Once there were three brothers named Jude, Noah, and Jabin. Jude was the oldest, Noah next-oldest, and Jabin was barely more than a baby.
One of their favourite things to do was to go out on walks to see what they could see.
One Tuesday morning, Mommy said to the three boys, "Get your outside things on. We need to take our van to the shop, and while it is being looked at, we will walk around and see what we can see."
So they put on their hats, and snow pants, and coats, and mittens, for it was a mild winter day, but it was still winter, after all.
When they dropped off the van, Mommy put Jabin in the stroller and said, "Walking along the street can be dangerous, so make sure you always hold on to the stroller." (This was especially important for Noah, whose attention wandered faster than he did.)
Then they set out to see what they could see. And they saw...
...a GREAT BIG TRUCK with a very noisy engine and thick black smoke belching out of its exhaust pipes...
...a yellow school-bus, empty of children, waiting patiently in the grocery-store parking lot...
...a white town-bus, and a grey and red passenger bus...
...some men blowing snow off a roof--and some crows holding parliament on another one...
...some of their favourite story characters on the front of the movie jackets when they went to borrow a free movie from the supermarket...
...a very friendly and helpful lady who held the door open for them at the bank...
...the fun red button they got to push that held the door open for them on the way out of the bank...
...lots of busy, hungry people that filled up the little restaurant where they ate their lunch...
...a video and some pictures that Mommy took on her new phone...
...a really cool abacus that was in the toy box at the shop when they got back.
When they got to the grocery store, Mommy said, "Jabin, you look tired. Do you need a nap?"
Jabin blinked back. Jude said, "Not me! I don't need a nap!"
When they got to the restaurant, Mommy said, "Noah, you look tired. Do you need a nap?"
Noah blinked back. Jude said, "Not me! I don't need a nap!"
On the way back to the shop, Jabin fell asleep in the stroller. He slept and he slept and he slept. Mommy said, "Jabin is sleeping a lot. He must have been really tired."
Jude said, "Yep! But not me!"
Noah got so tired of walking, he tried to climb onto the stroller and rest. There wasn't enough room, so Mommy said, "Just a few more minutes, Noah, and then you can get in the van and have a nap."
Jude said, "But not me! I don't need a nap!"
"Okay," said Mommy.
Jabin woke up when they got in the van. He was smiling and very happy.
Noah still looked a little sleepy.
But as they were driving home, and Mommy looked into the rear-view mirror to see what she could see, she saw...
...Jude.
And he was fast asleep.
-------------------
Now I just need an illustrator! :-)
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
One of their favourite things to do was to go out on walks to see what they could see.
One Tuesday morning, Mommy said to the three boys, "Get your outside things on. We need to take our van to the shop, and while it is being looked at, we will walk around and see what we can see."
So they put on their hats, and snow pants, and coats, and mittens, for it was a mild winter day, but it was still winter, after all.
When they dropped off the van, Mommy put Jabin in the stroller and said, "Walking along the street can be dangerous, so make sure you always hold on to the stroller." (This was especially important for Noah, whose attention wandered faster than he did.)
Then they set out to see what they could see. And they saw...
...a GREAT BIG TRUCK with a very noisy engine and thick black smoke belching out of its exhaust pipes...
...a yellow school-bus, empty of children, waiting patiently in the grocery-store parking lot...
...a white town-bus, and a grey and red passenger bus...
...some men blowing snow off a roof--and some crows holding parliament on another one...
...some of their favourite story characters on the front of the movie jackets when they went to borrow a free movie from the supermarket...
...a very friendly and helpful lady who held the door open for them at the bank...
...the fun red button they got to push that held the door open for them on the way out of the bank...
...lots of busy, hungry people that filled up the little restaurant where they ate their lunch...
...a video and some pictures that Mommy took on her new phone...
...a really cool abacus that was in the toy box at the shop when they got back.
When they got to the grocery store, Mommy said, "Jabin, you look tired. Do you need a nap?"
Jabin blinked back. Jude said, "Not me! I don't need a nap!"
When they got to the restaurant, Mommy said, "Noah, you look tired. Do you need a nap?"
Noah blinked back. Jude said, "Not me! I don't need a nap!"
On the way back to the shop, Jabin fell asleep in the stroller. He slept and he slept and he slept. Mommy said, "Jabin is sleeping a lot. He must have been really tired."
Jude said, "Yep! But not me!"
Noah got so tired of walking, he tried to climb onto the stroller and rest. There wasn't enough room, so Mommy said, "Just a few more minutes, Noah, and then you can get in the van and have a nap."
Jude said, "But not me! I don't need a nap!"
"Okay," said Mommy.
Jabin woke up when they got in the van. He was smiling and very happy.
Noah still looked a little sleepy.
But as they were driving home, and Mommy looked into the rear-view mirror to see what she could see, she saw...
...Jude.
And he was fast asleep.
-------------------
Now I just need an illustrator! :-)
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Noah gave himself a shiner in the park the other day. It was very puffy for a day or so, but now the swelling has gone down to be replaced by some very interesting colours:
It looks like he is wearing punker-style eye make-up--but only on one eye!
Jude wanted his photo taken, too, so he posed like this:
What a goof!
And just to round out the post, here is Jabin being extremely cute. This kiddo blew me away by finishing off his own soup today (2 scoops), plus most of Noah's! (Another 2 scoops.)
Apparently he hasn't read my memo that no more growing up is allowed.
Have a great weekend, friends!
Edit: I just scrapbooked these photos. You can see the layout of Noah here. You can see the layout with the rest of the kids here.
It looks like he is wearing punker-style eye make-up--but only on one eye!
Jude wanted his photo taken, too, so he posed like this:
What a goof!
And just to round out the post, here is Jabin being extremely cute. This kiddo blew me away by finishing off his own soup today (2 scoops), plus most of Noah's! (Another 2 scoops.)
Apparently he hasn't read my memo that no more growing up is allowed.
Have a great weekend, friends!
Edit: I just scrapbooked these photos. You can see the layout of Noah here. You can see the layout with the rest of the kids here.
The coolest thing happened this week. My friend, Dawn--yes, the Dawn whose name keeps getting mentioned here--started a blog!!
Dawn is one of my dearest friends. She is always super-supportive, loving, encouraging, and is a constant portrait of someone living in submission to Christ (or at least trying to!) I can't begin to name the things I have learned from her. We have so much in common, including our parenting styles, our "weird" stand on the pagan trappings surrounding certain holidays, and our love of health and nutrition.
Dawn and her husband Michael just moved away from Sylvan Lake (where I'm from) this past summer, as he got his first teaching job in a teeny-tiny town in Saskatchewan. We haven't seen each other in person in way too long, but Dawn continues to be an amazing friend during this "long-distance relationship" time of our lives. So, that is why I am absolutely thrilled that she began her own blog--now we will have one more way to keep in touch. PLUS! Then you can get to know this amazing lady, too, if you so choose. Please pop on over there and welcome her to bloggy-land!
Happy Thursday, friends! I will hopefully have time to post more about my own adventures in a day or two. Noah's birthday is on Monday, and we are having his party Sunday, and I'm also super-busy with other stuff, so we'll see how it goes.
What are you doing this weekend?
Dawn is one of my dearest friends. She is always super-supportive, loving, encouraging, and is a constant portrait of someone living in submission to Christ (or at least trying to!) I can't begin to name the things I have learned from her. We have so much in common, including our parenting styles, our "weird" stand on the pagan trappings surrounding certain holidays, and our love of health and nutrition.
Dawn and her husband Michael just moved away from Sylvan Lake (where I'm from) this past summer, as he got his first teaching job in a teeny-tiny town in Saskatchewan. We haven't seen each other in person in way too long, but Dawn continues to be an amazing friend during this "long-distance relationship" time of our lives. So, that is why I am absolutely thrilled that she began her own blog--now we will have one more way to keep in touch. PLUS! Then you can get to know this amazing lady, too, if you so choose. Please pop on over there and welcome her to bloggy-land!
Happy Thursday, friends! I will hopefully have time to post more about my own adventures in a day or two. Noah's birthday is on Monday, and we are having his party Sunday, and I'm also super-busy with other stuff, so we'll see how it goes.
What are you doing this weekend?
If you had told me yesterday that today I would be spending more on a vacuum cleaner than the combined value of my first three cars, I would have laughed at you and warded you off like you were a crazy person.
Then today, I would have had to eat my foot.
If you had told me the same, even when Jesse, the shy vacuum salesmen rang our doorbell this morning, offering a free carpet cleaning, I would still have looked at you like you were a little daft in the head.
Yet, here I am, the proud new owner of one of the finest vacuum cleaners known to man: the Kirby. (For some reason, they don't have a picture of one on their website, and it's too dark in my house right now to get a good shot.) That's right, today we traded in our Firebird for a Porsche--not only does it look sleek, it has the horsepower to back it up! No longer will vacuuming be my nemesis! No. Instead, I will be seeking out opportunities to vacuum! I'll be vacuuming that carpet under the dining room table after every meal! I'll be shampooing the rugs every other week! I'll be...
Okay. Realistically, that's not likely to happen. But gone are the days when my cool-looking-but-totally-useless Dirt Devil and I would traverse the house together, me having to give it CPR, empty it and brush out the filter ("Come on, little guy, you can make it!"), creating a bigger cloud of dust to settle around the garbage can than when I started, after every single room. And get this--they took the DD on trade!! For more than we paid for it! I never knew I could trade in my old vacuum. I wonder if I could talk Dell into taking my old computer back when I want a new one?
So, why the total switch in attitude? Well, although I know the Dirt Devil has not inspired me to be the most faithful vacuumess ever, that had absolutely nothing to do with the piles and piles and piles of dirt, hair, junk, and grime that came out of--nay, from underneath--our living room carpet today.
And don't even get me started on the gook that came out of Jude's mattress.
Plus! We can use it as an air-gun to paint our fence this summer! (I'm serious!)
So. If I don't post tomorrow, it's because I'm happily (and sadistically) vacuuming the dust mites and their by-products from every mattress in our house.
Happy Monday, friends! What did you do this weekend?
Then today, I would have had to eat my foot.
If you had told me the same, even when Jesse, the shy vacuum salesmen rang our doorbell this morning, offering a free carpet cleaning, I would still have looked at you like you were a little daft in the head.
Yet, here I am, the proud new owner of one of the finest vacuum cleaners known to man: the Kirby. (For some reason, they don't have a picture of one on their website, and it's too dark in my house right now to get a good shot.) That's right, today we traded in our Firebird for a Porsche--not only does it look sleek, it has the horsepower to back it up! No longer will vacuuming be my nemesis! No. Instead, I will be seeking out opportunities to vacuum! I'll be vacuuming that carpet under the dining room table after every meal! I'll be shampooing the rugs every other week! I'll be...
Okay. Realistically, that's not likely to happen. But gone are the days when my cool-looking-but-totally-useless Dirt Devil and I would traverse the house together, me having to give it CPR, empty it and brush out the filter ("Come on, little guy, you can make it!"), creating a bigger cloud of dust to settle around the garbage can than when I started, after every single room. And get this--they took the DD on trade!! For more than we paid for it! I never knew I could trade in my old vacuum. I wonder if I could talk Dell into taking my old computer back when I want a new one?
So, why the total switch in attitude? Well, although I know the Dirt Devil has not inspired me to be the most faithful vacuumess ever, that had absolutely nothing to do with the piles and piles and piles of dirt, hair, junk, and grime that came out of--nay, from underneath--our living room carpet today.
And don't even get me started on the gook that came out of Jude's mattress.
Plus! We can use it as an air-gun to paint our fence this summer! (I'm serious!)
So. If I don't post tomorrow, it's because I'm happily (and sadistically) vacuuming the dust mites and their by-products from every mattress in our house.
Happy Monday, friends! What did you do this weekend?
I was very flattered a few weeks ago when Tenika over at Multi-Photo Scrapbook Layouts e-mailed me and asked permission to post one of the layouts from my 2 Peas Gallery on her blog. All you scrappers should really bookmark her blog--it's got some really fabulous layouts on there!
Here is the post with ME in it!
Here is the post with ME in it!
Jude,
Kid Moments,
photo,
update
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.*
Thursday, February 15, 2007
I spent a good chunk of the last few days doing this:
It was the most intense HP book in the series, by far. But isn't it great when you already know there are three more books to follow, so he's not really going to die in the end (no matter how bleak it might be at the moment.) The part of me that likes this is probably the same part of me that thought it was enough of a surprise to find out the baby's gender at the ultrasound, rather than the birthing room. My husband said this was like "ruining Christmas."
The other day, my husband made the observation that no matter how much time I may spend reading whilst involved in a good novel, in the long run, I probably still spend more time scrapbooking. I had to think about it and disagree--"You don't know how much time I spent reading as a kid," I said. He thought for a second. "Okay, from the time you started scrapbooking, then." "Okay," I agreed finally.
Also, here is Jude helping water the plants yesterday. He loves to help me, and he loves watering plants. Yesterday was the first day I let him do almost exclusively by himself (except for the ones he can't reach.)
One more thing: Jude just came into the office and offered me an empty plastic teacup.
"Look, Mommy, I made you tea!"
I took it and pretended to slurp it up. "Just the way I like it!" I said.
"Orange Pekoe!" he replied.
Is it a bad thing if my four-and-a-half-year-old knows the type of tea I prefer? (Or one of the two, anyway? The tea I have in my real mug right now is actually Chai, sweetened with honey. Mmmm.)
*Groucho Marx
It was the most intense HP book in the series, by far. But isn't it great when you already know there are three more books to follow, so he's not really going to die in the end (no matter how bleak it might be at the moment.) The part of me that likes this is probably the same part of me that thought it was enough of a surprise to find out the baby's gender at the ultrasound, rather than the birthing room. My husband said this was like "ruining Christmas."
The other day, my husband made the observation that no matter how much time I may spend reading whilst involved in a good novel, in the long run, I probably still spend more time scrapbooking. I had to think about it and disagree--"You don't know how much time I spent reading as a kid," I said. He thought for a second. "Okay, from the time you started scrapbooking, then." "Okay," I agreed finally.
Also, here is Jude helping water the plants yesterday. He loves to help me, and he loves watering plants. Yesterday was the first day I let him do almost exclusively by himself (except for the ones he can't reach.)
One more thing: Jude just came into the office and offered me an empty plastic teacup.
"Look, Mommy, I made you tea!"
I took it and pretended to slurp it up. "Just the way I like it!" I said.
"Orange Pekoe!" he replied.
Is it a bad thing if my four-and-a-half-year-old knows the type of tea I prefer? (Or one of the two, anyway? The tea I have in my real mug right now is actually Chai, sweetened with honey. Mmmm.)
*Groucho Marx
lists,
pimping blogs,
reminiscing
Happy Anniversary at the Winters Day In(n)
Thursday, February 08, 2007
I was so intent on posting my newsletter yesterday that I completely forgot that it was also my one-year blogaversary, too! I've been mentally planning this post since before Christmas, but I think it shows a new level in the evolution of procrastination to be planning a post that far in advance, and to still not write it until one day late. Heh. (And that does not, by any stretch, guarantee that the content will be any more worthwhile than normal, just because I've planned it for three months instead of three minutes.)
So, I want to say how thankful I am that Colleen introduced me to the wonders of blogging. She was a good friend before, but an even better friend now. She is not the only real-life friend with whom I have developed a deeper relationship thanks to blogging. Vicki, whom I met when she sponsored me into the Pampered Chef business in 2001 (goodness gracious, has it been almost six years already?), started a blog last year, too, and it's been so good to have the same good ol' discussions about "taboo" topics that we used to have. My other "real-life" friends with blogs do not post as often, but it is so great when they do--Amanda, whom I've known since we were six, Ang, who also happens to be my sister-in-law, Christa, a long-time scrapping and church friend from Sylvan Lake, and Candice, who is the wife of an old pen-pal of mine, and when we met a few years ago, we totally hit it off!
Blogging came at a very opportune time for me--having just recently moved, I desperately needed to feel connected to a community. Also, with a baby who was only a few months old, I needed a creative outlet that did not require the sit-down time commitment of scrapbooking. Blogging provided the opportunity for both--but I really had no idea to what extent when I started.
Because of blogging:
Delhi Melbourne London, who has got to be one of the nicest people on the face of the planet; Fence, a fellow Firefly fan who knows way more about sports and politics than I ever will (especially the Irish kind!); Denise, who shares a love of paper crafts and nutrition; Jen, another blog-friend who said goodbye too soon; Cathy the amazing scrapbook artist who can't keep her blog template the same for two weeks back-to-back (kidding, Cathy); Sean, who wants to be held accountable by the whole world if he does not succeed in his goal of losing half his body weight; Sarah, who knows all about life in the daily zoo of raising a family; Peefer, a fellow Canadian whose writing talent is to mine as Niagara Falls is to Siffleur Falls; and Dixie, who has more nerve than I ever will, posting a preggie photo in her skivvies on her blog banner!
Thank you, all. Now my contacts are plastered to my eyeballs, and I should have been in bed an hour and a half ago. Here's to another year of growth and friendships on the World Wide Web!
So, I want to say how thankful I am that Colleen introduced me to the wonders of blogging. She was a good friend before, but an even better friend now. She is not the only real-life friend with whom I have developed a deeper relationship thanks to blogging. Vicki, whom I met when she sponsored me into the Pampered Chef business in 2001 (goodness gracious, has it been almost six years already?), started a blog last year, too, and it's been so good to have the same good ol' discussions about "taboo" topics that we used to have. My other "real-life" friends with blogs do not post as often, but it is so great when they do--Amanda, whom I've known since we were six, Ang, who also happens to be my sister-in-law, Christa, a long-time scrapping and church friend from Sylvan Lake, and Candice, who is the wife of an old pen-pal of mine, and when we met a few years ago, we totally hit it off!
Blogging came at a very opportune time for me--having just recently moved, I desperately needed to feel connected to a community. Also, with a baby who was only a few months old, I needed a creative outlet that did not require the sit-down time commitment of scrapbooking. Blogging provided the opportunity for both--but I really had no idea to what extent when I started.
Because of blogging:
- I have learned HTML (I know my computer-savvy brother is just tickled pink that his sister actually figured out how to program her own template);
- I have flexed my creative writing muscles, and discovered that I really enjoy writing. And what's more, for some strange reason, you enjoy reading it!
- I have recorded precious daily moments in our lives that would otherwise be long forgotten by now.
- I have felt at a distinct disadvantage when talking to family members who read my blog, but from whom I rarely hear. (That's the beauty of the comment button, for those who Choose to Use--blogging suddenly becomes two-way. However, the phone is good, too!)
- I have learned immensely more about the world of health and nutrition than I would have committed to memory if I had only read it once and that was it.
- I have been immensely entertained and learned more about knitting from talented knit-bloggers such as Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Jesse Loesberg, Parikha, and Alison.
- I learned that you can be a Christian, and one of the sweetest people ever and still like Harry Potter from Heather Anne. (By the way, Heather Anne posted a really great article about this on her blog last week. I was going to reprint it here, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. However, I strongly recommend that you go over there and read it.)
Thank you, all. Now my contacts are plastered to my eyeballs, and I should have been in bed an hour and a half ago. Here's to another year of growth and friendships on the World Wide Web!
family,
Jabin,
Jude,
Noah,
photo,
Suri,
update
Family Update--Our family, not yours, although I am typing it out for your family, not mine
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Hi! Welcome to my blog! Some of you (likely the ones who will read this first) are here all the time and wondering "Why is Talena welcoming us to her blog?" The reason is, this is the media-of-choice for our family update newsletter of 2006. (I know. Only 38 days late. Coulda been worse. I didn't get the last birth announcement for Jabin sent out until he was almost 8 months old!)
So, for those of you who have not been here before, or are here only rarely, feel free to hang out, browse, bookmark the page, and come visit whenever you like. I keep regular updates on here, so you do not have to wonder what we've been doing all year long until the next time I send you an e-mail with a little link in it!
So, here we are, still in Peace River. Remember when we moved here, and we were all "Yeah, this is just for the short-term, we'll be back in Sylvan Lake within 5 years?"
Well, I guess the plan has changed. (As far as we know. "To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.") We have thoroughly enjoyed living here. The town is full of very friendly people, and still retains the "small-town" flavour that Sylvan Lake lost long ago (somewhere around the point that it passed a winter-time population of 4000.) We have really been able to connect and make the beginnings of what could become great friendships; our kids have good buddies here; and Jason and I have both gotten involved with various groups and activities that we enjoy.
Jason plays basketball with a great group of guys every Thursday night, and has started informally spearheading an effort to head up a Men's Ministry for the church we attend. A good chunk of that so far has been organizing squash and X-Box fellowship times. (He has just started playing squash, but really enjoys it.) Unfortunately, he is just now getting very busy with the project he is doing at work, and will be having to work extra hours for the next few months until the project is completed. The good news: at the end of February, Jason will be filling a permanent position in the IT department of DMI, the pulp mill he works at. Up until now, he has been on a temporary contract, filling in for a maternity leave. This is good news, and has had significant impact on our decision to stay in this community for a while.
I have been teaching piano from our home three nights a week. Last spring, my mom and her husband Mike gave me this, which made it possible for me to earn some extra income for our family by teaching. I was really surprised by how quickly I was able to get students--with very little advertising over a matter of only a few weeks I had a roster of 13, which is as busy as I want to be. Apparently, there has been somewhat of a shortage of piano teachers up here for the last several years (well, that and everything else. It's boom time in Alberta--anyone not working, get here quick!) I am also still maintaining my eBay store.
Besides this, I have been involved in a ladies' Bible study out in Grimshaw (about a 15-minute drive from here) on Tuesday mornings that supplies free babysitting. I have been helping out on the worship team and in the nursery at church, as well as attending the scrapbooking day the church hosts once a month. (As well as doing plenty of scrapbooking in my "down time" at home. I have recently discovered a love of digital scrapbooking. You can check out a few of my layouts in my online gallery.)
Last fall, I was honoured to teach at the church's Scrapaway weekend retreat. That was loads of fun. My husband was thrilled that I finally earned a little money back from the hobby that is usually just a money-sucking black hole. I used my earnings to buy him new golf clubs for his birthday--now he can hardly wait for the warm weather, so he can go and break them in!
We have also been kept plenty busy with doing renovation and maintenance projects on our older home. Hopefully, we will see a good return on investment of time and money when it comes time to sell!
Our children continue to grow and learn, as children have a way of doing. Jude (age 4 1/4) loves hanging out with his buddies David, Bailey, and Dawson, as well as some new friends he's been making. He is doing very well with the "schoolwork" we work on almost every day; today, he sang me the Alphabet Song and only stumbled over a few of the letters. ("L-M-N-O" sounded more like "ellei-oh".) What's more, he can recognize most of them, too. This last year, he has really started taking off with using his imagination, and role-playing. His favourite characters to "be" over the last year have been pirates, especially Captain Hook, and also Peter Pan. Also, every time he watches a movie now he has to pretend to "be" one of the characters, and he assigns characters to anyone else present, too. (I think he picked this one up from the Burdick kids, whom I babysit regularly.) Anyway, for his fourth birthday party, he got to dress up as Captain Hook--and now he wears that costume anytime he watches anything remotely to do with pirates or Peter Pan. It's so fun. (And nice to know that the hours I put into the costume have not gone to waste.)
Noah (almost 3) has astounded us with his ability to pick up on patterns and rhythm. Though he cannot recognize all the numbers, he can count to twenty, and he is starting to do pretty good with the Alphabet Song, himself! He still says very few other intelligible words, but talks non-stop--in his own little language that he alone speaks! However, he is adding more words all the time. I can hardly wait until he learns English, so I can find out all the fascinating things that go through his goofy little head! He is also singing all the time--we predict he will be the "artsy" one. I guess we'll have to wait and see how that goes.
Jabin (14 1/2 months) is just a little spot of sunshine most of the time. His current favourite thing to do is to pull himself up on a piece of furniture and stand there, beaming--until his legs get tired. It has only been within the last two days he has figured out how to sit down again--before this, he would start fussing until someone came and saved him! He also climbs up stairs, but not down them, yet. It's so fun listening to him try to imitate our words, and watching every new stage in development. I find I am savouring each moment with this baby more, since he is to be our last one.
Our home has also expanded by four more feet this past year--we got a new puppy in August, a husky/black lab cross we christened Suri. She is just now getting to a point where I am enjoying having her around. (My regular readers will remember a rant I went on not long ago about her. She's kind of starting to grow on me. She hasn't wrecked anything lately!) I think she thinks she's a cat, because she loves to sit or stand on our fence and watch the birds up in the tree!
When we first moved up here, we were dreading not being able to visit our families as often. Although it has, indeed, been difficult to live so far from our loved ones, we have greatly enjoyed a surprising number of visits with them this year. We sincerely appreciate the effort made by those who came and visited us at our home this year. Every trip seems too short, but it makes us appreciate each moment spent together that much more.
This upcoming year, we are facing a few major decisions:
1. Whether to put Jude into Kindergarten. If so, whether he should be home-schooled or not. There is not a private Christian school in this community, surprisingly, leaving only the Catholic or Public school systems. I am not really excited about the idea of our children going through either of these systems, especially with the recent moral decisions that our government has made and how those may affect the curriculum being taught. So, we are looking into home-schooling as an option.
2. Whether to purchase a piece of land in the country, build a house and move out there. Land here is fairly cheap, and lumber prices are good, so we are definitely looking at this. Hopefully, it all pans out--I would much prefer to raise my kids in the country than in town. Plus, then I can get my own cow so we can drink real milk.
3. I am sure there will be something else. Those two things are fairly big on their own.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this! I would LOVE it if you would leave a comment and let me know you stopped by! (You can leave a comment anonymously, rather than sign up for a Google account, if you wish.) Just click on the little "Comments" link at the bottom of this post and say a quick "Hi!" (It doesn't have to be long--that's what e-mails or telephone conversations are for.)
Happy New Year!
(P.S. You can click on any photo to see it larger.)
So, for those of you who have not been here before, or are here only rarely, feel free to hang out, browse, bookmark the page, and come visit whenever you like. I keep regular updates on here, so you do not have to wonder what we've been doing all year long until the next time I send you an e-mail with a little link in it!
So, here we are, still in Peace River. Remember when we moved here, and we were all "Yeah, this is just for the short-term, we'll be back in Sylvan Lake within 5 years?"
Well, I guess the plan has changed. (As far as we know. "To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.") We have thoroughly enjoyed living here. The town is full of very friendly people, and still retains the "small-town" flavour that Sylvan Lake lost long ago (somewhere around the point that it passed a winter-time population of 4000.) We have really been able to connect and make the beginnings of what could become great friendships; our kids have good buddies here; and Jason and I have both gotten involved with various groups and activities that we enjoy.
Jason plays basketball with a great group of guys every Thursday night, and has started informally spearheading an effort to head up a Men's Ministry for the church we attend. A good chunk of that so far has been organizing squash and X-Box fellowship times. (He has just started playing squash, but really enjoys it.) Unfortunately, he is just now getting very busy with the project he is doing at work, and will be having to work extra hours for the next few months until the project is completed. The good news: at the end of February, Jason will be filling a permanent position in the IT department of DMI, the pulp mill he works at. Up until now, he has been on a temporary contract, filling in for a maternity leave. This is good news, and has had significant impact on our decision to stay in this community for a while.
I have been teaching piano from our home three nights a week. Last spring, my mom and her husband Mike gave me this, which made it possible for me to earn some extra income for our family by teaching. I was really surprised by how quickly I was able to get students--with very little advertising over a matter of only a few weeks I had a roster of 13, which is as busy as I want to be. Apparently, there has been somewhat of a shortage of piano teachers up here for the last several years (well, that and everything else. It's boom time in Alberta--anyone not working, get here quick!) I am also still maintaining my eBay store.
Besides this, I have been involved in a ladies' Bible study out in Grimshaw (about a 15-minute drive from here) on Tuesday mornings that supplies free babysitting. I have been helping out on the worship team and in the nursery at church, as well as attending the scrapbooking day the church hosts once a month. (As well as doing plenty of scrapbooking in my "down time" at home. I have recently discovered a love of digital scrapbooking. You can check out a few of my layouts in my online gallery.)
Last fall, I was honoured to teach at the church's Scrapaway weekend retreat. That was loads of fun. My husband was thrilled that I finally earned a little money back from the hobby that is usually just a money-sucking black hole. I used my earnings to buy him new golf clubs for his birthday--now he can hardly wait for the warm weather, so he can go and break them in!
We have also been kept plenty busy with doing renovation and maintenance projects on our older home. Hopefully, we will see a good return on investment of time and money when it comes time to sell!
Our children continue to grow and learn, as children have a way of doing. Jude (age 4 1/4) loves hanging out with his buddies David, Bailey, and Dawson, as well as some new friends he's been making. He is doing very well with the "schoolwork" we work on almost every day; today, he sang me the Alphabet Song and only stumbled over a few of the letters. ("L-M-N-O" sounded more like "ellei-oh".) What's more, he can recognize most of them, too. This last year, he has really started taking off with using his imagination, and role-playing. His favourite characters to "be" over the last year have been pirates, especially Captain Hook, and also Peter Pan. Also, every time he watches a movie now he has to pretend to "be" one of the characters, and he assigns characters to anyone else present, too. (I think he picked this one up from the Burdick kids, whom I babysit regularly.) Anyway, for his fourth birthday party, he got to dress up as Captain Hook--and now he wears that costume anytime he watches anything remotely to do with pirates or Peter Pan. It's so fun. (And nice to know that the hours I put into the costume have not gone to waste.)
Noah (almost 3) has astounded us with his ability to pick up on patterns and rhythm. Though he cannot recognize all the numbers, he can count to twenty, and he is starting to do pretty good with the Alphabet Song, himself! He still says very few other intelligible words, but talks non-stop--in his own little language that he alone speaks! However, he is adding more words all the time. I can hardly wait until he learns English, so I can find out all the fascinating things that go through his goofy little head! He is also singing all the time--we predict he will be the "artsy" one. I guess we'll have to wait and see how that goes.
Jabin (14 1/2 months) is just a little spot of sunshine most of the time. His current favourite thing to do is to pull himself up on a piece of furniture and stand there, beaming--until his legs get tired. It has only been within the last two days he has figured out how to sit down again--before this, he would start fussing until someone came and saved him! He also climbs up stairs, but not down them, yet. It's so fun listening to him try to imitate our words, and watching every new stage in development. I find I am savouring each moment with this baby more, since he is to be our last one.
Our home has also expanded by four more feet this past year--we got a new puppy in August, a husky/black lab cross we christened Suri. She is just now getting to a point where I am enjoying having her around. (My regular readers will remember a rant I went on not long ago about her. She's kind of starting to grow on me. She hasn't wrecked anything lately!) I think she thinks she's a cat, because she loves to sit or stand on our fence and watch the birds up in the tree!When we first moved up here, we were dreading not being able to visit our families as often. Although it has, indeed, been difficult to live so far from our loved ones, we have greatly enjoyed a surprising number of visits with them this year. We sincerely appreciate the effort made by those who came and visited us at our home this year. Every trip seems too short, but it makes us appreciate each moment spent together that much more.
This upcoming year, we are facing a few major decisions:
1. Whether to put Jude into Kindergarten. If so, whether he should be home-schooled or not. There is not a private Christian school in this community, surprisingly, leaving only the Catholic or Public school systems. I am not really excited about the idea of our children going through either of these systems, especially with the recent moral decisions that our government has made and how those may affect the curriculum being taught. So, we are looking into home-schooling as an option.
2. Whether to purchase a piece of land in the country, build a house and move out there. Land here is fairly cheap, and lumber prices are good, so we are definitely looking at this. Hopefully, it all pans out--I would much prefer to raise my kids in the country than in town. Plus, then I can get my own cow so we can drink real milk.3. I am sure there will be something else. Those two things are fairly big on their own.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this! I would LOVE it if you would leave a comment and let me know you stopped by! (You can leave a comment anonymously, rather than sign up for a Google account, if you wish.) Just click on the little "Comments" link at the bottom of this post and say a quick "Hi!" (It doesn't have to be long--that's what e-mails or telephone conversations are for.)
Happy New Year!
(P.S. You can click on any photo to see it larger.)
I couldn't resist posting one more recipe today, because hot chocolate and winter weather go so well together. The only problem is, I've discovered that if you look at the ingredients list on the cans of most pre-fab hot chocolate mixes, the first ingredient is usually--you guessed it--sugar! If it does not use sugar (because it is some version of "light"), the sweetener of choice is aspartame. Not to mention the chemically-altered "modified milk ingredients", and possibly some version of "high-fructose corn syrup."
So, although this is still a drink that should be consumed in moderation (thanks to the caffeine content--roughly 5 mg/8 oz., as opposed to 135 mg/8 oz for brewed coffee), this is my "Guilt-Free Hot Chocolate". Enjoy!
Guilt-Free Hot Chocolate
Makes 1 12-oz. mug
3 round tsp. cocoa (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2-3 tsp. raw honey
10 oz. hot water from electric kettle (approx.)
You could make this right in a mug, but I recommend a blender. I use my Magic Bullet with the small cup. (Blending it makes for perfectly smooth, frothy hot chocolate.)
Add your cocoa and cream into the cup. If you are not using a blender, mix these into a perfectly smooth paste. If your honey is a little on the hard side, use the hot water to melt it off the spoon as you pour it into the cup. Blend, pour into a mug, and enjoy!
I like this recipe, because I am often only making 1 mug at a time, and I like being able to drink it right away without scalding my mouth. If you would like to make a larger batch, or you like it hotter and don't mind a bit more fuss, here is a stove-top recipe that you can multiply by the number of people you would like to serve:
Guilt-Free Hot Chocolate (Stovetop Version)
1 heaping tbsp. cocoa
1 heaping tbsp. honey
3/4 c. whole milk
1/2 c. filtered water
Blend cocoa and water in a blender. Add to saucepan with milk and honey. Heat gently until at desired temperature, being careful not to boil.
Tastes wonderful topped with real whipped cream. (Sweeten whipped cream with a touch of maple syrup.)
So, although this is still a drink that should be consumed in moderation (thanks to the caffeine content--roughly 5 mg/8 oz., as opposed to 135 mg/8 oz for brewed coffee), this is my "Guilt-Free Hot Chocolate". Enjoy!
Guilt-Free Hot Chocolate
Makes 1 12-oz. mug
3 round tsp. cocoa (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2-3 tsp. raw honey
10 oz. hot water from electric kettle (approx.)
You could make this right in a mug, but I recommend a blender. I use my Magic Bullet with the small cup. (Blending it makes for perfectly smooth, frothy hot chocolate.)
Add your cocoa and cream into the cup. If you are not using a blender, mix these into a perfectly smooth paste. If your honey is a little on the hard side, use the hot water to melt it off the spoon as you pour it into the cup. Blend, pour into a mug, and enjoy!
I like this recipe, because I am often only making 1 mug at a time, and I like being able to drink it right away without scalding my mouth. If you would like to make a larger batch, or you like it hotter and don't mind a bit more fuss, here is a stove-top recipe that you can multiply by the number of people you would like to serve:
Guilt-Free Hot Chocolate (Stovetop Version)
1 heaping tbsp. cocoa
1 heaping tbsp. honey
3/4 c. whole milk
1/2 c. filtered water
Blend cocoa and water in a blender. Add to saucepan with milk and honey. Heat gently until at desired temperature, being careful not to boil.
Tastes wonderful topped with real whipped cream. (Sweeten whipped cream with a touch of maple syrup.)
This is one of my kids' favourite meals.
Meatballs (I got this recipe from my aunt Mary)
2 lbs. hamburger
1 1/2 c. sprouted-grain or whole-grain bread crumbs (can be made by blending up approx. 3 pieces sprouted-grain bread)
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. onion, chopped
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Combine and shape into balls. (A large scoop from Pampered Chef works well for this.) Brown in 375° F oven for 10-15 minutes while you make the sauce.
Sweet & Sour Sauce (© Talena Winters)
Whisk together in medium saucepan:
1 c. maple syrup
2 tbsp. unbleached flour, or 1 tbsp. arrowroot powder
Add:
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar (raw is best)
1/2 c. filtered water
2 tbsp. naturally-brewed soy sauce
1 tbsp. tomato paste
Whisk over medium-high heat until boiling; let boil for approx. 1 minute. Pour over meat. Cover. Let bake for another 20 minutes or so until hot & bubbly. Serve over Basic Brown Rice.
This sauce works for about 2 lbs. of meat. Can also be used for sausages.
Meatballs (I got this recipe from my aunt Mary)
2 lbs. hamburger
1 1/2 c. sprouted-grain or whole-grain bread crumbs (can be made by blending up approx. 3 pieces sprouted-grain bread)
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. onion, chopped
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Combine and shape into balls. (A large scoop from Pampered Chef works well for this.) Brown in 375° F oven for 10-15 minutes while you make the sauce.
Sweet & Sour Sauce (© Talena Winters)
Whisk together in medium saucepan:
1 c. maple syrup
2 tbsp. unbleached flour, or 1 tbsp. arrowroot powder
Add:
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar (raw is best)
1/2 c. filtered water
2 tbsp. naturally-brewed soy sauce
1 tbsp. tomato paste
Whisk over medium-high heat until boiling; let boil for approx. 1 minute. Pour over meat. Cover. Let bake for another 20 minutes or so until hot & bubbly. Serve over Basic Brown Rice.
This sauce works for about 2 lbs. of meat. Can also be used for sausages.
Word of God, speak
Will you pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see your majesty?
To be still and know that you're in this place,
Please let me stay and rest in your holiness.
Word of God, speak.
- MercyMe
Will you pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see your majesty?
To be still and know that you're in this place,
Please let me stay and rest in your holiness.
Word of God, speak.
- MercyMe
The breakfast table is usually a happy place at our house, and today was no exception. Little boys were happily spooning mouthfuls of honey-sweetened oatmeal into their mouths, and Bob and Larry's Campfire Songs was playing on the stereo.
I've always loved camp songs, and this collection has some good ones on there. Soon, the perennial favourite "Kum Ba Ya" started to play. And my older two boys began to sing--sometimes together, sometimes separately, between bites.
Kum Ba Ya, my Lord, [Come By Here], and I found myself joining them. (I never need much motivation to start singing.) Oh, Lord, Kum Ba Ya.
It struck me that if God loves to hear the sounds of our praises, how much more he must love to hear the sound of his smallest children's worship lifted up to him.
Something in my spirit said that he had answered the prayer spoken in the song. How awesome to feel the presence of God--right there at the breakfast table, eating every-day oatmeal--ushered in by the praises of little voices.
Who says you need to have a campfire to sing camp songs?
Well. Scientists have actually "discovered" that the sun is good for you. (Sometimes it just makes a person want to grab someone by the collar and shake 'em really good whilst saying "Duh!") Here's an excerpt from one article about it:
I have already discussed the possibility that perhaps sunblock is not that good for you. Who knew that you might be better off without the stuff that we have been indoctrinated into thinking was mandatory, and that what we have been told is gospel truth is actually just a bill of goods we were sold?
That last thought applies to much more than sun and sunscreen. Makes you want to stop and think, doesn't it?
Researchers discover moderate sunlight exposure helps prevent skin cancer: (NewsTarget) To the surprise of scientists, while exposure to the sun's UV rays is the main cause of skin cancer, a recent study says some sunlight also can help prevent it.For those of us in Northern climes, where good-quality sunlight is difficult to obtain for much of the year, a good cod liver oil supplement is imperative. Before you shriek and start trying to get the imaginary taste out of your mouth, I recommend the Garden of Life Olde Worlde Cod Liver Oil. It does not have the strong "fishy" taste that many of them do. In fact, my kids actually ask for it! I am totally NOT making that up!
The idea of sunlight helping prevent skin cancer may sound like a paradox, but the key is exposure in moderation, immunology scientists at Stanford University found.
Sunlight causes vitamin D to synthesize in the body, yielding some protection from the risk of skin cancer. The production of vitamin D is spurred on as an immunity response from the body receiving ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from sunlight...
"The truth about sunlight is that sensible exposure actually prevents skin cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, depression and even osteoporosis," [Mike] Adams said. "Sunlight is more powerful than any drug; it is safe, effective and available free of charge. If it could be patented, it would be hyped as the greatest medical breakthrough in history. It's that good."
I have already discussed the possibility that perhaps sunblock is not that good for you. Who knew that you might be better off without the stuff that we have been indoctrinated into thinking was mandatory, and that what we have been told is gospel truth is actually just a bill of goods we were sold?
That last thought applies to much more than sun and sunscreen. Makes you want to stop and think, doesn't it?
