happy 5th birthday my girl.

five years ago (yesterday) i went bowling with the youth group at church.  

it was St Patricks Day and i was almost a whole 40 weeks along in my pregnancy.

yes, i still bowled.

it was awkward, but so much fun.

we went to a house for pizza after.

then it was time to come home... 

we did have a little one to put to bed.

we arrived home and i went and placed out boy in his crib...

then i peed myself.

well, it felt like that.

i quickly covered him and stumbled out of his room calling my husband.

we figured out that my bladder wasn't weak.

my water just broke.

baby was due in 3 or 4 days...

guess bowling is a great inducer.

after a night of not sleeping we went to the hospital.

(no St Patty's baby for me)

it was time to meet our baby #2.

not long until we met...

her.

yes, i had a daughter.

bring on the pink and ruffles!

***

today she turns 5.

my baby girl.

my beauty.

i sometimes call her my Merida. 

(from the movie Brave)

when she's afraid but i am encouraging her to have courage i call her my Merida..

because Merida has courage.

then we recite her favorite verse

"When I am Afraid I will TRUST IN YOU! Psalm 56:3"

yes, she yells the last part and points up high, so i know she's not meaning me, but God.

She makes me laugh.

i make her laugh.

i read her her favorite Calvin & Hobbes and get her giggling.

she is bright, sweet, creative, silly...

she loves to read, and is excited that her brother told her when she turns five she will 

"learn lots more words"

and get to go to SK in September.

she is curious, adventurous, stubborn.

she is a joy.

she is a blessing.

she wishes she was the older sister...

(that's ok, her brother wishes he was the little brother)

she adores her brother.

she admires and adores her daddy.

she misses her grandma and grandpa, and papa and gramma.

i love to watch her.

i love to listen to her.

i love hearing her and her brother play and laugh together.

i am so glad that we have been blessed to have her as our daughter.

happy birthday little one.

this morning, when she was ready for school,

she told me "mommy i'm going to dance"

she cleared the floor in the living room and after i turned on the song of her choice...

she danced!

hey guess what...more running selfies. oh well.

  haha my selfies are back!  

that's right.  

another post dedicated to...ME! 

these are always taken at the end of the run.

my face usually lets you know how the run went.

i've found myself figuring out what face i'm going to make before i even get home.

that's right, i make multiple faces in the last kilometer, as i figure out how i felt about the run.

when i think about how i look, as i'm doing that, i begin laughing.

my run usually ends on a high note because i make myself laugh, even when i'm worn out, exhausted, sore, tired...

i took this one...

just because.

why not.

i did 9K... i'll make whatever face i want.

i glanced in the window as i was about to take this photo.

my little girl was watching me as she ate her breakfast.

i made a face at her then snapped it as my selfie.

it was a good run, this face tells you nothing about it.

the wind was COLD.

and a lot of it.  

it was trying to stop my forward momentum.

i won.

but it froze my face.

 *all photos taken by me

with Gertie.

edited with Photoshop Elements

they grow up fast.

I have a daughter.

the other night i went into her room to turn out her light and kiss her forehead.

i sat on the bed and brushed the bangs out of her closed eyes.

i cried.

i stared at my beauty laying there all curled up under her blankets.

she turns 5 in under two weeks.

she will be going to school full time next September.

i think it all hit me at once.

i just sat there, crying quietly.

stroking her hair.

watching her sleep.

the kids are growing up.

slowly..but not too slowly.

my girl.

-wants to lose her teeth like her big brother.

-can read and write the words: mom, dad, wow, love, from, to, jack (our dog).

-draws me something at school every day i send her.

-is nervous at school, but gets on that bus, after a prayer, with courage.

-knows that "when i am afraid i will trust in you (God)" Psalm 56:3

-wants to do ski slope style, just like Dara Howell, in the olympics.

-is learning to ski this winter.

-loves to dance, sing, create, laugh.

-she is Elsa. she is my Merida. she is Astrid.  she is going to act, just like mommy, one day.

-she wants to meet Dara Howell.  she made her a valentine.

-she is a dreamer.

-she is beauty.

-loves Calvin & Hobbes.

-she will always be my girl.

just not so little anymore.

-she turns 5 in just under two weeks.

i love this girl so much more that i could have ever imagined.

i am excited to watch her grow, to learn, to explore, to go on adventures, to fall in love with life, to grow closer to God, to grow in her courage and strength.  

and my boy...

oh my first born.

i became a mom when i had you.

i also love you way more than i ever thought possible.

my boy.

-has four adult teeth already in his mouth 

(his 6 year old molars came in, they're adult teeth).

-has four adult teeth at different stages of growing in.

-can read a whole Hot Wheels book all by himself.

-draws zombies, army men, animals all the time.

and then writes the names and sounds very well.  

sometimes they're spelled right, but we can always tell what they're supposed to say.

-loves school.

-asked to take lacrosse intro, without us even having to encourage him.

-next it's ball hockey.  

(this was the kid who cried and got scared going to sunday school every week)

-wants to do snowboard cross or half pipe in the olympics one day

-wants to do biking in the olympics one day - "some people do both olympics mom"

-he wants to be a police more than a firefighter. - "the police stop bad guys, mom."

-he wants wisdom like Solomon

-his favorite verses are: 

God has breathed life into all of Scripture...it is useful for training us to do what is right.  2 Timothy 3:16

Faith is being sure of what we hope for.  It is being certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

(both in the NIrV)

-loves Calvin and Hobbes.

he turns 7 this summer.

but he still loves cuddles and Bear.

***

running selfie:

*all photos taken by me

with Gertie.

edited in Photoshop Elements

don't like my running selfies?..don't read this post.

I have not been updating my blog very much this month.

if i had been keeping up with it i would not be needing a full entry of running selfies.

these selfies are more for me than you.

for real.

i don't really like taking photos of myself.

i see things i'm not happy with.

one eye is open more than the other...

my face is blotchy...

i have bags under my eyes...

my smile is crooked...

stupid things to dislike.

but i'm determined to take these photos, 

every time i run.

i'm beginning to enjoy taking them.

the most editing that i allow myself to do with them is lighten them.

i am showing me.

this is who i am.

i get a red blotchy face when i run and sweat.

i have one eye that is open more than the other. i just do.

i'm a mom of two young kids...i hate makeup... so that is what i look like.

so, you may not care for my running selfies.

fine.

but it makes me get in front of the camera and do it in a fun way.

day: Mon Feb 3

time: 1:50pm

distance: 5K

temperature: -5*C

date: Wed Feb 5

time: 9:45am

distance: 6K

temperature: -10*C

date: sat feb 8

time: 8:40am

distance: 7K

temperature: -10*C

weather: snowy

date: mon feb 10

time: 1:15am

distance: 5K

temperature: -7*C

date: wed feb 12

time: 12:15pm

distance: 7K

temperature: -9*C

this morning the OPP stopped by while waiting for the bus.

they were looking for someone.  

if i saw someone in our woods i was to call 911.

no danger to me or the kids.

needless to say, i didn't rush out to go for a run that morning.

when i did go i saw no one on my run...

until i was on my way home.

there was one man walking along the road.

was the the axe murderer?

was he the sadistic serial killer?

(i have a bit of an imagination..but i kept running toward him - 'no danger to me')

i smiled when i realized it was a friend from church.

he laughed and said to me 

"there's no one chasing you."

oh, the funny joke to say to someone running..

he didn't know what had just gone through my mind...

it made me laugh a lot harder than i probably would have if there wasn't an axe-murderer stalking me in the woods.

date: sat feb 15

time: 9:30am

distance: 8K

temperature: -10*C

our kids had slept at a friend's house for the night.

the husband had to get up with our girl in the night because she was throwing up..

i went and picked her and the boy up, and after we got settled in the house i headed out for my run.

she threw up 2 more times while i was running.

ugh...i hate the stomach flu.

date: 'Family Day' mon feb 17

time: 6:05pm

distance: 5K

temperature: -8*C 

the kids and i had spent Family Day 

(yes, it's an actual holiday in a couple provinces in Canada)

at a nearby camp, enjoying the outdoors, the snow...an absolutely beautiful day.

when my husband came home from work i headed out on my run.

i haven't had to run in the evening for a long time...

i brought my flashlight with me, and needed it to be on about 10 minutes into the run, 

when dusk began to settle in.

my next scheduled run did not happen.  

Family Day night i went to bed...

but woke with the stomach flu.

my turn.

feeling a little better now, 

hoping to be able to run on saturday, when i'm scheduled for a 9K.

Winter activities.

I'm watching the Opening Ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

i say watching.

i'm catching glimpses.. and listening to my t.v.

i love the Olympics.

the hard work and dedication that people pour into a sport they love.  

a lot of times they started out loving it as a young child, 

and had the gift and talent to go big within the sport.

when i see the countries walk into the ceremony with one or two athletes i actually get teary 

(not so much when i'm only listening) 

the drive, the dedication, the passion of those individuals speaks so loud. 

i'm a sap.

it makes me remember what can be exciting about the winter.

the sports, the activities, you can do.

Last week (and weekend) i enjoyed the winter.

individually, with a friend, and with my little family.

Date: Wed Jan 29

time: 11:20am

distance: 5K

temperature: -14*C

weather: snowy. very snowy.

the snow was blowing in my face the whole run out.

i could barely keep my eyes open.

the way back was great though.

Friday:

Jan 31.

i went snowshoeing with my friend down main street.

that's right.

i said down main street.

our little town held a Winter Comedy Carnival.  

they brought in loads of snow to cover a section of main street.

there was snowshoeing, nordic skiing, fat bikes.

but friday morning it was quiet on the street.

we had fun racing down the middle of it in our snowshoes...

(i won...until my snowshoe decided to come undone and fall off)

Saturday Morning.

i went for my run.

after this guy got home.

(my encourager, my inspiration, my trainer, my running schedule maker)

date: Sat Feb 1

time: 8:45am

distance: 6K

temperature: -12*C

enjoyed this run...a little sore, but the weather was beautiful.

i couldn't complain.  my husband just ran 11K, i was only running 6. 

Saturday right before lunch we headed into town to give the kids an opportunity to see downtown.

we didn't end up eating lunch until around 2:30.  

they wanted to enjoy all the activities.

free trial of nordic skis, snowshoes and fat bikes.  

Look! there's the boy trying Nordic Skis for his first time.

his dad teaching him.

our girl running in snowshoes to see them.

he loved it!

he actually asked for some skis of his own so he could go with his dad again.

the girl and i went and got her face painted.

she has never let anyone other than me paint it.

she loved the pegasus she got.

thank you Painted Kids

then onto the Burton Riglet Park.

learning balance for snowboarding.

i don't know how many times the boy was pulled around.

he loved it.

the AO employee who took him around, again and again, gave him tips too.

there were other activities to enjoy.  

these were just the things we did.

when we got home the boys of the family went out and started digging out our quinzee.

what a great weekend.

great time of year.

so many people were frustrated with winter, with snow.

but the temperatures were spectacular.

and even though it snowed on the saturday, everyone who was there actually enjoyed it. 

it made sense to have a winter carnival with it snowing.

i sure hope they do it again.

 *all photos taken by me.

with Gertie.

edited with adobe photoshop

See what main street looked like the first time they covered it with snow: HERE

winter: and my thoughts on it (and running in it).

date: wed jan 22

time: 12:30pm

distance: 4.5K

temp: -20*C

date: sat jan 25

time: 9:20am

distance: 5K

temp: -8*C

weather: snowing. 

(we received 6 inches of snow the previous night...and the roads were not plowed recently.  

that is how i felt running in the couple inches of snow on the roads)

i don't really care for winter as a whole.

i love the snow covered ground...

but, man, is it ever hard to get around when it never stops falling.

oh wait...

it does stop falling.

then i love the beautiful blue skies, with the sun reflecting off the white ground...

but, oh man, the bitter cold and wind that comes along with that.

so i love aspects of the season.

i dislike other aspects of the season.

i love snowshoeing...sledding...snowboarding...building snowmen, igloos, forts...

love campfires...the trees...the blue skies...the snowball fights...

love coming inside to hot chocolate...blankets...cuddles with my kids and husband.

it's the cold i have a hard time with.

when it's minus 20*C pre-windchill.

i don't hate it.

it has a beauty and a uniqueness to it that i can appreciate, but...

i could do without those temperatures, and quite thoroughly enjoy winter.

i think of my husband out welding at a dock, or working on a boathouse, with the wind off a lake 

and remember how it could be worse.

i think about the homeless... 

it could be worse.

i just don't like the cold.

i'm little.

i get cold easily, and take a long time to warm up.

and, yet, even when the temps have been quite cold these last couple weeks

(it's actually been snowing or freezing - never in between)

i get on my running clothes and shoes and head out.

i don't like running inside.

and, 

because of the beautiful sun that was shining on me for part of my run, 

i actually sweat a little today.

and i enjoyed it.

date: today.  (mon. jan 27)

time: 1:30pm

distance: 4K

temperature: -20*C

(my face is softened because of my breath.  yep, cold)

*all photos taken by me

with Gertie.

edited with Photoshop Elements.

end note:

last year i had my daughter home every day while her brother was in school. 

i couldn't run until my husband got home in the evenings.

i am so thankful for the chance to run mid-day, when the temps may be at their best, on the days my girl's also at school.

volunteering at my kids' school.

have i told you i'm volunteering at my kids' school?  

if i haven't told you..

well..

i am.

when the boy began junior kindergarten i was able to bring the girl with me to different things his class did.

she thought it was the greatest.

he asked me to, so i'm assuming he loved it too.

this year the girl began school.

i send her three days a week.

the boy is in grade one.

i know this amazing lady.

i met her when she was an amazing camp counselor.

we worked together at camp for a few years.

we became friends.

actually it's impossible not to love her and call her friend.

she adores kids.

she's a teacher.

she's currently the library teacher at my kids' school.

honestly...

if i were to think back to our days at camp i would have laughed had you said she'd be the library teacher at a school.

she's crazy, and i love her for it.

she wears her heart on her sleeve.

she loves each and every kid that comes through the doors to her library.

she called me up one day, asking if i'd like to volunteer to help her out in the library one day a week.

"ok"

that's right, no hesitation.  i didn't need to think about it.

i wanted to volunteer in the library.

at my kids' school.

i love books.

i love reading.

i love learning.

i love watching kids learn to love all of that too.

and most of all i love to be volunteering in the school that my kids go to.

on those days that i am in the library i am only there for half a day.

but...

the highlight?

my kids come at first nurtrition break and eat with me.

we spend some time together.

we eat.

they choose a book and i read to them.

then back to class they go.

i've been in when the girl's class has come in, and i've had the opportunity to assist.

since the new year i've now been there when the boy's class has come in, and been able to assist.

i used to be behind the counter, at the computer doing the circulation of the books.

now there's a lady who is coming in to do that and other administration things.

my volunteer position has been changed.

my focus is the bulletin boards 

*which usually became my priority anyway*

and assisting my friend as she teaches the classes, in whatever way she may need.

i love monday mornings.

i am getting to know the kids in the school

and a few of the teachers, and office staff.

we're beginning to work on a wall dedicated to getting to know the teachers and staff in the school.

i'm excited about that.

we put up an Winter Olympic themed bulletin board, 

and on my run this afternoon i had some more ideas for it.

i am so thankful for the call i received.

my mom volunteered when i was in grade school, 

in the library.

i remember looking forward to going into the library and seeing her.

i love that my kids feel the same.

and when i get home i can go for my Monday run.

(like my segway haha!)

***

it's getting colder again.

i did not really want to run on the weekend, but, 

i have a schedule and i'm not going to break it.

date: saturday Jan 18

time: 8:20am

distance: 4.5K

temperature: -5*C

running buddy: no one.

remind me not to bring the dog next time...

he's about 110LBS and excited...

i didn't want to run at the pace he wanted.

then when he finally slowed to a fast walk he wanted to sniff or attempt to pee at every snowbank.

i don't know if i was worn out from the cold, the speed, the pulling him away, or just because i had had a smoothie.

date: monday jan 20

time: 1:30pm

distance: 4K

temperature: -17*C

running buddy: Jack Jack 

i'm wearing my husband's toque with ear flaps.

i love it - he doesn't.

i will wear it if i want.

i shouldn't be on here.

the kids are at school.

and here i am, sitting at the computer.

i should be showering (i just got back from my run)

then eating some breakfast while i spend some time reading the Bible.

but i'm not.

i'm sitting here in front of my computer.

it is so easy to do this.

push everything aside to go on social media..

or play games or search the internet.

but i don't push things aside to read my Bible, 

or pray...

or write a real letter (with pen and paper) to someone i love.

sometimes the kids are put on the back burner

*gasp.  did she just admit this*

to just 'finish checking this out' or 'just a quick text'

(or my husband too.)

the days when i realize i've done that i'm usually good at stopping, 

putting down the phone, 

or stepping away from the computer to go to them.

to look them in the eye while they're talking to me.

to squat or sit at their level to see what they want to show me.

and i don't have a smart phone anymore.

i have a computer.

and an ordinary old cell.

when we're outside or out and about the world wide web is out of reach.

it is not a distraction.

but here, 

at home...

while sitting here i received a text.

funny.

i know i'm not the only one who does this.

who ends up realizing how much time has been spent on the computer doing really nothing at all.

sure i could argue..

'i'm keeping up with friends' or 'i wouldn't have known that if i hadn't checked'

but y'know what.

i can do it once in a day and find out what i need to know and then be off.

back to the real world..

the physical world i live in.

i can take time that used to be spent online 

and cuddle with my kids.

or my husband.

read my Bible.

have breakfast.

clean a part of the house.

make something yummy.

learn more about Gertie and what she can do. 

(that's my camera)

write a note to someone.

even chat on the phone with a friend. 

(hear a real voice)

computers aren't evil.

social media isn't evil.

but it's a thief.

it steals me away from those i love.

i give them only half my attention when i'm on it.

so i need to discipline myself.

not check facebook or my email every time i pass the computer.

even just a quick check is stopping me from what i was planning to do.

so.

after that.

i'll share my run photos with you and then be off.

Bible time.

***

Date: Monday January 13

time: 2pm

temperature: +5*C

distance: 3.5K

running buddy: Jack Jack

date: Wednesday January 15

time 8:25am

temperature: -1*C

distance: 4K

running buddy: Jack Jack

*all photos taken by me, 

with Gertie.

not edited.

  

what a difference a couple days makes

hey.

so.

i've been running, 

and been taking pictures of myself after the runs.

i'm having fun running and i think it's neat to see the time of day, the weather, and the bundled face.

so here's the 'after' photo from 

Date: Thursday Jan 8

time: 6:20pm

distance: 3.5

temp: -10*C

(snowing)

and here's today.

Date: Sat Jan 11

Time: 2:20pm

distance: 4km

temperature: +8*C

(raining)

so I've been reading a book my dad gave me at Christmas 2012.

i'm really enjoying it.

it speaks a lot about running.

toe first instead of heel first.

(as we do barefoot)

anyway..those who know me know i'd much rather be barefoot.

however where we live we get a little too much snow to be barefoot year-round

but...

today.

i ran 4K

on my .5k walk back to my house i decided to run a bit of it.

i ran about 100M...

like this: 

then my feet got a little too wet and cold.

*all photos taken by me.

with Gertie.

edited in Photoshop Elements.

snow day day 2

yesterday was a snow day.

buses were cancelled.

today is a snow day.

buses are cancelled.

the first day back after Christmas Holidays was...

yesterday.

oh well.

for some people it was, and it was a fun day for those who went. i'm sure.

i am so thankful my job is not to decide to cancel the buses.

i am thankful for the person who does it...

because it's not me.

they take a lot of crap i'm sure.

if they don't take it directly then the comments made by parents in the area are at least directed at them.

they make a call..

for the safety of the kids and the buses, 

by 6:30am.

they need to decide whether to send out the buses based on the weather reports for the day

(sometimes the current report)

and we all know how reliable a weather report can be..

even the satellite isn't 100% in the route of the snow/freezing rain.

so here we are with our second snow day...after two weeks off for Christmas.

yesterday i drove the kids in for the morning.  

i was in the school library, removing the Christmas theme on the bulletin board and transforming it to an Olympic theme.

then, since there were no buses, i brought the kids home with me when i left at 12:30.

yesterday the buses probably shouldn't have been cancelled, but i'm fine with the decision.

today we're not going anywhere... except sledding out back later.

snowfall is expected to be 20-30cm.  

it may or may not happen, but it looks worse out there today.

i'm sure someone somewhere is complaining about the second snow day.

i for one am not.

i have a headache and didn't want to get up.  

i was happy to hear of the decision.

thank you person who has to make the bus decision.

thank you for being you...in the position you work in...

even when the call could be disputed by the many of opinions out there that are obviously so much wiser and better than yours. 

on another note:

last night i went for a run.

date: Jan 6 2014

time: 6:00pm

temp: -12*C

distance: 3.5K

my legs after treking through the snow to cross the railroad tracks, just to get to the road i run on.

yes. headlamp was needed.  6:30pm in the winter=dark.

*all photos taken by me, with Gertie.

after the run

second run of the year.

not so chilly.

date: Sat Jan 4 2013

time: 8:30am

temp: -8*C

distance: 3.5K

what a beautiful morning.

not so frosty.

*photo taken by me.

with Gertie.