Oh I am so behind, but I thought I should quickly get my grateful eight posted and then I can post a lot more for this week. I have really been enjoying spending time with my sis, bro-in-law, nephew and mom. This week is going by way too fast!
So I am grateful for:
1. Getting the apartment all cleaned and looking somewhat presentable! :o)
2. A new shelving unit that allowed me to properly store and organize things.
3. A visit to the park with my friend Amber and her two boys Pearson and Jacob. Jacob is two months younger than Zech, but Zech is a lot taller and bigger, so Pearson (who is 3 1/2) thinks that Zech is his age and should be doing all of the things that he does. Too funny!
4. Good deals on electronics. John gets some pretty good deals at work and picked up a new Sony DVD player with speakers, amp, etc., for only $50! (now we just need a new tv--long story)!
5. Possible job opportunities. I just applied for a job (through the government-of course) and I have all of the requirements, it sounds interesting and it is a higher classification than what I was in Edmonton, so please pray that I get it!
6. Josh's b-day! Our nephew turned 8 and Zech and I went to the party. Zech was a little too young to play lazer tag, but was quite happy to hang out with all of the kids. Plus the cake really got his attention too!
7. Safe travels for my family. Mel and Cory picked Mom up after work and they drove to Golden Friday night. They spent the night and then arrived here on Saturday. It was nice to see them and Zech has been waiting for them to arrive. It is funny how much he does understand, but he doesn't quite understand the whole concept of "time". I told him that Aunty, Uncle, Baby cousin Jonas and Grandma were coming and he runs to the door to let them in and was not too happy that they were not at the door the second I told him! Too funny.
8. A nice relaxing Sunday afternoon at the beach. It has been really hot here (LOVE IT) and we went down and spent the whole afternoon at the beach just lying under a tree close to the water. I love those kind of days!
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Sunday, 22 June 2008
Grateful Eight
I can not believe that this is one of the last weeks in June! This month has flown by! I am also quite impressed that I am posting this on Sunday!!
This week I am grateful for:
1. Finding a good hair dresser that knows what she is doing and knows how to cut and colour different types of hair. Thanks to my dear sister-in-law for getting me in with Lisa at the Purple Door! This was also the cheapest hair cut and colour I have had in years.....and she even showed me how to do my hair in a hurry and take advantage of the "natural wave" that I have (and have hated up until now)!!
2. A date night with my hubby! We went to the MOVIES (don't see Indiana Jones though)! :o)
3. My little monkey who is starting the "terrible two" phase, and teething (I am so happy that he only has four more left to come in). Even though these last few weeks have been extremely trying and frustrating, he still cracks me up and makes me laugh.
6. Phone conversations with my sister and my nephew! I can't wait to see them on Saturday!
7. East Indian food! YUMMY my favourite and it is so easy to make!
8. Time to sort my scrapbooking paper and almost finish a layout! Plus I found a new scrapbooking store a few minutes away called the Scrapbooking Swede. (Mom will love it just because of the name!)
This week I am grateful for:
1. Finding a good hair dresser that knows what she is doing and knows how to cut and colour different types of hair. Thanks to my dear sister-in-law for getting me in with Lisa at the Purple Door! This was also the cheapest hair cut and colour I have had in years.....and she even showed me how to do my hair in a hurry and take advantage of the "natural wave" that I have (and have hated up until now)!!
2. A date night with my hubby! We went to the MOVIES (don't see Indiana Jones though)! :o)
3. My little monkey who is starting the "terrible two" phase, and teething (I am so happy that he only has four more left to come in). Even though these last few weeks have been extremely trying and frustrating, he still cracks me up and makes me laugh.
(I took this picture about three weeks ago or more! I kind of forgot I had taken it and just found it. He was helping me get the clothes out of the dryer and the next thing I knew he was in the dryer--I guess there were a few pieces of clothing he couldn't quite reach! )
4. Naps! I have had to take a few this week when Zech does, so I am not only grateful for his naps, but for mine too!
6. Phone conversations with my sister and my nephew! I can't wait to see them on Saturday!
7. East Indian food! YUMMY my favourite and it is so easy to make!
8. Time to sort my scrapbooking paper and almost finish a layout! Plus I found a new scrapbooking store a few minutes away called the Scrapbooking Swede. (Mom will love it just because of the name!)
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
A Father's Day Tribute
Our Father's Day service at our Church was really moving and emotional. It was a unique message that was titled "One Month to Live" based on the book One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life by Kerry and Chris Shook.
I haven't read the book, so I won't be able to say anything more about it than the mere mention of the title, but our Pastor based his Sermon around the premise of what if you were told that you only had One Month to Live. How would you live your life differently? How would your spiritual life change? What would you change about your life? Very thought provoking indeed!
His main message was regarding Love and the relationships in our lives. Why is it that our culture here in North America does not place as much emphasis on "family" (whether it be our church family or our biological family) as so many other cultures in the world do. We are consumed by materialism and the necessity to work around the clock and disengage ourselves from the people around us to make the almighty dollar! We base "SUCCESS" on how much money or "stuff" someone has, how big their house is, what kind of fancy car they drive, the title they have at their work place, the amount of electronic gadgets they have, not too mention all of the motorized or mechanized toys they have! Why don't we base "success" on how much time people devote to their marriages, to their kids, to the well-being of their family, to their spirituality and their desire to be an honest, God fearing Person.
This was a particularly moving message for me as it is something that I have thought so often about since Dad passed away. I heard a great message on the radio one day after Dad passed and I was driving into work. The message of course revoloved around relationships and how important they are. The speaker ( a Pastor) was with a man before he passed away. This man was "successful" in our societies view of successful. Lots of money, lots of possessions and worked long hours away from home. This man worked so hard and put in so many hours to acquire his beloved possessions, but on his death bed he was not thinking about these material things or about how many hours of work he could squeeze in before his time was up. No, he was thinking about the time that did NOT spend with his family or with those that he loved and cherished and really wished that he would have devoted more time to the relationships with his family and friends.
John and I made an agreement before God that our family (marriage and kids) would always come first! We would not let a job or any other distracting factor take away from the valuable time that we NEED to spend with our family. This has been extremely hard, but also so rewarding. John clearly states in any job interview now that he will not work Sundays as he is a church going man and this is the day that he takes his family to church. Yes he has missed out on some pretty decent job opportunities as a result, but there have been more people that respect his stance and honour it than not. When he is asked to work overtime, he always calls me to discuss it and if it is going to cut into any family time or activity that we had planned, he refuses. Do we need the money--ABSOLUTELY, but we need time, precious time more than money. We never know when God will decide that our time is up. I love that John is so devoted to his family and even though we struggle now, I know that God will Bless us and is blessing us with much more than financial gain!
So with this being said......I want to dedicate this post to all of the father's.
-To my Dad who I miss dearly and wish I had more time with!
-To my Father-in-law who is a true blessing in our lives and treats me like a daughter!
-To my wonderful, devoted husband who is an amazing father and husband!
-To the greatest Father, God our Father.
To end the sermon on Sunday our Pastor closed with this song "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. It is beautiful, just listen to the lyrics. Sadly his young adopted daughter just recently passed away in a tragic accident. Our hearts and prayers go out to them in this difficult time!
I haven't read the book, so I won't be able to say anything more about it than the mere mention of the title, but our Pastor based his Sermon around the premise of what if you were told that you only had One Month to Live. How would you live your life differently? How would your spiritual life change? What would you change about your life? Very thought provoking indeed!
His main message was regarding Love and the relationships in our lives. Why is it that our culture here in North America does not place as much emphasis on "family" (whether it be our church family or our biological family) as so many other cultures in the world do. We are consumed by materialism and the necessity to work around the clock and disengage ourselves from the people around us to make the almighty dollar! We base "SUCCESS" on how much money or "stuff" someone has, how big their house is, what kind of fancy car they drive, the title they have at their work place, the amount of electronic gadgets they have, not too mention all of the motorized or mechanized toys they have! Why don't we base "success" on how much time people devote to their marriages, to their kids, to the well-being of their family, to their spirituality and their desire to be an honest, God fearing Person.
This was a particularly moving message for me as it is something that I have thought so often about since Dad passed away. I heard a great message on the radio one day after Dad passed and I was driving into work. The message of course revoloved around relationships and how important they are. The speaker ( a Pastor) was with a man before he passed away. This man was "successful" in our societies view of successful. Lots of money, lots of possessions and worked long hours away from home. This man worked so hard and put in so many hours to acquire his beloved possessions, but on his death bed he was not thinking about these material things or about how many hours of work he could squeeze in before his time was up. No, he was thinking about the time that did NOT spend with his family or with those that he loved and cherished and really wished that he would have devoted more time to the relationships with his family and friends.
John and I made an agreement before God that our family (marriage and kids) would always come first! We would not let a job or any other distracting factor take away from the valuable time that we NEED to spend with our family. This has been extremely hard, but also so rewarding. John clearly states in any job interview now that he will not work Sundays as he is a church going man and this is the day that he takes his family to church. Yes he has missed out on some pretty decent job opportunities as a result, but there have been more people that respect his stance and honour it than not. When he is asked to work overtime, he always calls me to discuss it and if it is going to cut into any family time or activity that we had planned, he refuses. Do we need the money--ABSOLUTELY, but we need time, precious time more than money. We never know when God will decide that our time is up. I love that John is so devoted to his family and even though we struggle now, I know that God will Bless us and is blessing us with much more than financial gain!
So with this being said......I want to dedicate this post to all of the father's.
-To my Dad who I miss dearly and wish I had more time with!
-To my Father-in-law who is a true blessing in our lives and treats me like a daughter!
-To my wonderful, devoted husband who is an amazing father and husband!
-To the greatest Father, God our Father.
To end the sermon on Sunday our Pastor closed with this song "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. It is beautiful, just listen to the lyrics. Sadly his young adopted daughter just recently passed away in a tragic accident. Our hearts and prayers go out to them in this difficult time!
Steven Curtis Chapman - Cinderella
If you get a chance read the story behind this amazing song. In my words, he felt convicted one night by God to spend more time with his daughters even though he had a lot of work to do. I know that he will cherish this song and his memories of his sweet little girl now that she has passed.
Monday, 16 June 2008
Grateful Eight
Another week has come and gone! Is it just me, or do the weeks seem to be getting shorter??!!
This week I am grateful for:
1. Time to clean, unpack and try and get organized (is that ever possible with a toddler running around?)!
2. A new little commuter car for John as he starts his new job this week. This thing was cheap and is awesome on gas! Praise the Lord for this sweet little find!
3. Beautiful flowers from my awesome, sweet, amazing husband! He is so sweet!
4. Time to chat and catch up with my friend Jeanette. The Nenasheffs are great friends of ours whom we miss dearly! They are also expecting their first in two weeks!! We are so excited for them!!
5. Boating with my in-laws. Jason and Missy got a sweet new boat and asked us to spend the day with them on Saturday on the lake! It was awesome! We had a great time. John did some wakeboarding (his second time and he looked like a pro) and I got to do some tubing. The water was FREEZING (and we had wet suits on), but it was great to get out! I love the OK Lake!!!
6. A wonderful Father's Day BBQ at my mother and father-in-laws. We had a great time and the food was great too!
7. A great, relaxing day on Sunday and a nice lunch at Earl's to to celebrate Father's Day.
8. My wonderful husband who is an amazing father. I love watching how he interacts with Zech and is so concerned about always being there for Zech. He is a very involved father who adores his little boy with all his heart!
One of my favourite pictures of Zechy and Daddy! We had an awesome day at the Marine World in Australia our last week! I entered this photo in this competition---maybe it might win! :o)Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Grateful Eight
Whew, it has been a flurry of activity these past couple of weeks and I have been neglecting my blog!
This is a little late, but better late than never--right?!! :o)
This week I am grateful for:
1. A nice week away in Mexico! It was hot, hot, hot, but it was so nice to get away and enjoy the sun, sand and surf!
The view from our balcony
2. For Zech who is such an amazing traveller. He is such a social little guy and by the end of the week he was saying "hola" to everyone! Too funny!
Una siesta en la playa!
4. A new place. Nope we haven't bought anything yet, but we are renting a nice little place out at Duck Lake. We are 30 feet from the lake and quite close to the University. While it isn't the nicest lake to swim in, it is really peaceful and quiet here. WE ARE NO LONGER LIVING OUT OF SUITCASES!!!! It was great to open all of our boxes, but not so great trying to organize and sort everything! :o)
5. My in-laws. My mother and father-in-law helped us move and took care of Zech while we were moving and cleaning. My brother-in-law lent us his company's delivery truck! Saved us a lot of money and time!
6. Our very own internet and telephone connections.
7. A chance to visit with Angie and Blake Wittenberg. They are expecting their first any week now! Can't wait to meet little Olivia. Keep them in your prayers--they have had a few complications and may have more once she is born, but God is great and works wonders. He has already answered some medical prayers for them!
8. The BIBLE! I have been reading the Psalms and they are so reflective of my spiritual life lately. One minute I am down and angry and the next I am joyful and praising the Lord. It's nice to know that I am not alone in this Roller Coaster! :o)
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Reminiscing....
We are back from a much needed break in Mexico. It was a nice week away, but also a week to reflect on a lot of things and really get closer to God and get our heads together spiritually.
On May 28, it was two years ago that Dad passed away. It has been on my mind for a bit now and I had been thinking about a "memorial post" that I wanted to do and I thought I had it all planned out, but now I just can't seem to express what I thought I wanted to express and feel so emotional and can't stop crying. I also just read my Sister's blog post and well that is what started all of this emotional stuff!
People often told me that sometimes it may take a while to really truly grieve and/or sometimes it will just hit you and you will be in tears in the strangest moments. So as I am sitting here typing this I can't believe what a blubbering mess I am.
A lot of people thought that I was the strong one when Dad passed away. I guess I felt I had to be and I know that God had a lot to do with that, but we also had so much to deal with at the time that I never really let it hit me and I almost became numb to everything for my own sanity and survival. Until today, when it has hit really hard for some strange reason.
The day that Dad was diagnosed with Cancer was the day that we found out that our little Zech was going to survive and that I wasn't going to miscarry. Two weeks prior I drove myself to the emergency when I started hemoreaging at work. It was horrible and the way they treated me at the hospital was even worse. They told me that I was losing the baby and there was nothing we could do! But pray.... and pray we did. I had a large tear and there wasn't much hope, but God works miracles and two weeks later we went to the ultra sound to find out that everything was perfect and our little baby was going to be ok.
So from the doctor's office we crossed the street to the U of A hospital as the family was all called in. I knew deep down that the news was not going to be good, but we were trying to stay positive and were still on a high from finding out that Zech was going to make it. So when we were told that Dad had Cancer that day, it was such an emotional roller coaster. Like being pregnant isn't already enough of an emotional roller coaster!
The emotional roller coaster continued. We shared in some really happy moments when Mel and Cory were married, and Mari and Tony were married and Dad seemed to be getting better. We also got news that I had a two-vessel umbilical cord rather than a three vessel one, which meant that they would be monitoring me with various ultra sounds. There was a risk that Zech's livers and/or kidneys would be affected. And then we also had to see Dad during his tough times, but he always seemed to have his sense of humour and his concern for everybody else but himself. So the emotional roller coaster continued!
I remember one day in April I drove out and spent the day with Dad. He was having a good day and we talked quite a bit. He kept looking at my belly and of course had to touch it and was so amazed, and happy that I was going to be a Mother. He asked me how I felt about being a Mom and I of course shared all of my feelings of happiness and complete and utter fear with him. He told me that I was going to be a great mom and of course that meant the world to me and still does!
After Dad passed away, my blood pressure was high and I spent the remaining 4 months on bed rest. 4 months is a long time and I sadly watched my body turn into a balloon and have struggled ever since with the weight I put on. It was also a time to think about all of the moments that Dad was going to miss and all of the great times that we did have with him and are so incredibly grateful for. Scenarios played over and over in my head. Conversations that I had with Dad (some good, some not so good) kept playing over and over and I kept wondering whether or not he knew that I loved him. I wondered if he knew how much God loved him.
I do really miss him and I am so grateful for all of the wonderful memories we do have of him. I guess these past couple of years have been so chaotic with my pregnancy issues, Dad being sick and then passing away, my cousin Corby passing away at such a young age, an emergency c-section to save my baby's life, Zech's health issues, losing my Grandma and well we won't go into the whole Australia experience. It just seemed to have really hit me hard these past couple of days.
Plus we also just learned that a young guy that graduated with my sister and that we spent many a bus rides with passed away in a tragic ATV accident. He was so young and his wife is so young to be a widow. John and I were talking last week about "what if" one of us passed away. I know it seems like a pretty morbid topic, but it was an important one for us to discuss. The greatest sense of peace overcame us both because while we couldn't imagine life without one another, we know that if anything ever happened to one of us we would be with the Lord in paradise and will meet again and spend eternity basking in God's love and glory! It also made us think about all of the people that do not know the Lord and have not accepted the Lord into their hearts........... we just never know when it is our time and we both felt a great sense of urgency for these people.
But to end on a happier note, I wanted to show a picture of my Dad (it's not the best quality) when he was 19 months old and a picture of Zech when he is also 19 months old. See if you can spot any family resemblance........
On May 28, it was two years ago that Dad passed away. It has been on my mind for a bit now and I had been thinking about a "memorial post" that I wanted to do and I thought I had it all planned out, but now I just can't seem to express what I thought I wanted to express and feel so emotional and can't stop crying. I also just read my Sister's blog post and well that is what started all of this emotional stuff!
People often told me that sometimes it may take a while to really truly grieve and/or sometimes it will just hit you and you will be in tears in the strangest moments. So as I am sitting here typing this I can't believe what a blubbering mess I am.
A lot of people thought that I was the strong one when Dad passed away. I guess I felt I had to be and I know that God had a lot to do with that, but we also had so much to deal with at the time that I never really let it hit me and I almost became numb to everything for my own sanity and survival. Until today, when it has hit really hard for some strange reason.
The day that Dad was diagnosed with Cancer was the day that we found out that our little Zech was going to survive and that I wasn't going to miscarry. Two weeks prior I drove myself to the emergency when I started hemoreaging at work. It was horrible and the way they treated me at the hospital was even worse. They told me that I was losing the baby and there was nothing we could do! But pray.... and pray we did. I had a large tear and there wasn't much hope, but God works miracles and two weeks later we went to the ultra sound to find out that everything was perfect and our little baby was going to be ok.
So from the doctor's office we crossed the street to the U of A hospital as the family was all called in. I knew deep down that the news was not going to be good, but we were trying to stay positive and were still on a high from finding out that Zech was going to make it. So when we were told that Dad had Cancer that day, it was such an emotional roller coaster. Like being pregnant isn't already enough of an emotional roller coaster!
The emotional roller coaster continued. We shared in some really happy moments when Mel and Cory were married, and Mari and Tony were married and Dad seemed to be getting better. We also got news that I had a two-vessel umbilical cord rather than a three vessel one, which meant that they would be monitoring me with various ultra sounds. There was a risk that Zech's livers and/or kidneys would be affected. And then we also had to see Dad during his tough times, but he always seemed to have his sense of humour and his concern for everybody else but himself. So the emotional roller coaster continued!
I remember one day in April I drove out and spent the day with Dad. He was having a good day and we talked quite a bit. He kept looking at my belly and of course had to touch it and was so amazed, and happy that I was going to be a Mother. He asked me how I felt about being a Mom and I of course shared all of my feelings of happiness and complete and utter fear with him. He told me that I was going to be a great mom and of course that meant the world to me and still does!
After Dad passed away, my blood pressure was high and I spent the remaining 4 months on bed rest. 4 months is a long time and I sadly watched my body turn into a balloon and have struggled ever since with the weight I put on. It was also a time to think about all of the moments that Dad was going to miss and all of the great times that we did have with him and are so incredibly grateful for. Scenarios played over and over in my head. Conversations that I had with Dad (some good, some not so good) kept playing over and over and I kept wondering whether or not he knew that I loved him. I wondered if he knew how much God loved him.
I do really miss him and I am so grateful for all of the wonderful memories we do have of him. I guess these past couple of years have been so chaotic with my pregnancy issues, Dad being sick and then passing away, my cousin Corby passing away at such a young age, an emergency c-section to save my baby's life, Zech's health issues, losing my Grandma and well we won't go into the whole Australia experience. It just seemed to have really hit me hard these past couple of days.
Plus we also just learned that a young guy that graduated with my sister and that we spent many a bus rides with passed away in a tragic ATV accident. He was so young and his wife is so young to be a widow. John and I were talking last week about "what if" one of us passed away. I know it seems like a pretty morbid topic, but it was an important one for us to discuss. The greatest sense of peace overcame us both because while we couldn't imagine life without one another, we know that if anything ever happened to one of us we would be with the Lord in paradise and will meet again and spend eternity basking in God's love and glory! It also made us think about all of the people that do not know the Lord and have not accepted the Lord into their hearts........... we just never know when it is our time and we both felt a great sense of urgency for these people.
But to end on a happier note, I wanted to show a picture of my Dad (it's not the best quality) when he was 19 months old and a picture of Zech when he is also 19 months old. See if you can spot any family resemblance........
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