Still counting, even though I missed last weeks. I still don't feel like counting, but know that I need to and that it will put things in perspective, which I need a lot of lately!
21. God-sized dreams.
22. Cheap, yummy food at depot and colleagues to share it with.
23. Finding lost files on the computer at work, just in time for a huge presentation!
24. Yummy eggless cake recipes.
25. Hugs from my husband, especially when I don't deserve them!
26. Hearing my nephew say 'hi' on the phone for the first time and listening to him giggle his little head off.
27. Incredibly exciting news from dear friends and time to spend with them! We are soo happy for them!
28. My boy's joy over his new jobs and responsibiilities that he has to do to help out around the house. (I never thought that he would take his jobs so seriously and is so proud when he completes them).
29. Hearing siblings apologize to one another, seeing them hug and say "I forgive you".
30. Knowing that big brother will look after his little sister at Sunday school and take good care of her when she cries because Mommy and Daddy left.
31. Seeing this little munchkin grow and develop in an ultra sound and watching the excitement on it's siblings faces as they see their baby on the screen. Zech copied everything the technician said, it was soo funny!
32. Knowing that God is in control and has a plan for us and will always provide for us.
Monday, 27 June 2011
Monday, 20 June 2011
Catching Up
I am so behind and I apologize. These past couple of weeks have been so crazy! So I have a bit of catching up to do.
1. Wonderful Wednesday Giveaway
The winner of the Giveaway is Heather based on the Random Number Generator. Thanks for the comments and based on your comment Heather, you can choose which pair of Toms shoes you would like me to send your way (I will email you).
2. Zech had a day surgery at the beginning of the month and what was supposed to be a minor little 'day surgery' turned into one heck of an ordeal and a few sleepless nights. They prescribed the wrong pain medicine and our little man was shaking and screaming uncontrollably he was in so much pain. They also prescribed antibiotics, but gave him the wrong dosage, so he got an infection, had to go back to the hospital and then get a different dosage prescribed. He is much better and almost completely healed up now. We were pretty exhausted though!
(See, he's feeling much better)
3. Our little princess turned two! I will have to post an update and pictures soon! We had her Cookie Monster b-day party a week later and she had a blast.
4. I am so proud of my Husband. He is on the home stretch now with his last course for a bit. Pray for him please as he is preparing to write his final at the end of the month. It has been a long haul, but he has persisted and endured. I am so proud of his accomplishments and of the marks he has been getting while taking care of the kids, working part time, and ensuring that he is the devoted husband and father he is! I am also extremely proud and excited that he is the new Intern at Rockpointe Church in Calgary. Perfect timing (while I am on Mat. leave) and we can't wait to head back to a place we love, to be close to those we love! God truly works in incredible ways and this past year has been such a testament of that. It is hard to understand the reasons why, and wonder why we have been on the path we have, but all in His timing and according to His plan! So we head out at the end of July, will have the baby in Calgary and John will start in October (he has to be around to help me since it will be another c-section). Did I mention that I can't wait! :o)
5. I am 29 weeks pregnant now, so I am past the halfway point. I met with my OBG for the first time on Friday and she is really nice. She was referred to me by some former colleagues at the College. I was a little worried about how everything was going to work out with us moving back to Calgary to have this little one, but she did her residency there and will refer me to an OBG in Calgary. I also had a list prepared from my friends just in case. So far the swelling has stayed minimal, and my blood pressure has been great! I am huge though---yup at 28 weeks I am measuring 35 weeks! So another ultra sound has been ordered, which I really don't mind in the least. A chance to see my little one again and plus here I don't have to guzzle the water! I could write a post of all the things that you really shouldn't say to a pregnant woman (believe me, I get so many comments due to my size--that makes me feel great!).
6. I have 5 weeks left of work until I head off on maternity leave. Can't wait! Let the countdown begin!
7. We have done a lot of packing, and purging. Unfortunately most of the purging we have had to do has been FORCED. We have had mice issues (so disgusting) and they got into a lot of our things, so we have had to throw out quite a few things. This compounded with the mattresses we had to get rid of when we lived in Caronport due to "mold". I have not been impressed and as a student family, it is not exactly planned or in the budget to be buying new mattresses! Can't wait to move!
8. It seems the closer we get to moving and to John getting into Ministry, the harder things get (which we know to expect--it's biblical). For those of you that know his testimony and the way God has been working in his life, our lives, it has been a long road of challenges and hardships. None the less, God has always come through and I know He will get us through, but I struggle with my Faith and Trust in Him, so much for no apparent reason. I am so thankful for some pretty amazing, supportive and encouraging friends and family that we have been blessed with. I truly don't know what we would do without them! Thank YOU!
9. I am a Pinterest Freak! Thanks to Christina B, I am hooked. I even had to re-open a facebook account (which I didn't want to) so that I could access it. If you haven't heard of pinterest, you should check it out. Basically, anytime you are perrusing the internet, or blogs like I love to do, and you see something you like, you pin it to your 'board' and it saves it there. You can follow other people, see the best of 'Pinterest' and always have the pages, links, etc. you love right at your fingertips. I would always email myself lists of tutorials, links, blogs, etc. so that I would have them, or I would bookmark them, but now they are all nicely arranged on my boards. LOVE IT!
10. A Happy Father's Day to all of the Father's out there. Of course I will take a few moments to honour the Father of my three precious ones. I could not have asked for a better Daddy for my kids than John. He truly is incredible and has an amazing love for his family! We made him breakfast in bed (which he had to come downstairs to eat as Genesis insisted that she eat with her Daddy and there was no way I would let her take her breakfast upstairs to OUR bed), the kids decorated a 'crown' for him and some special cookies. Zech had me write on the crown:
"We are God's Mighty Warriors and we both love God! God loves you so much too!"
I think that was a pretty incredible message and really shows you how much my little boy and girl truly love their Daddy! I am blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life to be the father of my beautiful kids!
1. Wonderful Wednesday Giveaway
The winner of the Giveaway is Heather based on the Random Number Generator. Thanks for the comments and based on your comment Heather, you can choose which pair of Toms shoes you would like me to send your way (I will email you).
2. Zech had a day surgery at the beginning of the month and what was supposed to be a minor little 'day surgery' turned into one heck of an ordeal and a few sleepless nights. They prescribed the wrong pain medicine and our little man was shaking and screaming uncontrollably he was in so much pain. They also prescribed antibiotics, but gave him the wrong dosage, so he got an infection, had to go back to the hospital and then get a different dosage prescribed. He is much better and almost completely healed up now. We were pretty exhausted though!
(See, he's feeling much better)3. Our little princess turned two! I will have to post an update and pictures soon! We had her Cookie Monster b-day party a week later and she had a blast.
4. I am so proud of my Husband. He is on the home stretch now with his last course for a bit. Pray for him please as he is preparing to write his final at the end of the month. It has been a long haul, but he has persisted and endured. I am so proud of his accomplishments and of the marks he has been getting while taking care of the kids, working part time, and ensuring that he is the devoted husband and father he is! I am also extremely proud and excited that he is the new Intern at Rockpointe Church in Calgary. Perfect timing (while I am on Mat. leave) and we can't wait to head back to a place we love, to be close to those we love! God truly works in incredible ways and this past year has been such a testament of that. It is hard to understand the reasons why, and wonder why we have been on the path we have, but all in His timing and according to His plan! So we head out at the end of July, will have the baby in Calgary and John will start in October (he has to be around to help me since it will be another c-section). Did I mention that I can't wait! :o)
5. I am 29 weeks pregnant now, so I am past the halfway point. I met with my OBG for the first time on Friday and she is really nice. She was referred to me by some former colleagues at the College. I was a little worried about how everything was going to work out with us moving back to Calgary to have this little one, but she did her residency there and will refer me to an OBG in Calgary. I also had a list prepared from my friends just in case. So far the swelling has stayed minimal, and my blood pressure has been great! I am huge though---yup at 28 weeks I am measuring 35 weeks! So another ultra sound has been ordered, which I really don't mind in the least. A chance to see my little one again and plus here I don't have to guzzle the water! I could write a post of all the things that you really shouldn't say to a pregnant woman (believe me, I get so many comments due to my size--that makes me feel great!).
6. I have 5 weeks left of work until I head off on maternity leave. Can't wait! Let the countdown begin!
7. We have done a lot of packing, and purging. Unfortunately most of the purging we have had to do has been FORCED. We have had mice issues (so disgusting) and they got into a lot of our things, so we have had to throw out quite a few things. This compounded with the mattresses we had to get rid of when we lived in Caronport due to "mold". I have not been impressed and as a student family, it is not exactly planned or in the budget to be buying new mattresses! Can't wait to move!
8. It seems the closer we get to moving and to John getting into Ministry, the harder things get (which we know to expect--it's biblical). For those of you that know his testimony and the way God has been working in his life, our lives, it has been a long road of challenges and hardships. None the less, God has always come through and I know He will get us through, but I struggle with my Faith and Trust in Him, so much for no apparent reason. I am so thankful for some pretty amazing, supportive and encouraging friends and family that we have been blessed with. I truly don't know what we would do without them! Thank YOU!
9. I am a Pinterest Freak! Thanks to Christina B, I am hooked. I even had to re-open a facebook account (which I didn't want to) so that I could access it. If you haven't heard of pinterest, you should check it out. Basically, anytime you are perrusing the internet, or blogs like I love to do, and you see something you like, you pin it to your 'board' and it saves it there. You can follow other people, see the best of 'Pinterest' and always have the pages, links, etc. you love right at your fingertips. I would always email myself lists of tutorials, links, blogs, etc. so that I would have them, or I would bookmark them, but now they are all nicely arranged on my boards. LOVE IT!
10. A Happy Father's Day to all of the Father's out there. Of course I will take a few moments to honour the Father of my three precious ones. I could not have asked for a better Daddy for my kids than John. He truly is incredible and has an amazing love for his family! We made him breakfast in bed (which he had to come downstairs to eat as Genesis insisted that she eat with her Daddy and there was no way I would let her take her breakfast upstairs to OUR bed), the kids decorated a 'crown' for him and some special cookies. Zech had me write on the crown:
"We are God's Mighty Warriors and we both love God! God loves you so much too!"
I think that was a pretty incredible message and really shows you how much my little boy and girl truly love their Daddy! I am blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life to be the father of my beautiful kids!
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Green Apple and Feta Salad
We were at a BBQ last week with my former colleagues from the College. It was so great to see everyone and to meet spouses, kids, etc. I miss those guys so much. I truly had such a great experience working at the college!
The food was amazing and there were a couple of salads that I HAD to get the Recipes for and share with you! I still have to get the recipe for the second yummy salad, but you truly have to try this one! It is to DIE for--seriously! I gave it to a couple of my current colleagues and they were raving about it, not to mention the fact that my hubby had a few helpings and requested that I get the recipe. Let me know what you think when you try it! :o)
Thanks to J & P for the recipe and for bringing such a yummy salad!
Green Apple and Feta Salad
Dressing
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
Almonds
1/2 c. almonds
melt 1/8 c. butter and add:
- 1Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. tobasco sauce
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne
Add butter mixture to almonds and brown in overn 5-7 minutes @
(watch almonds carefully--they burn quickly)
Salad
- Shred/rip apart 1 romaine head of lettuce
- Just before serving add feta cheese (amount to your personal taste) and sliced granny smith apples (spartans work too as they are fairly tart)
- Add almonds and dressing - toss and enjoy!
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Lullaby League
So my good friend Christina just started a new business and I thought I would share, spread the word. For all of you in Calgary who need baby sitters, check out Lullaby League. Also for those of you that know of, or have children of your own who are looking to start babysitting, this is for you too.
Check out her new website and pass it along to those you know! This is such a cool idea!
Check out her new website and pass it along to those you know! This is such a cool idea!
Monday, 6 June 2011
One Thousand Gifts
You know this has been hard, really hard, especially lately. I had a moment this week where I thought I was going to completely lose it and have a complete breakdown and then I heard this voice telling me to count, just count--EUCHARISTO. So I did and the peace and gratefulness that came over me was amazing. I wish I could remember this every day, all the time, but hey I am a work in progress.
So I struggle and count on....
13.) a roof over our heads (oh trust me there is so much I could say about this right now, but I am happy that we aren't homeless)
14.) Movie nights and seeing how excited Zech and Gigi get over something so simple.
15.) Hearing my little one's heart beat loud and strong.
16.) Kisses on my belly from his/her big brother and sister.
17.) Hands rocking my belly back and forth, singing "rock-a-bye-baby"! She really loves to sing!
18.) Hugs from my hubby.
19.) Celebrating 2 years and hearing her sing "Happy Birthday" to herself.
20.) Videos that are memories for a life time. These totally crack me up!!
So I struggle and count on....
13.) a roof over our heads (oh trust me there is so much I could say about this right now, but I am happy that we aren't homeless)
14.) Movie nights and seeing how excited Zech and Gigi get over something so simple.
15.) Hearing my little one's heart beat loud and strong.
16.) Kisses on my belly from his/her big brother and sister.
17.) Hands rocking my belly back and forth, singing "rock-a-bye-baby"! She really loves to sing!
18.) Hugs from my hubby.
19.) Celebrating 2 years and hearing her sing "Happy Birthday" to herself.
20.) Videos that are memories for a life time. These totally crack me up!!
Friday, 3 June 2011
Wonderful Wednesday
So, I decided that this is going to be the last Wonderful Wednesday that I do for a while. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE doing them and I have learned so much and realize that there are so many wonderful, incredible people and organizations out there.
To be honest, I have been feeling overwhelmed and neglectful in keeping up with it. Also, these next few months are going to be full of major transitions for my family and I. My blog, may take a bit of a back seat (not that it hasn't already). I also know that there is a different direction that I need to take. I am praying about it and really seeking God. I know that this is something that I will not leave, but feel that a new, different direction is in order. I know it doesn't make much sense, nor does it make much sense to me at this moment either. In His time it will though. I am excited and I do feel so passionate about numerous areas of Social Justice, but know that it is time to move in a different direction.
So to conclude the Wonderful Wednesdays, I had a list that I was keeping of people, organizations, etc. that I wanted to support, and/or send some bloggy awareness to. I will share some of them with you. Check them out and leave a comment as to what organization, item, really intrigued, touched you and tell me why. I will draw a winner and I will give them the item that they chose. Since I am late with this, I will leave it open until next Friday and announce the winner on Saturday.
1.) Tom's Shoes
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.
Since TOMS started there have been a few companies that have 'copied' this concept. Airwalk now sells the same type of shoes at Payless with the same concept "one for one". There is another company that started doing the same and I can't remember who it is, so if anyone knows, feel free to share.
2.) The Mercy House
God has given us a dream to build a house of mercy in the heart of Africa to help heal and offer hope to pregnant girls. To save one life at a time…
To read the full story start here...it is such an amazing story and testimony of how God works!
With dozens of donations from Etsy stores and well-know Internet shops coming in each week, you never know what you’ll find at The Mercy House ! 100% of the proceeds benefit The Mercy House in Kenya, Africa.
To shop The Mercy House go here (also check back frequently because they are always getting new and different items).
3.) Hannah's Hope Ministries
A touching ministry named after a beautiful young woman who went home to be with Jesus after a battle with Cancer. It is such a touching story, and the ministry is amazing. Check out the full story here and the shop here.
4.) Delicate Fortress Creations Shoppe
Giving You A Fun and Practical Way to Fight Injustice in This World -
Another amazing shop, with an amazing story! what is really unique about this online shop, is that you can actually shop by cause, whether it be illiteracy, human trafficking, prostitution, extreme poverty, children at risk. Check it out here.
My list could go on, but I don't want to overwhelm you! :o) This is something that I am really passionate about, and never knew that much about until I started this Journey.
I will leave you with a few more websites of some really incredible organizations.
- Life Impact International
- Serving His Children
- Christmas Change
Last this is a really intriguing blog and something that I would LOVE to do with my family. They sold everything, kept just the bare minimum and bought a truck and trailer. They are on the road traveling across the States and documenting how they give 'something' every day. Truly inspiring!
Give Every Day
Finally, (yes this post will end) being that this is my last giveaway for a bit, I have not set a limit. I truly want to know what has touched you, what you feel passionate about.
To be honest, I have been feeling overwhelmed and neglectful in keeping up with it. Also, these next few months are going to be full of major transitions for my family and I. My blog, may take a bit of a back seat (not that it hasn't already). I also know that there is a different direction that I need to take. I am praying about it and really seeking God. I know that this is something that I will not leave, but feel that a new, different direction is in order. I know it doesn't make much sense, nor does it make much sense to me at this moment either. In His time it will though. I am excited and I do feel so passionate about numerous areas of Social Justice, but know that it is time to move in a different direction.
So to conclude the Wonderful Wednesdays, I had a list that I was keeping of people, organizations, etc. that I wanted to support, and/or send some bloggy awareness to. I will share some of them with you. Check them out and leave a comment as to what organization, item, really intrigued, touched you and tell me why. I will draw a winner and I will give them the item that they chose. Since I am late with this, I will leave it open until next Friday and announce the winner on Saturday.
1.) Tom's Shoes
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.
Since TOMS started there have been a few companies that have 'copied' this concept. Airwalk now sells the same type of shoes at Payless with the same concept "one for one". There is another company that started doing the same and I can't remember who it is, so if anyone knows, feel free to share.
2.) The Mercy House
God has given us a dream to build a house of mercy in the heart of Africa to help heal and offer hope to pregnant girls. To save one life at a time…
To read the full story start here...it is such an amazing story and testimony of how God works!
With dozens of donations from Etsy stores and well-know Internet shops coming in each week, you never know what you’ll find at The Mercy House ! 100% of the proceeds benefit The Mercy House in Kenya, Africa.
To shop The Mercy House go here (also check back frequently because they are always getting new and different items).
3.) Hannah's Hope Ministries
A touching ministry named after a beautiful young woman who went home to be with Jesus after a battle with Cancer. It is such a touching story, and the ministry is amazing. Check out the full story here and the shop here.
4.) Delicate Fortress Creations Shoppe
Giving You A Fun and Practical Way to Fight Injustice in This World -
Another amazing shop, with an amazing story! what is really unique about this online shop, is that you can actually shop by cause, whether it be illiteracy, human trafficking, prostitution, extreme poverty, children at risk. Check it out here.
My list could go on, but I don't want to overwhelm you! :o) This is something that I am really passionate about, and never knew that much about until I started this Journey.
I will leave you with a few more websites of some really incredible organizations.
- Life Impact International
- Serving His Children
- Christmas Change
Last this is a really intriguing blog and something that I would LOVE to do with my family. They sold everything, kept just the bare minimum and bought a truck and trailer. They are on the road traveling across the States and documenting how they give 'something' every day. Truly inspiring!
Give Every Day
Finally, (yes this post will end) being that this is my last giveaway for a bit, I have not set a limit. I truly want to know what has touched you, what you feel passionate about.
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