Childhood Memories

I remember it.

mom went out.

maybe dad was at work, or he was out with mom.

some furniture was moved out of the way.

the heavy, grey, exercise mats were pulled out.

not so we could put on the Richard Simmons record, and exercise... not this time.

we... my brother (i'll call him The Instigator) and i, rolled the mats up.

they don't roll up so small, and as i have already mentioned, they are heavy.

does anyone remember those types of mats?... heavy!

we couldn't hold them in our hands very well, 

too awkward, 

so we held them with our arms wrapped around.

then the battle would begin.

that's right... battle.

we would go at each other swinging our mats... our weapons.

trying to hit each other.

i remember the fun. 

this secret battle.

i don't remember anyone getting hurt.

how could we - we couldn't really hit eachother so well - 

but maybe one of us did and due to a head trauma, i don't remember it.

i don't remember anything being broken, 

but i have this feeling in my gut that something probably did.

i don't even know if this awesome battle happened more than once, 

but i always think on it as a regular occurrence.

i just remember it being hilarious.  

fun.  

a wonderful memory in my childhood.

i remember them.

The Instigator and i having our own World Wrestling Federation matches out on the front lawn.

the stairs were the top rope.

i do remember people getting hurt... 

our wrestling was pretty real at times.

but nothing too bad, or we wouldn't have done it more than once.

i remember 

The Instigator and i trying to get other kids at our elementary school to sign the petition:

to ban Cabbage Patch Kids.

those things were ugly.

we didn't want to see them at our school.

the petition didn't work.

i remember 

The Instigator being disappointed in his little sister as i bought myself a Cabbage Patch Preemie

-those things were cute.

the original ones were still ugly.

it didn't matter.

i had gone to the dark side.

i remember

Christmas morning.

sneaking down to the Christmas tree.

The Instigator and i trying to guess what each of our gifts were.

there was one that we couldn't figure out at all.

we grabbed a pencil and some paper.

by feeling the wrapped gift we tried to draw what it could be.

still no idea.

it ended up being a wooden ornament that looked nothing like our drawings, 

but even if we had drawn it right - it wouldn't have helped.

i remember 

my mom did home daycare.

at lunch hour i would walk home with the school-aged kids.

we'd have lunch.

then it was time for the dance party.

in the living room, with the toddlers.

then back to school.

what are some of your fun, silly, crazy childhood memories?

were you usually the instigator or was there someone else?

do you still do crazy, fun things like this sometimes?

i still have dance parties.. usually with my kids.

sometimes by myself...  i can't help it. 

the music makes me.

The Instigator and his baby sister.

i think he's already thinking up ideas to get her to do.

we match and my dad matches the chair - 

look, where does his shirt end and the chair begin?

Fort York.  

i was 8.  Instigator was 10.

i believe this was the trip where we also made it look like he was shot by a cannon.

You can check out my brother, The Instigator, at www.upstandingcomedy.ca

3 days

3 days my husband's alarm has gone off and i've woken up.

3 days i have turned on my bedside lamp and sat up in my bed.

3 days i have reached down beside my bed and brought up my Bible, my workbook and a pen.

3 days i have been working through the book of Hebrews.

that's what the ladies group at the church is going through each week.

i'll be honest.

i don't know how much i'm currently getting out of these past three mornings.

i'm fighting to keep my eyes open.

i immediately lay back under the covers as the radio turns on for my alarm.

i listen to the news and weather.

then it's time to get dressed and go wake the little ones for school.

3 days.

i am tired.

and i've specifically gone to bed earlier that i had been - knowing that i'd be getting up a half hour earlier than normal.

i do notice a difference though.

when i'm getting the kids up i can tell i didn't just get up.

i'm not groggy from sleep.

i'm more alert and even patient as they don't want to get up just yet.

i know it will get easier.

i've done this before. 

i've done this before.

how many times have i began this routine.

isn't it always this way?

i know that first thing in the morning is the best time for me to spend some quiet time focusing on God and His Word.  

i know i won't once the day begins.

i get back into this routine.

wake earlier.

read Bible, pray, journal - whatever it is i do - i spend some time focused on God.  

learning more about Him, talking to Him, crying out to Him, thanking Him, learning that those who are told about in the Bible were just as weak as i feel sometimes.

i love the days i do this.

it usually goes well for a while.

gets easier to wake up and focus.

then it isn't so easy.

and i go back to sleep when the first alarm goes off.

i don't turn on my light.

i don't grab my Bible.

i sleep til it's news time.

then i drag myself out of bed and get ready for the day.

i very rarely stop and have that much needed quiet time once i head downstairs.

i know i'm not alone in this constant struggle.

i love God.

i love Jesus.

i want to know them.

i want to grow in my faith, knowledge, passion for them.

it's so hard to take that time each day.

it's so easy to sit at the computer.

it's so easy to pick up a novel, turn on the tv, wash dishes...

it's so easy to do anything and everything else.

i know God is with me every moment of every day, 

but for the past 3 mornings I have chosen to spend some time with Him.

i will keep fighting this struggle.

not because of guilt of missing the time..

but because i can see & feel the difference in my day when i take the time.

keep pressing on.

it's a new year.

Happy New Year.

Today is the 2nd day of 2015.

the sky is shining brightly behind the layer of clouds.

the grass and flowers are sleeping snugly under the thick blanket of snow.

the trees are cloaked with beautiful snow.

*this was actually taken Jan 1*

new years eve we had friends over.

we had a sledding night.

the snow came that afternoon and didn't stop until last night some time.

the sled hill was perfect.

then it was inside for play, games, snacks and movies.

yesterday, 

new years day,

we went outside in the morn and enjoyed the sledhill.

also bringing out the boy's snowboard and the girl's skis.

for the late afternoon/eve we went to friends' and snowshoed through amazing thick powdery snow.

then sledding after dark.

today.

i went for a 5K run.

then came home and got right back into my pj pants.  

the kids are in their pjs.

watching movies.

playing Lego.

my husband slept in, read, napped, and is now reading again.

it's that kind of day.

i love it.

i don't know what joys or pains 2015 will hold

but, for our little family, it has begun with fun, friends, and lots of snow.

and a couple late nights.