch him grow into the man he is today. I look forward with anticipation to see what God has for him.

Brad, all those years as a child who was 4 1/2 years older than her brother, I thought I was so much cooler than you. It's debatable whether I've ever been cool (a discussion for another time perhaps) :) but as I have watched you grow into the man you are today I realize that you are by far the cool one! Now that we have "switched" roles, I thank you for being a great brother. I'm so proud of you. Congrats again on your graduation.

Ian & Amber

Lindsay, Liam and I were able to travel to Alberta this last weekend to attend my cousin's (Amber) wedding in Calgary. We were also able to stay with our friends, Kyle and Kassy in Sundre while out there. The wedding was on Sunday at Foothills Alliance Church, NW end part of the city. It was great to be there to celebrate and visit with the Derksen family. It was a beautiful wedding.

Kelly & Janine

Back in March Liam and I traveled to Saskatoon to celebrate with my cousin, Janine and her husband Kelly. They got married in Hawaii in February and at this afternoon wedding shower we were able to enjoy watching footage from the wedding and pictures that were taken on the island. They are a great couple and it was fun seeing them and celebrating with them. Oh...and Lindsay...Hawaii looks great for a anniversary one of these years. :)

Will the thumb be green this summer?

That's the question I always ask on the outset of gardening season. Will it rain? Will it be too dry? Did I remember to plant the cucumbers just right? Do I have a two year old helping me plant this thing? The only answer I know is to the last question. Have you ever had a two year old help in the garden? Mostly it's fun when I remember that the perfectionist in me is best left uncovered. It's been fun having Liam help out. I'm guessing that some day he might not want to be seen in the same room with us old folks so I want to soak up all this attention I get from him while I have it. Of course he loves to water and dig. Even when the digging is happening where things have already been planted. That happened this afternoon and I must admit a little tension could be detected in my voice. There comes the perfectionist again. :) We are just about done the planting process. I just need to find places for my herbs and some flowers. I have a flower bed that goes around the south and east of the house. It's a mess and needs some work but thankfully there are already perennials there. I feels great to be outside and not be freezing. It felt like a long spring and it's so good to have the warmth. To those of you that are also planting and weeding...happy gardening!

We're Still Here

Just when life starts to slow down, our camera dies and has to be sent away for repairs. I was thinking about blogging the other day and the fact that I can't post any pictures. Can I write anything worth reading without pictures to accompany it? I have friends that are good at that. I also really enjoy writing but find lately that my brain doesn't get to use that part of itself much. I could write about how after being potty trained for a few months, Liam has reverted back to peeing in his pants. Usually not so much that he needs to be changed but enough to throw up one's hands and say, "why, what's with this? Or I could write about what most of you know. We are expecting our second little one at the end of November. So needless to say life on the "how am I feeling" front has not been 100% but I've been learning how to cope with the nausea. I am 13 weeks now and hope that by moving into the second trimester I will start to feel more myself. That's what happened with the last one at least. We are getting ready to plant the garden. Lindsay is working until the end of June and then will have about two months off. We will end to Wisconsin at the end of June to visit family and will come back and spend most of the time left in the summer around home. All in all we are doing well. If I come up with any "gotta write that in the blog" moments I will let you know. :)

Recent Photo Shoot

Brownie anyone?

I shouldn't be encouraging such behaviour...but he looked so cute!

Liam and the porcelain throne

No, that's not a clever title for a children's book I'm thinking about publishing. :) Liam and I started working on the whole potty training thing on January 22. That was not a fun day. Liam was stuffed with candy and even more liquids and I was tried of having my whole world revolve around Liam's bladder. I decided to go with the "Potty Training in a Day" method that a few people had suggested. Teaching him what to do in the bathroom only took a day but it took a little while longer than that for him to understand that when he felt the need he should go in the potty. Those first few days were not fun but the results have been good with Liam. I was very surprised that he caught on so quickly. I had heard many people say that boys often take longer to train. He now is day trained with the occasional accident and goes through the night without a diaper or pull up. I'm so proud of him!

I thought the Burger King was bigger!

Christmas Day at the Andersons

NBC Christmas Banquet

OT Skits

Lindsay revived an old NBC tradition this year as Old Testament Survey Prof when he included OT Skits on the syllabus. In two separate evenings the school gathers to watch the freshmen students perform the event in the passages of scripture that Lindsay has assigned them. Often these evenings are filled with laughter as students add their humor to the things they have studied. This year was no exception. They did a good job of working with the text. These pictures feature our cousin Taylor. I sadly forgot to bring my camera for the second evening when he play King Solomon. Never thought I would see him in short pants and tall socks. Sure glad he is here.

Kissing "Noah"

Before Christmas we were walking through the hardware store and Liam kept saying "Noah" as we walked to the till. I looked up and saw a display featuring Santa Claus. Thanks to several picture books we've read to Liam he believes that everyone with a beard is Noah and should have a large boat with lots of animals in it. Here he is at my Aunt Elaine and Uncle Aaron's house on Christmas Day giving Noah a kiss.

Oh that Uncle Brad

Who else would buy Liam a chick magnet shirt but the original?! :)

Our Calvin Klein ad

Liam was standing like this one day and I had the camera handy. Thought it was cute.

Our New Place

This only shows you a little of our place. I will post some more soon. This was all I could get one day before the camera batteries died. This shows our kitchen, dining and living room area. One of the bathrooms (the other is a small one off the master bedroom). Our guest room. I still need to take pictures of our bedroom, the craft room/office, Liam's bedroom and Liam's playroom/library.