For Carol!

Finally, I finished a project.  I love the feeling of having one done, too bad it takes me so long to get there!  Carol, this is for you...one day you'll even get it in person!

Until next time...

Lessons Learned

So, about a week or so ago, I learned a few lessons...

Lesson #1 - No matter what the internet tells you, substituting 2% milk for whipping cream or half and half in a fondue recipe does not really work...unless you actually like chocolate soup (maybe not such a bad idea!)

Lesson #2 - There is no way that equal parts milk, semi-sweet chocolate chips and Nutella has anywhere NEAR enough Nutella in it to even be called Nutella fondue (next time...add WAY more Nutella)

Lesson #3 - Regardless of the first two lessons, if I had it to do over again, I would so make fondue with 2% milk and not enough Nutella, just because this is so fun....

Until next time...

Deep Thoughts: Mommy Wars

So, it has been a while since I have posted on the blog.  I don't have any photos screaming at me to post (mostly since they're all still on my camera!) but I did say at the beginning of the year that maybe I would share some deeper thoughts on my blog.  I need something to blog about and this is what I have been thinking about lately and so I will try.  Here is the first in a series (of at least one) of Deep Thoughts.

When I became a mom, I never really dreamed that the world was so full of "mommy wars"...you know what I'm talking about.  Endless blog posts and facebook posts and arguments of which way is the "right" way.  The issues are too numerous to mention...breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding...disposable vs. cloth vs. no diaper...cosleeping vs. not...public vs private vs homeschool...working mom vs stay at home mom...overuse of ellipses (oh, wait, that's just my issue!)...you could go on to name a hundred more, I'm sure.

The more I think of it, the more that I think these arguments don't actually come down to who's right or wrong (in most cases there isn't a right or wrong).  For the most part, I think these arguments come down to one thing...

Insecurity.

We doubt ourselves.  We all do.  And we feel guilty, often for no real reason.  Then we hear someone else telling us how the solution to all our problems is exactly what we're not doing.  Or we hear others praising the decisions of people who have made the opposite decision from us.  And what do we do?

We defend.

That's how we try to convince ourselves and others that we have made the "right" decision.  When, in fact, it doesn't really matter if it's the "right" decision, as long as it's the decision that is right for us and is the one that God has called us to.  In the defence, we perpetrate the cycle as people hear us allowing for only one option.

You know how sometimes you hear a Bible verse and you can't believe you've never noticed it before?  Well that happened to me a couple weeks ago and is what got me started on this.  It made me think of mommy wars because that's the stage of life I happen to be in but applies to so many other decisions in life (especially when you're trying to discern your motivation for choices in life).  When I heard it, I decided that this should be the battle cry of moms everywhere.  That this should be the death of mommy wars and all that goes with it.  So I am going to share it with you...

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.  This is my rule in all the churches.  1 Corinthians 7:17

So, instead of criticizing and defending, we need to ensure that we are secure in what the Lord has called us to do in our lives.  Then, if someone asks, we can give them the reasons and our suggestions but also realize that they must lead the life that God has called THEM to...not the one God has called US to.

And that is the first edition of "Deep Thoughts".  (As an aside, I keeping thinking that title in the tone of the narrator who used to say "Pigs in Space"...if you remember that!)

Until next time...

Photo Shoot

OK...so, here's the story.  Since Alexander was little, I've been taking the kids to get their pictures done each year around their birthday.  Wal-Mart was so-so the first year and then we started going to Sears.  We did that for a lot of years.  It was pretty decent and we usually got cute photos.  However, as of late, both the quality of the photos and the service has been going down hill.  The kicker was that, sometime after Evan's birthday photos, they increased the fees for their photo sheets from $9.99 to $19.99.  Now, the person I talked to claims she'd been there for three years and that had always been the price.  However, I'd been going there for seven years and never paid that price.  So, my two sisters-in-law and I decided to get an indoor flash and umbrella and try doing our own ('cause it's hard to do them outside when the kids' birthdays are in winter).  So, this is my first try.  I did a little editing afterwards, as well, but I think they turned out really cute and at least as good as Sears (cheaper, too!)  So now, without further adieu, I present Bradley's one year photo shoot...

Cutie, isn't he?

Until next time...

Oh to Blog More...

You know, I'd really like to but I have an intention (like posting Bradley's photo shoot) and then I don't get to it (I've only edited half of them) and I don't blog.  Meanwhile, time keeps passing by and I'd really like to blog more...I know I love reading other people's blogs, even if the posts are full of thrilling information...maybe that means some like to read mine, too.

So, here I am to post.  There really isn't much going on...those photos aren't ready to post yet.  Also, it's curling season and I must say that I spend much more time in front of the TV during curling season.  We're just about done week one and then I have two consecutive weeks of Olympic curling to watch...YAY!!  Alexander has really become interested in the Olympics this year, too, so I think we'll watch more of them than we have the past several Olympics.

Maybe I should do more introspective and deep posts...however, that's not me...I don't tend to share that kind of stuff with the whole world.  Maybe I should more, I don't know.  I'll think about it.  We did spend a week at our Mom's group setting spiritual goals for the year so we are working towards those.  We'll see...maybe I'll share a bit more at a later date.

Otherwise, I'm counting down the days until we get to go on vacation!  I have most of the big stuff booked for us and my parents to go to Hawaii.  However, it's still 62 days until we leave, so it's not really countdown time yet.  I am very excited because it seems like forever since I've been on a vacation and it is going to be hot and fun.  I have had a good time ordering packing organization systems, though.  Packing for six people in two backpacks is definitely going to take some organizing!

Anyway, all of this is just to say that I'm still here and still posting.  Trying to be a bit more regular, even if it seems like there is very little to post.  I've been in a crazy cleaning/baking mode today so I'd better get back to it and maybe I'll even get those photos done in the next couple of days.

Until next time...

ONE!!

Well, it was actually a little over a week ago that my baby turned one!  It's so hard to believe just how fast time flies.  I never would have guessed that when I was a kid!

So, our sweet little Bradley has been such a great addition to our family.  He's such a laid back baby (though i don't really love that he sucks his finger!) but he also has a lot of energy!  He imitates his brothers and makes driving sounds whenever he has a car in his hand.  He loves to climb the stairs (but can't get down).  In fact, his favourite game since he learned is to climb the stairs, grab a toy, drop it on the first couple of stairs and then lean over head first, to try to grab it.  Let's just say I get my fair share of exercise chasing him up the stairs!  He can hone in on a remote control or open door to his brothers' room from a mile away and no electronic device is safe.  I have never seen a baby go after phones/iPads/iPods etc. so fast (since he was about three months old!).  He totally loves to feed himself (and it doesn't seem to matter what - though after his birthday party, he seems to have an affinity for cake).  His brothers just adore him and he thinks they are hilarious.  He's a bit of a momma's boy but that can change at any time.  All in all, I'd say we have a wonderful little boy to celebrate...here's a few pictures of just how we did that.

This is my adorable little guy on his actual birthday, January 21st!

We had a left over cupcake from his brother's birthday party on the weekend so we did it up in style!  (Also, he was the only one who got a cupcake).

Trust me, this cupcake thing is pretty good!

Then, on the weekend, we had a birthday party for him with family.  Look - I know how to get into this thing (though the paper really is the best part!)

Not so sure what to make of this...especially since Daddy made me stop trying to have my cake and eat it, too!  I only really smudged out "Happy".

Got this cake thing down!  So much so, that Mommy can't give my brothers leftover cake without me fussing until I get some, too.

We love you Bradley!

I also bypassed taking him to Sears for his birthday portraits (since they doubled the price on us) and I did them at home the day after his party.  They turned out pretty cute and I'll post some as soon as I finish editing them!

Until next time...

What's Life Without An Adventure?

So I'm trying to post more.  I find that getting the photos ready takes time and there aren't a lot of interesting things to write about so my posts are quite spaced out.  Today, however, I had an adventure.  I'm still laughing at myself.

This afternoon, I ended up having to head to the school to drop something off for Evan.  I called a friend who lives down the street to come hang out with my other two sleeping children and headed to the school.  I was trying to be quick and, since the school is only two minutes away, that shouldn't be a problem.  Approaching the school, I saw that there was ample parking immediately in front of the doors (just outside the handicap zone) and so I pulled into the church parking lot to do a u-turn and pull up in front of the school.  The roads have finally all been nicely plowed by the city so there are fantastic snow banks along the edge of every road.  In front of the school, in the handicap zone, these barriers have been removed, and with good reason.  I pulled out of the parking lot, turning left into the parking area.  Apparently, I pulled in a bit close to the handicap zone and, as I pulled forward, I drove up onto the snow bank that exists in the regular parking zone.  I will say that I never thought that winter would be the time that I most missed my standard transmission (the van is an automatic) but I partly blame that.  I was heading up on the snowbank and knew enough to stop, but my van is not as smart as I.  While removing my foot from the gas would have caused the Mazda to obediently stop, the Honda was more like a child and wanted to do its own thing.  I couldn't pull off it going forward and I couldn't back down the snowbank.  I decided to go into the school to do what I needed to (I was JUST barely off the roadway but just is good enough).  I spoke with the secretary and, while the maintenance man was not around, she had a shovel in her car that I could borrow as soon as she was done with what she was in the middle of.  So, I headed back out and a kind, older gentleman had stopped along the way to see what the problem was.  Since I have never really been stuck before, direction was lovely.  He proceeded to help me straighten my wheels and attempt to back up...after trying this, he looks at me (the front passenger side tire is up on the snowbank) and says "Your rear wheel's not touching the ground.  That's why you're not going anywhere!"  Ah, when I get stuck, I do it well.  A couple other well-meaning people stopped but there was really very little they could do.  He and another lady tried pushing me off but, alas, that van is HEAVY! :)  Soon, a parking enforcement officer came to do some work and loaned us his shovel.  That kinda helped but the real salvation was when the cavalry arrived.  The lovely staff in the school sent out about 8 to 10 of the older students (not sure which grade, maybe 7 or 8) armed with shovels.  Well, we didn't even need the shovels...sheer brute force with the van in reverse got us off that mini-mountain!  Anyway, my two minute trip turned into a twenty minute trip...I may have learned a lesson (at very least that automatics need brakes!) and I got to experience the kindness of strangers.  My friend and I had a little laugh over it and, for one day, at least, I got to have a little adventure in my life!

Until next time...