Beauty in the midst of Busy-ness

The last week or so has been waaaaay too busy. It doesn't help that I have been working five nights a week and every Saturday for the past couple of months, but somehow a lot of things piled in last week and very little seemed to go as planned. Life will settle down somewhat next week, thankfully, as my work hours return to normal.

Even so, it was impossible not to notice our beautiful tree in full fall glory. The picture really doesn't do it justice. When I look out of our bedroom window, all I see is yellow. It's gorgeous.

I love fall and all the beauty it brings. We have a very creative God.

Mommy

We love to read!

Don't know much about CSI,
Don't know much about Family Guy,
Don't know much about Rachael Ray,
Don't know much about Jon and Kate.
But I do know we love to read,
And I know that if we read, indeed,
What a wonderful night this will be.

I am always amused by the reaction I get when someone finds out we don't have cable. Steve and I haven't had cable for our entire marriage and, except for the Olympics, we don't miss it at all. There always seems to be something else to do, like playing games, talking, and reading.

All of us love to read. If you go into any of the children's rooms, except Rebekah's (because she is very, very tidy), you will find the floor littered with books -- down the side of the bed, under the bed, on the bed, under the pillow -- and the bookcase is usually a mess as they have rummaged around looking for the next one to read. Steve and I always have a book or two on the go, and they can be found by the bed, on our desks, in the van, pretty much everywhere.

Right now, Rebekah and I are reading Farmer Boy together. She is a good reader, but most nights before bed, we climb into my bed and I read a chapter or two to her. I couldn't say who is enjoying it more, her or me, but I look forward to it, and I love our discussions. I have already decided which book we are going to read next -- Ballet Shoes. I read it as a child, and loved the story of Posy, Pauline and Petrova, even though I wasn't personally into ballet. I can't remember too much of the storyline right now, but I am excited to read it again. Rebekah reads a lot by herself too. She loves Geronimo Stilton, Magic Treehouse, and anything about horses. She has read all but two of the Little House on the Prairie books by herself, and I often hear her reading to Anna at night.

Jonathan has a wide variety of reading interests. He has a number of Captain Underpants books (tra-la-la!), courtesy of my parents, and sanctioned by my mother-in-law (a retired teacher), but also enjoys Encyclopaedia Brown (a favourite of mine as a child), Magic Treehouse, and recently devoured a copy of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid. (I went upstairs to find the book to check the title. I couldn't find it. The search did yield a sock that was missing from the laundry, and a piece of sweaty cheese... boys!)

Anna is 'totally' into Rainbow Magic books. This series is about tiny fairies and two girls who solve mysteries with them. It is very cute, and Anna has quite a few of them. On one recent trip to the library with their grandparents, the children took out 19 books. I think six of them were Rainbow Magic. She also loves Junie B Jones, as do the other children.

Elizabeth is just starting to read, but "What a wonderful night this will be" if she gets a story read to her before bed. She settles better, and goes to sleep more quickly if someone reads her a story. Jonathan is very sweet and we often hear that he has been in to read to her before we get there. She loves pretty much any book she can get, but if it is about princesses or animals, it's even better.

I enjoy history, humour, and magazines. I am the fortunate recipient of a second-hand subscription to Reader's Digest and Chatelaine, and have my own subscription to Country Living (I think...). I have a huge, dangerous stack of books and magazines piled precariously beside the bed, threatening to avalanche my alarm clock and take everything else with it.

Steve probably reads the most of all of us. He can also handle the most deep topics. A glance at one page of a recent book he had left me shaking my head in a complete lack of comprehension and amazement. He can plow his way through theology and spirituality in a way that I will never be able to. Right now I am sitting beside his bookcases, three of them, with about 450 books on them, the remnants of the 800+ he brought home from his office at the church.

We don't have cable. We don't miss it. We love to read.

Mommy

Back at last!

Well, it's been six months since I last wrote here. There are a lot of reasons why I stopped: I ran out of time in the evenings due to work, going to the gym, working on my family tree, and housework! I also started questioning the point of writing, but I spent some time today reading some other blogs and decided there is a lot of merit in making note of the things one does.

I also realized that it isn't necessary to write every day, which I could never keep up with, so I'm going to try to put something here each week, or as things of significance happen.

We had a great summer, and ended off with a trip to Virginia. A highlight for me was September 1st. We spent my birthday hiking and driving along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. What a beautiful demonstration of God's creativity and the delight He takes in amazing mankind. We couldn't get enough of the breathtaking scenery.

We all enjoyed the history of the area, and reading the signs that were posted at some of the overlooks. Reading about Stonewall Jackson and his army made all of us want to learn more about the stories of the Civil War, so we're going to do some research before we go back next time.

The kids were just as thrilled with the views as Steve and I were. It was fun to see them looking out the windows of the van and marvelling at how far they could see.

I love these two pictures of them!

In the top one, they are at the bottom of a waterfall which was the destination of our hike. As it turned out, a bear walked past me on the path while I was taking the picture.

In the other picture, the children are standing on a stone wall which ran the length of the road (left).

I will post more pictures of our trip another time, but I wanted to get to some more current news.

Tonight we are doing a massive clean-out! Steve's parents have wonderfully offered to hold a garage sale for us this Saturday. At their house! We still have a lot of stuff in a storage unit, left over from our planned move last September, and it's time to get rid of it. Steve's parents are renting a cube van tonight and unloading the storage unit. They are taking the items we don't need to their house, and bringing the things we do need here tomorrow. After they unload the van here, they are filling it with all the things we have found in the house that we are not using, and taking it home tomorrow. Then, they are going to have a garage sale! I am so excited to be clearing out my house of so many things that we really do not need.

So... that's a brief update on us. I will do my best to post more regularly! So much to write about... school, our upcoming cruise, the kids, my basement project (old news), Steve's schooling, and so on.

Hope to be back next week. Or later this week.

Mommy

I'm Back!

Okay, so I had abandoned my blog, thinking that perhaps it was pointless, since I was (I thought) the only one reading it! Well, by special request, I am back! Thanks, dear friend, for taking an interest in our life!
As a quick recap, the past month has been fairly uneventful, thankfully. Rebekah finished up her second set of riding lessons, Anna and Jonathan finished up their second set of gymnastics, and Elizabeth just about finished me (kidding, sort of). She's got more will than even I do. Our current battle is over her eye patch, which she is supposed to wear for two hours every day. We are on our second (or hopefully, third) box of patches. 20 to a box. Since September. Not good. She has an appointment with the optometrist tomorrow... Yikes!
No, seriously, things have been quite smooth. None of the kids have missed a day of school for sickness this winter, which is almost unfathomable, considering what their friends have been home sick with. I've been much better about going to the gym; three or four visits a week for the past four weeks! I've been going after work, which gets me home at about 10:15pm, but it's so much easier to just stay in the car after I leave work. That has been one distraction keeping me from my blog. A minor distraction, though.
The MAJOR distraction has been my family tree. I kind of go through spurts with it. I'll go full out with it for a month or so, and then leave it for about six months. All I need is a life event (someone to add or 'modify' on the tree) and I'm hooked again! I LOVE researching and digging. It's like a big huge puzzle to figure out. I can't remember exactly what got me back to it this time, but I'm in deep. I think I've added 300 people to it in the past three weeks. Yes, 300. It's bad.
We're on March Break this week. Today was great. My dad registered us for Pedals, Pipes and Pizza -- and event sponsored by the Royal College of Organists. Dad and I took my four kids, and Rob and Trevor came too. It was fun! The kids got to try the organ, go up to the gallery to look at the pipes and hear a presentation about how the organ works. Then there was a pizza lunch! Our kids were quite interested in it and I think Rebekah was quite taken with the sounds the organ could make. Neat experience. I can't find my camera right now, but I'll post some pictures when it materializes.
The only other thing that we've added to our life is a paper route. We are delivering our local newspaper, three days a week. The kids are quite excited about it, and even though we have 38 papers, with four kids running to houses, it takes about 20 minutes to complete.
So... that's what we're up to! If I think of anything else that needs to be added, I'll write about it!

The last few days

Thursday was a very full day. Steve and I attended the funeral for a close friend of my parents. He passed away very suddenly last week, and although I didn't know him well personally, he had come to our wedding, and out of love for my parents we felt compelled to go.
We were so glad we did. Bruce had a very magnetic personality and I would estimate 400 people turned out. The eulogies given, and the tribute by the minister showed just what a hole he has left in so many lives. Even at the age of 76, he was extremely involved in many organizations and had contributed to a lot of causes throughout his entire life. His dedication and hard work, even until the day he died, was very inspirational. I felt challenged to do more to reach out to those around me, and to strive to do so for as long as I possibly can. I came away reminded that people will not care how clean or organized my house is if they have never been invited in to see the dust.
I can only pray that when it's my turn for the eulogies, people will say that I made a difference somehow. I will not forget that funeral for a long time.
That afternoon, Rebekah had her fourth riding lesson. She used her new brush set to groom the horse, "Happy", whom she had ridden at her first lesson. She also wore her new half-chaps, and looked so cute in them. Her lesson went really well. The teacher was so pleased with her, and Rebekah even mastered posting without holding on! I loved watching it, and the girl at the desk behind me commented on how quickly Rebekah is learning. She's doing great. (The blue line across the picture is the tether which ties the horse to the side of the stall while it is being brushed.)
I signed her up for four more lessons, also in the Learn to Ride package, and we discussed the idea of getting her a helmet. Rebekah would like to help pay for it, so we are going to choose one together and then talk about ways she can save up for it. I'm very proud of her!
Yesterday was a good day made up mostly of laundry and lunch with a friend, followed by work at the bank. Last night I began sorting in the basement... oh it feels good to sort out boxes and get organized. Rob and Mandy gave us their old couches for the basement, and I am so inspired!
Today I'm at work, the kids are at gymnastics and we have friends coming for dinner. Life is good.
Mommy

New clothes...

for Pinkey Pie!

I'm not completely sure how it happened, but I have suddenly entered the business of knitting clothes for the kids' Webkinz. Rebekah has been knitting scarves and 'coats' for the Webkinz (the coats are just big scarves), and it occurred to me that I could knit some items too. Before Rebekah's birthday, all the clothes the kids had for their Webkinz were made of a fabric (jean jacket, angel costume, etc), but then she received a sleeveless sweater for her horse. Elizabeth received a sweater and a hat for her Webkinz on Saturday.

My first project is an imitation of the sleeveless sweater. It took me about two hours to make, and was a big hit. I already have three orders.

The original sweater is the pink one, and I made the blue one. I counted out the number of stitches (44) and copied the pattern. K2, P2, add a couple of armholes and sew up the seam.

Mommy

My dear son

Today I spent some time in one of the wonders of the modern world. Jonathan's bedroom. I cannot figure out how he does it. I probably straighten it thoroughly once per week, with him giving it some favourable attention a couple of times in between. What else goes on in there through the week is beyond me.
Now, I should start by acknowledging that I am in uncharted territory. I only have one son. I have three girls. I have never been a son. I have a brother, but can't say I remember a whole lot about his childhood except that he was always thinner than me, had tons of energy, and could stand on his head. I have no idea in what condition he kept his room. One of my daughters keeps her room in pristine condition. The other two do not. Jonathan's room is in another league altogether.

Upon entering his room, I can't help but notice the huge pile of "dirty" clothes by the door. How many outfits does he wear in one day? I collect the laundry every day! Where does all the garbage come from? There are wrappers, paper, shredded plastic bags, broken crayons, cut up elastics and pieces of string on the floor and on his dresser and his bedside table. How does he get through his room in the night with Lego all over the floor? What is that black/blue fuzz in the carpet? How did all that stuff get under the bed?

After cautiously making my way to his bed, I begin to make it for him. I instantly have some more questions: Why is the sheet off? How does he sleep with the duvet on sideways? Why are there a dozen books and an entire package of pencils between his bed and the wall? How did the foot of his bed get pulled three inches out from the wall? And the question du jour: WHY is there a hole BURNED through his duvet? A hole! Burned! Through his duvet!

I actually made the bed with said duvet, although it occured to me that maybe he should get a new duvet. But then I asked myself, Why would I get him a new one if he has already burned (!) the one he has? Burned? How? It looks suspiciously like a nightlight bulb. They are 7 watts. How does that happen? I haven't asked him yet, but I'll be very interested to hear his answer.

Mommy

Sunday!

We've had a busy day! I played the piano today at church, and Steve was running the slides, so we were all to be at church by 8:00am. The kids do so well even when they are there that early, and they had fun playing with a friend while we rehearsed.
Pastor David really outdid himself today with the message. I was rivetted and could have sat there all afternoon. He preached on the Israelites' time in the desert and had many interesting photos and maps to show us. It was like a history lesson and a spiritual kick in the pants at once. He challenged us to read Deuteronomy this week, so I'm going to give it a shot. Two services later and we were on our way by about 1:30pm.
I shovelled this afternoon and got most of the packed-down snow off the driveway. I always enjoy the days when it's a bit milder and I get a chance to clear the driveway... just in time for it to snow again on Tuesday! Back to church for AWANA tonight, and home for the night.
I'm feeling so much better now that I've got a few days of my new iron supplement in me, and I sure hope I do better at getting to the gym this week.
Elizabeth wore her new skirt and top today, but I forgot to get a picture. So cute. So big. We're off to the doctor tomorrow for all the January birthday annual visits, so we'll find out just how big they all are. No needles! Woohoo!
Hello February!
Mommy

And a great time was had by all!

Okay... so the maybe the cake wasn't as bad as I thought. It was certainly edible. Others could tell it was a castle, and nobody complained about the weird colours. Anna said the leaves were very good, and nobody noticed the few bald patches where there was absolutely no icing at all.

The kids had a great time together! Trevor and Jesse and Jonathan have so much fun running around after each other, and tonight someone came up with the bright (?) idea of giving a hamster a ride in the back of the remote controlled car.

This is a picture of sweet Jesse waiting for the present opening to end! (And supper to start! I was a little behind schedule...)

And the gifts!! Elizabeth received two more Webkinz, in addition to the one she got this morning from us, and some pretty skirts and tops. She loves skirts!! Here she is pictured with 'Oink' the pig. She has named her pink and white dog 'Pinky Pie' and the koala is 'Melbourne.'

Rebekah received some more earrings, which she is learning to put in and take out herself. I can hardly believe how she is growing up. I love hearing her and Grampa at the piano, and she showed him how much she has learned of Fur Elise.

She also received from Nana and Papa a brush set for the horses, which she will be able to use this week. We have learned of a store called Repeat Rider -- a secondhand store for riding equipment, so I'm hoping we can make a trip out there on our Date Day (all the kids in school!) to see what they have.

It has been a long and enjoyable day. The kids had fun at Nana and Papa's, skating and sledding with their cousins, and then more fun with Granny and Grampa and more cousins. I am looking forward to going to bed!

I have added a little runner to the bottom of my blog. I've decided that I will 'run' to my in-laws house on the treadmill, starting this week. I don't know what the reward will be for 'getting' to their house, but I will think of something! Mandy mentioned that she is going to the spa soon. Sounds like a plan...

Happy Birthday kids!!

Mommy

Better luck next time!

Q: What do you get when you cross a cracked cake with the wrong decorating tip and a new technique at 11:30pm?

A: A "castle" that looks like a dinosaur, or worse.

Trust me, it looks a lot better in the picture than it does in real life. Oh well! It will taste fine. Even if it is a contender for the worst cake I've made so far. It broke coming out of the pan, and when I was doing the main part of the castle, I decided to use a larger tip to save myself some time, but it just blended all together and made a big huge pink mass. I have never done 'leaves' before... no; they aren't worms. Ah well. It's just a cake. I made it myself. How embarrassing.

Tomorrow (well, today, really) is my baby's birthday. I can hardly believe Elizabeth is turning five. She still has the sweet soft skin of a baby, and her kisses are like silk. How can that be? She knows she is precious, and she loves to hear about it. She is a great encourager and constantly tells people they look nice or have done a good job with something. I love that. She has a ton of energy, and our nickname for her is Bizzy. She absolutely loves animals, and was heartbroken that we couldn't bring home this toy horse that she sat on during Rebekah's lesson yesterday.

We got her a Webkinz (the pink and white dog) and the movie Barbie as Rapunzel. I wish I could see her open them, but they are visiting Steve's parents tonight, and will be home about the time I get in from work tomorrow. I miss them already!

We're having my family over for supper tomorrow night to 'officially' celebrate all three January birthdays, hence, the cake. And then, I'm off the hook until August! It's Mandy's turn next, with Trevor in February, Mandy herself in March, and then Jesse in July.

I got in too late last night after rehearsal to write anything, but we took all the kids to watch Rebekah's riding lesson yesterday. They really enjoyed it! Jonathan is still afraid of the horses, but Anna and Elizabeth were very interested. Rebekah's teacher is so impressed with her, and it's fun to see the new things she is learning. Next week is her last week, but I think we'll sign her up to ride once a month so she can keep learning new skills. This picture shows her brushing Coby, the horse she rode yesterday.

Well, I really should go to bed. I'm glad I got the cake done, and hopefully I can pull the house together tomorrow before everyone arrives. It's been a good day!

Mommy

I found some Iron, now I need to pump some!

I forgot to post last night before I went to bed, and didn't get another chance today, so here I am, a few minutes before hitting the hay.

Today marks the anniversary of Steve's car accident. Not a great anniversary to celebrate, but dates are my thing, and I couldn't let it go by without giving thanks to God for His protection that day. Steve usually drives our car, but that day he had the van and although it was totalled, it would have been a different story had he taken the car. Also, he often (used to) forgets to wear his seatbelt, and he estimates it was about 30 seconds before impact that he felt prompted to fasten it. He didn't even see the lady coming, it happened so fast. We were blessed with a new (2004) van a few weeks later, and Steve has had minor lasting effects from the impact, but we have certainly realized how fast life could change.

In other news... I have been looking for a new type of iron supplement to take because the pill my doctor had asked me to buy upset my stomach so much. I remember that when I was expecting Elizabeth I had to stop taking my pre-natal vitamin because it was making me as sick as the morning sickness. My OB had suggested that it was likely the iron in the vitamin that was bothering me, and I wondered later if that was the cause of the 'morning sickness' I had experienced so terribly through my other pregnancies.

Anyway, yesterday I went into Nature's Emporium, a health-food store near my house, and the lady there showed me a product that is supposed to be easy on the stomach. It's called SpaTone and so far, so good! It is iron-fortified water, and I've taken four doses so far. The lady at the store said that doubling up for the first two weeks would boost my iron stores, and then I could cut back to one dose a day. I took the first dose (a pre-measured package, poured into juice) before I went to work yesterday, and I had no problem at all. I took another dose before I went to bed last night, and today I took one in the morning and one tonight. I feel so much better than I did with the other product I was taking. The question is: does it work??!!

My doctor has given me a requisition for more bloodwork, as a follow-up to the testing he did in the fall, so after I've been taking this iron for a month, I'm going to go and see how I'm doing. That was the plan when I first saw him in September, so I figure I'll stick with it, even if it has been a few months since I had the other bloodwork done.

I don't know if I really feel better today, but I think I do! I know I didn't eat as much today as I've been eating over the past few weeks, and I know I was eating more to try to boost my energy. I didn't feel the need for that today. I'm desperately hoping to make it to the gym tomorrow! I haven't been for nine days, and I feel quite disgusted with myself. Not eating right doesn't help, that's for sure.

All that aside, Elizabeth and I had a good day today. We went to Costco with Cheryl and Jacob, Elizabeth's little 'boyfriend.' Those two are a riot. They have known each other their whole lives and never seem to get tired of the other's company. They are the best of friends, and have an unusually close friendship. I love seeing them together, and not a day goes by that they don't talk about each other or ask to talk on the phone. It is very cute.

Here are some pictures of the two of them, not from today, but sweet nonetheless, and then I'm off to bed.

Babies in 2004

With me in 2005
Playing with Chocolate the guinea pig in 2006

Mischievous friends in 2007

Strawberry picking in 2008

You two are so precious! I need to get some more pictures!

Mommy

A nice start to the week

I had lots of plans for today, but somehow, once everyone was out the door, Elizabeth and I just kind of fell into the day. We played. All day. I did do two loads of laundry, but that was pretty much it.

We played Webkinz, the Wii, more computer games, a board game and more Wii. We would have done some reading too, but she left her I Can Read books at school, so we just played. It was a great day! She loves having me all to herself, but I have to admit she usually has to share me with my chores. Around 1:30 I asked if she would like to watch a movie, so she chose Alvin and the Chipmunks and basically flaked out for an hour.

I wish I was one of those moms who just plays with the kids all day, but honestly, I wouldn't get anything done. By the time they're in bed, I'm usually too tired to get started on anything that would amount to much. I think I must have done quite a bit of playing when the older kids were younger, but I really don't remember a whole lot about our day-to-day lives back then. I know we took a lot of walks and went to the park. Those were very tiring, but interesting times.

One funny thing that happened this morning: Steve was getting ready to leave for work. He had driven Rebekah, Jonathan and Anna to school, but came home for something he'd forgotten. Elizabeth was playing upstairs, so Steve called up to her to say goodbye. Their exchange went something like this:

Steve - "Bye, Bizzy! I love you!"
Elizabeth - silence
Me - "Uh, Bizzy, Daddy's talking to you."
Steve - "I love you!"
Elizabeth - "Bye, Daddy!"
Steve - "I love you!"
Elizabeth - "Bye!"
Steve - "I love you!"
Elizabeth - "o-KAY!!!"

We both started laughing and he said as he went out the door, "I'll take what I can get...." It was pretty funny.

Well, Steve has just come upstairs with Buttercup the hamster. He accidentally let her slide onto the floor off his chair, so he's got his work cut out for him now. She's fast, and she's smart. Good luck, dear! I'm going to bed!

The picture is not from today, but it is of both of the cute little creatures I've been writing about. Elizabeth loves animals and I think this is such a sweet picture of her and Buttercup.

Mommy

Bowling Pictures

Whew! We found the camera! It was in Steve's coat. Turns out we took 59 pictures at the party! I'm sure at least half of those will never see the light of day again, but that's the beauty of digital cameras.

This isn't the greatest picture, but it kind of captures the 'technique' the boys were using. It involved at least one non-foot body part on the floor, and often required a second person for moral support. We left the gutter guards in place, and I'm sure it's the only reason the boys got any of the pins down. They really did have a great time, though, and I think rebounding the balls off the side provided as much fun as actually knocking down the pins.

In this picture, Rebekah is demonstrating the straight-legged ball-dropping stance the girls tended towards. This method didn't lead to much straighter bowling, but seemed to work for them! (They did 'win' after all!)

The little girls mainly relied on pushing the ball toward the pins while Steve and I held our breath and hoped the ball didn't stop on the way!


We were very pleased when the bowling staff showed up with this interesting contraption. It didn't work as well as we thought it might, as any force applied to the ball caused it to bounce and go off course, but it did help a bit. This is Elizabeth getting ready to send the ball down the ramp, while Anna watches.

All in all, it was a fun afternoon. We were all pretty tired today, especially me, and I'm looking forward to a good night sleep. One more birthday and party to go -- Elizabeth's 5th birthday and family dinner on Saturday. Whose idea was it to have all these kids in January?? Oh yeah...

Mommy

And a good time was had by all...

... except that I can't find the camera! I took a bizillion pictures at the party, and have no idea what I did with the camera. It was a lot of fun, though. We discovered that 8- and 9- year-olds can play an entire game of bowling in the time it takes 4-year-olds to get through four frames. The little ones got bored after about half an hour, so when the older kids were finished bowling, and ready to eat, the younger ones were only too happy to quit playing.
Everyone got wonderful presents. Rebekah and Jonathan each received another Webkinz, and Elizabeth's friends added to her Littlest Pet Shop and princess collections. I'm so grateful for the thoughtfulness of the kids' friends.
I'm tired. Steve went to see a movie at the church with 'the men' and the kids are wired on cake and loot bag candy. Looks like I'll be the first one asleep! That's okay. It's been a great day and Jonathan proclaimed the party "Awesome!" Good enough for me!

Mommy

We're Ready to Party!

The cake is finished. It took quite a lot longer than it should have, but hey, when it's just you and a four-year-old, things do tend to take longer than usual. I put an apron on her and gave her some icing and a piece of the extra part of the cake so she could do some decorating too, but it didn't buy me enough time to finish the cake! Two hours into it, I raised the white flag and asked Steve if he could take a break from his studies and occupy Elizabeth while I finished the cake. I'm pleased with the way the cake turned out, and when the kids got home from school, they all gave it a big thumbs up. After work tonight, I packed up the loot bags and got the camera charged up. I think we're ready to go.
It is supposed to get really cold tonight. We had a great afternoon temperature of about plus one degree, so I worked at the driveway a bit to clear it as much as I could, and took advantage of the 'warmth' to change our lightbulbs on the driveway, since they had both burned out during the last cold snap. I think it's going to be quite cold for a few days now.
So, with the day's work done, I'm off to bed. 8:00am on a Saturday seems so much earlier than it does during the week, but that's when I have to be at work. I am so thankful for a job I love. By this time tomorrow evening, the party will be over. Whew! It will be fun.

Mommy

Cake time!

I have started the cake for the kids' birthday party on Saturday afternoon. We are attempting one party for the three January birthdays, and have invited three friends for each of the children. One of Elizabeth's friends is unable to attend, so with all our guests, plus Anna, we have twelve children for the party. We're going bowling, and there is a party room which we can use for an hour afterwards.

I was hoping to find a cake pan with a bowling theme, but since I couldn't find one, and I'm not so creative as to make up my own pattern, I went with a rather neutral Party Hat Pan. So far, I have baked the cake, cut the extra piece off the top/bottom, and sampled it to make sure it is suitable for the children!! Tomorrow I will decorate it!

I started decorating cakes two years ago for the kids' birthdays and really enjoy it. It is rather time-consuming, so I don't do too many cakes, but a couple each year is fine, and the results are very satisfying. I rent the pans from the Bulk Barn, but the Wilton website shows that there are dozens out there! No bowling pins, though.

The Cars cake was the one I did last year for Jonathan's birthday. It turned out very well, as I had bought a new, smaller tip, and the stars were not as large. The family birthday supper is next Saturday on Elizabeth's birthday, so I will do another cake for that night, but I haven't decided whether I'm going to do Wall-E or a princess castle. I'm leaning towards the castle.

Rebekah had her second riding lesson this afternoon. She rode a rather uncooperative pony named Diamond. I think she's hoping to ride Happy, the horse from last week, at her next lesson. The teacher seems quite pleased with her riding!

Mommy

Did I mention I like to knit?

Elizabeth and I had lunch with my Dad today. We try to get down to the city every Wednesday for lunch but depending on my schedule at work and Dad's activities, it doesn't always work out. He and I (and, latterly, the kids) have been getting together weekly (when we can) for about eleven years now, and it is always a highlight of my week. Now that Mom is working less too, we are often able to visit with her after lunch as well, as was the case today. I love getting together with them.

Dad was showing me his scarf today. It's the one I knit him for Christmas, patterned after the scarf his mother knit him when he was a boy. He had worn 'Old Yellow' every day of every winter for the past 60 years or so!! It's still in great shape, but was starting to fray a bit, so two years ago, I began thinking about whether or not I should knit him a new one. I wrestled with the idea for a month or so, and even bought the wool, but then decided that it might put him in the difficult position of having to choose whether to wear the scarf his mother had made him, or to wear the one his daughter had made him. I decided against knitting the scarf and gave the wool away. Last Christmas, I went through the same process, but before I got rid of the wool, he happened to show me where Mom had stitched his scarf, in an effort to keep the edges from unravelling, so I told him about my indecision over knitting him a new one. He seemed to like the idea, but I still wasn't sure. It wasn't until sometime later in the spring, or maybe even this summer, when I overheard him telling someone that 'his daughter was knitting him a new scarf' that I realized I had a decision! Anyway, I knit the scarf, and he seems very pleased with it.

The reason we were talking about it today, though, is that 'my' scarf is stretching and Mom has had to shorten it through the neck twice already. I used acrylic wool, and figured out as I was knitting, that his mother had probably used real wool, which I had hesitated to use because I thought it might be too scratchy. The original scarf was very tight in its weave and had little side-to-side give, so this new one is much too stretchy. I also realized part way through that I hadn't quite got the stitch right. I think I'll have to give it another go.

I tried for a long time to crop Rob's head out of the picture, but I couldn't figure it out. Lots to learn.

All is quiet upstairs, so I'm going to do some reading in bed. What a wonderful way to end the day.

Mommy

Better Late Than Never

I am taking a break from celebrating the Umpteenth-Annual Taking Down of the Christmas Tree. This year is especially exciting because it also marks the Third Annual Removal-of-Dental-Floss-from-the-Wall-to-Keep-the-Tree-from-Falling-Over AND ... the First Annual What-To-Do-With-The-Tree-Now-That-I-Have-Thrown-Out-The-Box?!!! I can hardly contain my excitement. Actually, it's been a low-key affair, attended only by me and my ever-present cup of tea.

I called my Dad. He suggested garbage bags, or the creation of a new box from other boxes, but lovingly supported my idea of wrapping the tree in a sheet and hoping it survives until next year. Storing an un-boxed, wrapped Christmas tree will be another matter altogether.

In other news... I made it to the gym. Hooray! Many people still recognized me. I actually have the Tooth Fairy to thank for getting me out of bed. Jonathan lost a tooth yesterday, and I realized at 5:00am that I didn't recall hearing the Tooth Fairy make her requisite visit during the night. So... unable to sleep with that on my conscience, I got up, rummaged through Steve's coat pocket for some change, retrieved the tooth and went to the gym.

Jonathan brought his toonie to the table this morning, and Elizabeth heard, with much fascination (not having yet lost a tooth), all about how the Tooth Fairy works. It made for interesting breakfast discussion.

Well, off to find an old sheet, and back to my tree.

Mommy

The Hardest Day?

Apparently January 19th is the most depressing day of the year, with January 19, 2009 being the most depressing of the depressing. I had never heard this before, but I found it interesting to read about. Contributing factors include the fading memories of Christmas cheer, broken New Year's resolutions, winter weather, and holiday bills in the mail. This year, in particular, the economy is adding to people's woes.
I work in a bank, and have witnessed the difficulties people are facing, and have spoken to many of our wealthier clients who are seeing their investments tumble. I have no answers for people on either side of the problem -- those who are losing their jobs, or those who are losing their profits -- but I know that no matter what I am facing, my only option is to choose joy.
As someone who struggles privately with major ups and downs, I ask God every day to give me a joyful heart. I have thought a lot about the difference between being happy and being joyful. Thankfully, I am usually happy and joyful. There are days, though, when the happy hides and the joyful tries to duck out of sight. For me, thankfully, today was not one of those days, and Elizabeth and I had a fun day in and out of the snow, but I can empathize with the 'millions' (as the article claims) who will have chosen today to stay home and away from the world.
Our journey over the past few months involved a lot of uncertainty and a great deal of trusting in God. Towards the end, once we realized we could not sell our house, it looked as if we would have the house and no job for Steve. We knew that God could have sold our house for us, if that was His will, but in His mercy, He provided a way for us to stay in our home and at our beloved church. I had to cling to my belief that He had a plan for us, whether that meant moving and starting all over again, or staying and waiting for Him to show us what to do next. I pray that my life during those months showed more joy than stress, even if I really had no idea how it was all going to work out.
Today, January 19th, was just another day for me. I shovelled, did laundry, played Wii, fed children, made beds, went to work and took out the garbage. I'm glad I didn't know it was supposed to be a depressing day. I asked God for joy this morning and I know He always provides. Some days it's easier than others to choose to receive that joy, but it's always there for me to accept. It's joy that I want my children to learn, and it's a daily exercise for me to model it for them.
Speaking of exercise, tomorrow will be here before I know it. The gym is waiting! I'd better get to bed!

Mommy

Snow!

We have snow. Boy, do we ever have snow. I shovelled for two hours this afternoon and got the driveway cleared (Steve shovelled for an hour too), and by the time we were finished, there was enough new snow to warrant starting again. But we didn't. I am NOT going to the gym tomorrow. Maybe I'll shovel again instead.
I was going to write about a conversation I had with a co-worker about budgeting, but I'm too tired. I'll write about it another time. I LOVE Microsoft Excel even more than I love my labeller!
Looks like I'm going to bed before the kids!

Mommy

Easy to please?

When I was in grade one, my teacher wrote in my report card something to the effect of "Wendy is extremely disorganized...." My desk was always a disaster, and I was definitely one of those students whose parents were called because permission forms were not returned (because they never got home). Well, times have changed over the past thirty years. I LOVE to organize. In fact, I like cleaning up, putting things away, purging and labeling so much that I get stressed if I can't find my labeller and it only takes one "enduring" task to make me feel like I have had a successful day.
I have defined an "enduring" task as one which accomplishes something that lasts. Putting away laundry is not enduring. The clothes will need putting away another time. Something enduring is like putting up a picture, cleaning out a closet, even taking a bag of clothes to Goodwill. The picture will not need to go up again, the closet should stay straightened, and that bag of clothes is gone for good. I am really happy when I've gotten just one such task done. One of my favourite days of the week is garbage day! I so enjoy filling up the recycling bins and seeing them emptied after the garbage truck has gone by.
We tried to sell our house a few months ago. Listing your house is a great way to get cleaned out, but if the house doesn't sell, then you have to figure out what to do with all the stuff that you took down, packed away or relocated. We still have a storage unit to empty, but in the meantime, we also have quite a few things in the basement that need to go back on the walls. Tonight, it was a mirror in the bathroom. It finally went back up, and that was all it took to make today feel like a successful day! Yes, I did seven loads of laundry and unloaded four baskets into dresser drawers, but it's the mirror back on the wall that feels so good.
I know... I need therapy. I'm okay with that!

No gym today or yesterday, but next week is coming.

Mommy

Yes, it's coming...

School! For Daddy! I don't know the exact date of his first class, but I've added a ticker at the bottom of the blog (because I can't figure out how to get it at the top...) so we can all see how much time Daddy has to write his papers and read his books before school starts.

He's starting a four-year Doctor of Ministry at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio. It's something he's been wanting to do for a few years, and God has really opened the door for us to start this year. It's exciting! He loves to study and read (even at Great Wolf Lodge), and I'm thrilled for him to have this opportunity. The kids are at a good age too -- Elizabeth will be in Senior Kindergarden when he starts, and Rebekah will not yet be in high school when he finishes. It's a precious window of time, and our interesting adventure over the past six months has helped us to know that this is what we are to do right now.

I think we can do it!!

Happy Friday!

Mommy

Happy Birthday, Rebekah!

My first baby is nine years old. I can hardly believe it! She is growing up so fast, and is such a beautiful little girl. Not so little anymore, I guess. I am constantly amazed at her ideas, her thoroughness in the tasks she puts herself to, her attention to details, and her sweet manners. When she was born, I resolved that I would never use the phrase "I can't wait until..." because I so earnestly wanted to enjoy the moment, tough as some of those moments were! I love all the stages, I am finding. I marvel, though, at how much I enjoy all the new stages, and can see glimpses of what is to come. I pray that I am one of those parents who loves having teenagers, and that we are able to appreciate most of what comes with that stage of development. First, we have to get through the pre-teen stage....
Rebekah has wanted to take riding lessons for a long time; ever since she attending a horseback riding summer camp in 2007. We were able to find a location near our home, where she can ride on Thursday evenings, which is the best day for us, and happened to coincide with her birthday, so she started tonight. She did so well! I also found a great deal on boots at Payless -- $15, down from $45, so we wrapped them up and she got them for her birthday. I actually think I was more excited than she was!! She has four lessons in the package we got for her, and then we'll probably cut it back to one lesson per month. She loved her lesson today, and it's great to see her so interested in something that is just for her.
I asked Steve about the verse above, and I guess I was trying to make it more complicated than it is. Basically, we are the clay jars, and the treasure is Christ. We are clay -- fragile, weak and malleable. Dense, too, in my case!!
No gym for me today. Hopefully tomorrow!

Mommy

Jars, Jarse, Canning?

I've been wondering if the title of my blog makes any sense, or if it really says much about me. I do enjoy canning, and have done a lot of it over the years. With a last name like Mason, it's always been a bit funny to me that my canning is done (primarily) with Mason jars. It occurred to me that if I were to start a business and sell my preserves, then I could call it Mrs. Mason's Jars. Very corny.

This is a picture of some Dill pickles I was getting ready to give away. Dill pickles are my favourite thing to can, but I also enjoy jam, marmelade, peach pie filling, salsa, tomato sauce, and one year I even had fun trying out pumpkin loaf. The pumpkin loaf is baked right inside a wide-mouth jar. It was delicious, but I set my stove on fire in the process, and had an embarrassing visit from our local fire department.

The "JARSE" are my husband and my children. Their first initials are those letters. If I'd been on the ball when we were having Elizabeth, I might have chosen a name that started with "S" so that the kids themselves would be JARS (but we were not thinking about that). We had batted around the idea of Sarah, but our church already had a Sarah Mason in another family, so we went with something else, hence the "E" of JARSE.

As a Christian, I know I am a vessel for God's purpose, and so I chose the verse at the top of my blog to go with my title, but I confess that I will have to wait until my husband gets home before I can attempt to explain it properly. I have a general understanding, but I'm certainly no theologian.

I did make it to the gym today. For some reason, when the alarm went off this morning at 5:00am, I was wide awake. I should have gotten up, but the radio told me that it was about minus 29 (celcius) with the wind chill, and I had absolutely no desire to go out. Of all days. I'm wide awake and it's frigid outside. I had a split shift at the bank, so I went in between shifts instead. I've never gone during the day before, and it was an interesting experience, with sales staff walking around, and less availability of the equipment. Even so, I'm so glad I went! I think I will skip it tomorrow, and go on Friday.

Tomorrow is Rebekah's birthday! She is going to be nine. I can't wait to give her her present!!

Stephen's home. Time for a theology lesson and some gift wrapping.

Mommy

Laugh until the tears roll down your face

I was prompted by two of the blogs I enjoy to vote for the best parenting blog of 2008. Since nobody is reading my blog, there isn't much point in putting the link in, but hey, I'll be optimistic: the 2008 weblog awards.
One of the blogs up for the award is 4tunate by Jen and Brad Murray. I have been following their blog for about two years, and thoroughly enjoy reading about the antics of their adorable boys. Anyway, I perused the list of other blogs up for the award, and came across one by a stay-at-home dad. I only read a few of the postings, but boy, did I laugh.
If you could use a little levity in your day, especially if your day is going to involve diapers, this is worth a few minutes of your time. His blog is called "Looky, Daddy" and the post that made my day is Slumber Party Favors .
BTW, I didn't make it to the gym. I slept through the alarm. My husband says I must have needed the rest. He's very kind! My doctor says I need iron. He's right. The problem is the iron makes me horrendously sick to my stomach (not to mention other problematic issues commonly associated with taking iron), and I haven't found a suitable replacement.
I'll add that to my list of things to look into today. Since ALL four kids have school today!! Woohoo! Free mommy!! Am I excited? You bet. Should I wrap things up here and get on with my day? You bet! Am I thankful for JK? You bet. Am I so glad I don't have to work tonight, so I can stay home and hear all about the day those four kids had at school? Absolutely.

Mommy

It's good for me...

I made it to the gym today! I had a great workout and my plan is to go again tomorrow. It is supposed to get quite snowy and ridiculously cold here as the week progresses, so I think I'd better try to get in while I can!
Working out, and exercising in general, has been a work in progress for me over the past thirteen years. I did the usual sports and played hockey through high school and university, but it wasn't until I was doing my Master's that it became more of a health issue than just an interest. When I was about 23, I went through a tough emotional time, and my doctor prescribed a light anti-depressant to help me through. I also met with one of my professors and he suggested that a walk each morning would be a good way to deal with my stress. I found the walking boring, however, and began running. Pretty soon, I was up to about 5km each morning. I lost a lot of weight, however, and since I wasn't eating well, or doing any strength training, I was thin, but didn't look too good.
Amazingly, it was during this time that I met my husband. Over a few months, I was able to come off the anti-depressant, and the more regular company helped me eat better. By the time we got married when I was 25, I was looking and feeling much healthier. After Jonathan was born, I began running again and completed my first half-marathon in two hours. I didn't really get back into exercising again, however, until after Elizabeth had arrived. This time, I was carrying an extra thirty pounds and could not get it off. I joined a gym and began running again. I was able to drop twenty of the pounds and when Elizabeth was 18 months old I ran another half-marathon, only three minutes slower than the first one four years earlier.
We moved the following summer, and everything came to a halt. I no longer had my running partner, and the chaos of settling in threw my routine off completely. By the time we had been in our new house for eight months, ten pounds had crept on. I was frustrated and annoyed with myself. I resolved to turn things around.
The first step was to fix my eating habits. I have a hard time throwing out food, so I would nibble at the kids' leftovers, which could amount to a second meal sometimes. That first year, I dropped fourteen pounds. The next step was to tone up. I met a new girl at church who, after four children, had an amazing body. She showed me around her gym and helped me set up a routine which was completely different than any routine I had ever done before. Instead of continually working to lift or press more and more weight, she taught me to do many more reps with lighter weights. I found that much better, as the heavier weights had been discouraging for me. Doing three sets of 20 reps at 25 pounds was somehow easier than doing 10 reps at 50 pounds.
My weight only went down another six or seven pounds, but I was able to drop two clothing sizes. Now, when I go to the gym, I remind myself that I'm working to be healthy and strong, to look and feel better for me, and my husband, and hopefully to set a good example for my kids. I do find it hard to get out of bed in the morning, especially when it is dark, but having everything ready the night before really helps. I have my i-pod loaded with music I enjoy and I'm always so glad I've gone to the gym once I get there. I can handle the challenges of the day, and often make better food choices when I'm hungry.
So... the alarm will go off again in seven hours. Let's hope I can talk myself into getting out of bed once again. It's good for me, and for my family.

Mommy

A Wonderful Day

Rebekah was baptized this morning! We were so excited when she told us she would like to be baptized, and the weeks leading up to today have been surprisingly emotional for me. Strangely, though, when the moment came, I was fine! No tears, just pure joy. I was so proud of her. Stephen had the privilege of baptizing her, and giving her a life verse. She just smiled all the way through and spoke clearly when stating her intention to be baptized. She seems so big. My mom was at the service, and afterwards we met my dad for lunch. The kids were so good at lunch and we had a great visit. We just got home from AWANA now, so we're all pretty tired! Rebekah even finished her Red Book (Book 1) at AWANA tonight, so it's been a big day for her. We have a big surprise for Rebekah on her birthday, so I'm going to be getting ready for that this week. It is supposed to be so cold this week, though!!

I'm going to go to the gym tomorrow. I have to! I know it is so good for me mentally and emotionally, and I think there is also something about knowing that I've worked my body hard and that I'm contributing to my good health. Rebekah once said that she likes knowing that her mom goes to the gym. That's pretty good motivation! I'll need to remind myself of that at 5:00am tomorrow morning...

It's been a great day. What a wonderful way to start a new week.

Mommy

Jonathan's 8th Birthday

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby boy! I can't believe he is eight years old. For five days now, we will have two 8-year-olds until Rebekah's birthday on Thursday. A fun time each year. My Dad likes to say that they are 360 days apart. Some people have told me they are Irish twins, but I thought that siblings had to be born within the same calendar year (say January and December of 2000) to be "real" Irish twins. I just looked at a date calculator, and there are 1477 days or 211 weeks between Rebekah and Elizabeth...
Jonathan was thrilled with the Tech Deck ramps he got for his birthday. We had a surprise supper visit from Uncle Rob, Aunt Mandy, and cousins Trevor and Jesse. It's always a great time visiting with them. We also celebrated Rebekah's birthday tonight, and Rebekah loved the Geronimo Stilton books and Clownfish Webkinz she received.
Anna and Jonathan also started a new session of gymnastics this morning. Jonathan is in level 6 of Cangym and Anna is in level 2. I love hearing about what they have learned each week.
I need to find some motivation for getting to the gym this week. I went last week on Monday and Tuesday mornings, but I slept through the alarm on Thursday and Friday mornings, so it's been four days since I've gone in. I realize that working four nights last week probably caused me to be unusually tired, but it's definitely mind over matter trying to get up early to go and work out. My goal is to go three times per week, so I really hope I can get in more often this coming week. I always feel so much better when I go!
So, the end of a long, but pleasant day. Tomorrow should be even more exciting!
Good night!

Mommy

Getting rolling...

Well, it's still the eve of my son's eighth birthday... I have been planning to start this blog all week, and decided that no matter what, I would start it tonight. Somehow, catching the hamster (for the umpteenth time) seemed to take priority. Peanut is secure in her cage and here I am.
Yes, Jonathan is going to be eight tomorrow. Eight years ago tonight I knew that the next day I was going to be induced and I had called my dear friend, Kara, to see if she would mind if I named my baby the exact same name as her daughter, should I have a girl. Lydia Anne. That's what Jonathan would have been called. But... we got our sweet baby boy and the next two girls were named Anna and Elizabeth. No Lydia after all!
What a week we were in the midst of! My granny had passed away on the Sunday before, minutes after I had left her room to go back to church. Jonathan would be born on the Wednesday night, we had the funeral 39 hours later on the Friday morning. Then we switched gears again and had a birthday party for Rebekah who was about to turn one on Monday. What a week. I was so proud of my Mom. She was at every event.
So, today, January 9th, 2009, I thought I would begin to write about our lives. God has brought us through an interesting journey over the last few months and I think things are just going to get more interesting. For now, I'll end by wishing my precious boy a very Happy Birthday tomorrow! I love you so much!

Mommy