love this

Good Friday

i have a boy.

he's five and a half.

the Easter i was pregnant with him i was in a production at Church.

i played Mary, the mother of Jesus.

i was being interviewed.

i was reminiscing about my son dying on the cross.

(back: Centurion, Peter.  front: John, Mary (me), Mary Magdalene)

i remember practicing my lines.

*thinking about my baby who i would meet that following summer.*

as i memorized my lines i was getting the emotions down.

i was becoming Mary.

how would i feel as a mother.

i had held this babe in my arms, 

snuggled his neck, 

watched as he learned to sit.

comforted as he cried because his gums hurt from the teeth coming through.

amazed as he learned to crawl, then stand.

taking his first steps to me on his chubby, wobbly, legs.

smiles.

laughter.

tears.

cuddles.

having watched my son grow.

and then, as a man,  truly come into the role he was meant to live.

then realizing what the ultimate fate of my son would be.

probably never having completely grasped it.

definitely never understanding it.

i was human after all.

his father wasn't the man everyone assumed he was.

his father.

his father created me..you..the world.

but i was his mom.  

and there he was.

they killed my son!

***

the following Good Friday i was holding my son.

the role i had the previous year came back to me.

my precious boy.

my first born.

thinking about Jesus dying on the cross hit me like it never had before.

it made it more real to me.
Jesus was a real man.
he had been born
(that's why we celebrate Christmas)
he had been a baby.
he had lived, breathed, walked, laughed, cried, gotten angry.
he was God's Son.
he had come to do a job.
he was going to sacrifice himself.
for the people who didn't even love him.
for people who didn't care for God.

he struggled, when he knew the event was near:

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done."
Luke 22:42

without that sacrifice we would not be able to have such a personal relationship with God.

i remember playing Mary.
the emotions well up.
i look to my children.
even more.

would i..
no, i could not sacrifice my kids for someone else i loved...
would i...
no, i would not sacrifice my kids for someone who hated me...

thank you God for loving me.
thank you Jesus for dying FOR ME.

facebook break

GAH!

i need a break from facebook.

it's funny.

funny sad...not funny haha 

i don't do anything on there except post a status now and then and read the news feed...

oh yeah, and a scrabble game or two.

i love scrabble.

but it seems to take up a whole stink-load of my time.

i'll be going to sit and have breakfast

...oh, ill check fb.

heading in to sit with the kids

...oh, i'll take a quick look at fb.

i think i want to sit and read my new book

... i'll check fb first.

i haven't done devotions for a couple days, i should get my Bible now

...i'll just check fb quickly.

stupid.

what a waste of time.

barely anything changes.

most status updates are annoying.

obviously i do care about some of the stuff i read or see pictures of.

but the majority i didn't need to know right then.

my life is not any better for having read it.

so i'm taking a break.  

for this week.

this week from Palm Sunday to Easter.

i may not focus on God during the times i would normally be checking fb.

reading my Bible, praying, belting out praise songs..

i may be cleaning, reading, cuddling with my kids or husband..

but i need to put fb back in its place.

it is not first, second, third, fourth...in my life.

it should not be in my top ten.

but this world we live in.

this culture we live in.

social media.

it has become first for many people.

for me.

this week.

this Easter week.

i need to set my priorities.

and facebook.

you are not a priority in my life.

these two, however, are a priority.

God thoughts.

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, 

in the image of God he created him; 

male and female he created them.

Psalm 139:13,14

For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because i am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, 

I know that full well.

we are created in God's image.

what does that mean to you?

create: (v.) Bring something into existence.

when i hear the word create i think of a sculptor.

a painter.

a designer.  

a carpenter.

someone who's final product has begun as an idea, a dream.

it has taken hours, years.

tears, laughter.

starting over.

frustration.

joy.

pride.

and when it's completed..

the words can't express how that creator feels.

the object is of far more value than what it is sold for.

it is created out of love.

passion.

now.

stop and think.

we are created.

we are created in God's image.

God formed us to be His portrait.

not a physical "look God has a wart on His nose" portrait.

but a display of who He is.

wow.

then read the next verse i mentioned.

a Psalm.

a song of praise.

'you knit me together in my mother's womb'

i don't knit.

i love knitted things.

i know the care that goes into something that's knitted.

hands used.

practice.

time taken.

think of a grandma who knits her wee grandbaby a blanket, or sweater.

the love and care that goes into it.

God knitted us.

that sings of care, and intricate detail.

he knew us when we were conceived..

and created us.

when we stop and think of our life in those terms it is a lot easier to sing along with the Psalmist.

I praise you for i am fearfully and wonderfully made.

wish i stopped and thought about that every day.

but i don't.

but, wow, the value one feels after realizing that no matter what

i am not a mistake to God.

may these words encourage you.

may they bless you today.

who would you be?

when i was younger i had this friend.

when we watched movies we would always claim who we would be.

i was Snow White 

(dark haired princess- at that time the only dark haired disney princess)

she was Aurora (Sleeping beauty) - blond.

she was sailor moon

i was Luna (the cat) 

haha..

  

those were fun.  

no reasons except for hair color and kind of animal.

one of my favorite movies was/is The Last of the Mohicans.

we watched it a lot.  

She was Alice.

I was Cora.

and i didn't pick her just because she was a brunette..but that was part of the initial reasoning.

i watched that movie so many times.

i wanted to be Cora.

(i also loved her name and wanted to name my daughter that...dan didn't agree)

i wanted to be a woman like her.

strong.

tough.

gentle.

compassionate.

stubborn.

caring.

when Alice is afraid Cora is her the strength.

individual.

speaks her mind.

she is beautiful.

head held high.

she was thrown into war. into chaos. taken captive.

she could have collapsed.

she could have given up.

she could have spent the whole movie saying "woe is me..life is horrible..."

she stood firm.

she hid her sister's eyes when people around them were being scalped and killed.

i would want to be her when faced with adversity.

another favorite movie (franchise) of mine is 

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

i read the books.

LOVED the books.

my favorite character is Samwise (in both movie and books)

'Samwise the Brave'

but who would i want to be?

Well, Samwise or Eowyn.

they are both characters whom i imagine i am as i watch the movies.

(good thing they never interact or i'd be confused)

they both have a strength of character.

Samwise goes because he is assigned to watch over Mr. Frodo.

he leaves the comfort of his home.

because he believes in the journey ahead.

he stays true to the end.

he fights when he would rather not.

he speaks his mind when he must.

he steps up to continue the journey by his own choice.

he sees the darkness in Gollum/Smeagol when Frodo cannot.

without Samwise Gamgee the ring would not have been destroyed.

Eowyn.

beautiful.

fragile.

gentle.

strong.

bold.

wants to fight.

wants to protect her family and home.

stubborn.

goes to fight.

without her the Witch King wouldn't have been killed.

(he could not be killed by the hand of man)

compassionate.

(another name i wanted for my daughter..it was on the list briefly)

is there a character, in book or movie, that you relate to or dream of being?

do you imagine yourself in the role?

who?

why?

registered: it's happening.

I'm registered.

all signed up for Tough Mudder in September.

why?

i asked myself that the other day, as i was going for a run. 

i was tired, cold, sore.

and my plan is to run farther and farther.

work on my endurance.

as one step of training.

people watch the videos of it..

look at pictures of events.

and the question i see in their eyes is WHY?

http://toughmudder.com/event-photos/miami-2013-event-photos/

when i first heard about it it sounded so cool.

challenging but as a team event something that really interested me.

scared the crap out of me.

excited me.

i watched videos.

told dan about it.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ToughMudder

then one day dan asked if we were still going to do it.

i felt like my voice quaked as i said "yeah, i'd like to do it."

he was all for it.

that in itself excited me.

we have a team forming.

my friend - who first asked me to do it - knows most of the people.

so.  

why?

1. it excites me: 

i watch the videos and look at the pictures and i get excited thinking about being able to actually do it.  

to actually get out there and try it.  

2. it scares me.  

i watch the videos and look at the pictures and i get completely freaked out, sometimes a little nauseous, about being a part of it.

*i know, to most people, that's not a reason...but it is to me*

3. it is an encouragement and reason to get in shape.

 to get this body fit.  

i had better be working on it - i am signed up.  

i am doing it.

4.  to encourage and be encouraged.

  Dan is my encouragement.  

he is excited about it.

  he gets me excited.

  i want to be a part of our team and be the encourager and in turn know i will also receive the encouragement from them as i struggle or am afraid.  

be a part of a team.

5.  to be challenged.  

i always shy away when something is a challenge.  

but the times i step out and push through the challenge i feel a confidence. 

an adrenaline rush.  

proud of myself.  

i don't do it as much as i would like to.  

so i'm doing it.

6.  to be a part of a pretty crazy event.  

i can say I'm a tough mudder.  

whether or not i complete all the obstacles 

(i'm realistic - i've got a lot of work to do to be 100% able to do some of the obstacles)

..i still did it.

7.  to rely on God.  

when i face a challenge, something i struggle with - fear, exhaustion, pain.. i turn to God.  

when i'm on a rock face, struggling to get up it.. i lean against the rock and cry out to God for help.  help me conquer my fear. 

 help me stop crying.  

help me calm enough to finish this challenge.  

help me, i'm freaking out.  

8.  to do this with friends.  

9.  to, hopefully, be 'Jesus' to my team.  

to be love, patience, encouragement.  

a shoulder, hand, arm, back.  a smile.  

a "c'mon, get off your butt, let's go' when needed.  

and not just my team.. to the others on the course with us. 

to assist when others are struggling.  

to be real.

10.  why not?

ten reasons.  

what?

the God stuff and Jesus stuff weren't the primary reason?  

no it wasn't my first reasons.  

it wasn't as until i really thought about what i wanted to accomplish that they appeared..  

they are for sure my reasons.  and solid reasons.

i'm doing this event and i'm going to give it my all, because i should be doing everything i do for God and i plan on doing my best for Him.  whether or not it's preaching the gospel or running an insane obstacle course.

so when you watch the videos and look at the pictures, you now know WHY.

me, a hater of running, unless it's in a game.

me, a mother of 2.

me, afraid of heights.

me, who would rather watch and live vicariously through someone else.

those are 4 other reasons.

i love The Piano Guys.

i feel like i need to post something.. 

but to be honest i don't feel like writing much today.

this song is one of my kids' favorite songs.  

this was how they learned about Star Wars.

Elijah has now seen Star Wars: A New Hope, and wants to watch the next one.

he now knows that Darth Vader does not play the  accordion.

haha.

thankful

Hi Blog.

to be honest, i had forgotten about you.

we were sick.

then away and sick.

now back and not so sick.

and today i remembered you.

so.  

what's new?

i went to church last weekend with my mom.

the worship leader asked a question that has stuck in my head since she said it.

"if you were to wake up tomorrow morning with only the things you had been thankful for today, 

what would you have?"

i thought about that.

i had thanked God for my kids that morning, 

i immediately thanked Him for my husband, and my family.

but over the last few days i've been thinking about specifics.

i am thankful that we're only fighting colds. 

i'm thankful that we're not fighting anything debilitating, or life threatening.

i'm thankful my dad is cancer free.

i'm thankful that i have a husband that loves me, and that he's alive and well.

i'm thankful that i have my sight.

my hearing.

my kids and husband have those too.

i'm thankful for the roof over our heads.

our home.

for the furniture God has blessed our home with.

the food in our cupboards.

i'm thankful for the land we live on, the trees in our yard.

thankful for our dog and cat.

thankful for the job my husband has, that supports our home so i can be here with the kids.

i'm thankful for my friend Theresa who has been with me through many years, and we are able to raise our kids together.

i'm thankful for the sunshine.

i'm thankful for the different seasons we are blessed to enjoy, and complain about.

i'm thankful for my childrens' smiles and joy of life.

i'm thankful for my memories.

for my salvation, through Christ.

to name a few.

what are you thankful this day?

if you were to wake up with only what you had been thankful for today...

what would you have?

beauty

I have a beautiful little girl.

when i say beautiful, 

she truly is.

she loves others. 

she is excited about life.

she loves to help people. 

she is sad when people are sad.

she loves to laugh.

she is creative.

she is a dreamer.

she is shy.

she gives awesome hugs.

she loves kisses...

and tickles.

she loves to learn.

she adores her big brother.

she adores her daddy.

she wants to be as big as mommy one day.

she loves pink..

and purple...

unicorns...

doggies...

her best friend is her lammie.

she knows Jesus loves her.

she knows God can hear her when she asks him stuff.

her eyes are a gorgeous blue.

large, 

expressive.

her button nose is adorable.

her smile is contagious.

i have a beautiful daughter.

when she cries, her tears fill her blue eyes..and make you feel like crying too.

yesterday those eyes, were sad.

i wanted to hug her and never let her go.

yesterday we brushed her tangled hair and i put in two small pigtails.

i love her hair in pigtails.

she felt them and asked me to take them out.

"why" i asked.  definitely not expecting the response.

"because people will laugh at me."

*stunned*

"oh, honey, no one will laugh at you, they'll love them."

she just shook her head.

"you're so beautiful."

i looked into her eyes.

she averted her eyes, now full of sadness.

"I'm not beautiful."

*gasp*

she's not even 4 yet.

i was floored.

for someone who has struggled with my own self doubts, i wanted to smother this beautiful girl with so much love and reassurance.

all i could do was bring her to my lap, 

hug her.

"do you know why i know you're beautiful?"

she shook her head.

"because God made you.  He decided that me and daddy needed a beautiful little girl to love, so he gave us you.  when God does something he does exactly what he says.  He made you beautiful."

oh my little girl.

my prayer for you is that you have a strength and confidence in the beauty that God has made you.  

may your beautiful character shine out.

may you believe that the Jesus you love, and have in your heart, made you beautiful.

i know you are.

please don't ever doubt it yourself.

*some may say - oh, don't worry about it, she doesn't know what she's saying.  to you i say you're an idiot.  

my daughter knows what is beautiful, i hear her tell me things are all the time.  she knows beauty.    

don't ever think a child doesn't know.  if your daughter says shes not beautiful, it crushes you, at any age.  

build your daughters up to know that beauty is not just in the physical appearance, but that it comes from within. 

likewise raise your boys to understand true beauty and praise it in the girls in his life*

the blue marble

So, yesterday in my morning Bible time i read Psalm 19.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge.

3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavillion,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other,

nothing is hidden from its heat.

it got me thinking about being surrounded on a canoe trip by the trees, the sky, the water, rocks..the things that i look at and remember the Creator of it all.  

And God said, 

"Let there be light (day)...

Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water (sky)...

Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place (seas) and let dry ground appear (land)...

Let the land produce vegetation (trees & plants)...

Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night (sun & moon)...

Let the waters teem with living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky...

Let the land produce living creatures according to it's kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals...

Let us make man in our image..."

taken from Genesis 1

Last night Psalm 19 was mentioned at our Bible study.

and we also discussed about the universe, how expanse it is.  

the smallest caterpillar, how intricate it is.

The Lord God made them both.

we do not even know how vast the universe is, but what we do know about it is unfathomable.

God made it.

this is the God i pray to.

do i truly think about who He is when i sit to pray?

"let there be"

he spoke the world..the known universe..and the still unknown.. into existence.

this morning i woke and sat to do my Bible time.  

when i started to pray i paused to think about the God i was going to be speaking with.

to get my focus right.

i was speechless.

space is vast.

but what astounded me even more is that i began to think about Earth.

now.

stop for a moment and truly think about the size of your world.

the daily world you live in.

now begin to put it into proportion to the rest of the country you live in.

now include the rest of the world.

yeah.

crazy, massive.

truly pause and think about how BIG this blue and green marble is that we are living on.

*don't even think about the fact that it's floating in space - and is not even the biggest planet out there*

did you pause?

did you close your eyes and try to fit yourself into the picture of the Earth.

not the earth that fits into an atlas.

the earth we actually live on.

the earth that the astronauts watch shrink as they fly away from it.

now think about the God that made that.

He is AMAZING!!

AWE-INSPIRING!!

INDESCRIBABLE!!

that is the God i have the blessing and honor of approaching with my prayers, praises, pleas.

wow.

http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/79000/79787/city_lights_namerica_720.jpg

kindergarten (registration)

i have 2 kids. 

i have a boy.

i have a girl.

i registered my boy for kindergarten in April 2011 (see post here)

what an adventure that first year was.

this past wednesday i registered my baby girl for junior kindergarten.

wow.

she's my baby girl.

she was my baby girl.

she always corrects me and tells me she's not a baby anymore.  

she's a big girl now.

she is a big girl, 

but no matter how old she gets, how big she gets, she is my baby girl.

i don't and won't treat her like a baby obviously.

but she's my baby.

and i adore her.

she is so excited about going to school.

on the bus.

into her class.

having Mrs. M as a teacher.

i sure hope she has mrs. m as a teacher.

it's so much easier to register the second one.

i waited until april last time because i was debating.

this time registration opened up and i got the forms the first day.

i brought them on wednesday and my little one was expecting to be able to stay for her class already.

oh no.

not yet.

please not yet.

i'm sure it will be a difficult day the first time i watch both my kids get on that school bus.

i'm already feeling that sadness in my gut as i write it.

my boy keeps telling her he will take care of her on the bus and help her learn the rules.

he has also told her that he won't be able to help her in her class, because he'll be in his.

i love listening to him play the big brother.

he truly is a great big brother.

i am not planning on sending her every day.

although she keeps telling me she is going every day.

i'm planning on sending her 3 days a week.

and we'll see how  i  we she does with that.

wow.

my baby girl will be 4 in March.

she will be in junior kindergarten in September.

i'm not ready yet.

maybe i'll be ready by September.

Snow day 2

yesterday was a snow day for elijah.

we were sitting at the table, eating breakfast.

big flakes of snow falling outside.

when the phone rang.

it was dan asking if i had the radio on.

i did...

volume was turned low as i was reading a book during breakfast.

the school buses were cancelled.

good to know.

school was open if i wanted to drive my boy in.

he wanted to go..then he didn't want to go.

he stayed home.

my friend drove her oldest to school and then came over with her other 2.

we had a day long playdate.

Lego, transformers, cars, playing in the snow, playing at the igloo, sledding.

it was a full day.

the roads were bad.

but the weather was great.

today they were calling for freezing rain.

woke up to school buses being cancelled.

day 2.

today i'm sitting here with a head full of snot.

a pulsating of the forehead.

i'm sore.

i'm tired, from waking up in the night.

my throat hurts when i cough, which is better than last night, when it just plain hurt.

i was thankful for the cancellation of buses.

i didn't have to get anyone ready for anything today.

i'm watching my friend's youngest today.

he and my two are playing in the livingroom as i sit here typing and enjoying sips of my hot tea 

(in my new mug - gift from Aunt Deb - thanks, i love it!)

tomorrow will be a school day.

the temperature should be above 0. (*C)

but guess what...

thursday...

PA Day.

yep.  i'll have the kids both here again on Thursday.

then friday school day.

so my son has the best week since school went back this year..

a 2 day school week!

i don't mind.  i'm home.

buses better not be cancelled tomorrow, that's all i'm sayin'!

mommy...why?

i woke this morning.

tired.

but still got up to journal and read Psalm 10.

the verse that stuck out to me this morning was:

v17

You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted, 

you encourage them, and you hear their cry,

v18

defending the fatherless and the oppressed, 

in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no  more.

i felt good about the day ahead.

i said bye to dan.

i came down and woke my boy up.  

he couldn't find Piggie so i climbed up onto his loft bed and we looked for him.

didn't find him.

we came down and found him where he was hidden for hide n' seek the previous night.

headed to the table for breakfast.

honey nut cheerios.

my girl woke up and came out wiping her eyes.

big hugs from her.

we have to look for God (her lamb) later - she's probably wherever she had been hiding last night too.

breakfast.

laughter.

chatter.

munching of cereal.

then it was time to finish getting ready.

slowly.

the day was still good.  

then...

 we went down to get snowpants on.

i started to expect elijah to know what i was thinking.

and getting frustrated.

yes we were later getting outdoor stuff on, than usual, but not extremely late.

he wanted to keep 2 balloons that had deflated.

i told him they were going in the garbage.

he started crying.

i got angrier

more frustrated.

he had stopped getting snowpants on.

i was ready to go out.

kota was ready to go out.

(she didn't put snowpants on this morning) 

i was looking out the basement door.

annoyed.

'stupid deflated balloons..i should just take them and toss them now.'

were my thoughts.

then...

"mommy, why are you so angry with me?"

standing in the middle of the basement, 

snowpants on, 

neck warmer around his neck,

deflated balloons in his hands, 

sad eyes, 

pouting mouth, 

genuine question asked with a saddened voice.

one that had been filled with laughter when we were upstairs.

i went to him, 

he looked down.

his whole body sagged with sadness.

i helped him with his coat in silence, 

my mind shouting at me, 

'this is your boy, your 5 year old boy, he loves everything around him, these balloons are special to him, why were you getting so mad?  so what if he doesn't throw them out right away.'

i lifted his chin and looked into his sad blue eyes.

"i'm sorry.

i wasn't mad at you.

i was getting frustrated when i shouldn't have been.

you didn't do anything wrong.

you were just being a 5 year old boy.

you were being a kid.

i love you being a kid, but i wasn't letting you.

a kid finds excitement in life, in the things around him, and learning about it all"

he continued to look at me.

"i shouldn't have gotten mad at you.

that doesn't make anyone happy.

it makes you sad,

me sad,"

he continued.." kota sad, daddy sad, jack and clive sad..."

i finished, "God sad.  He wants me to have patience, 

but i didn't have any anymore did i?

thank you for reminding me how to be a kid."

after a great big hug, 

and kissing his nose

he goes...

"mommy, how about when i get home i will hug my balloons and then i'll throw them in the garbage."

how i love this boy.

what felt like it could have been a 'feel-like-a-failure-as-a-mother' morning was turned around by his one, little, sincere question.

sometimes i feel like all high and mighty..

'oh, i did devotions this morning, 

everything is going to go so smoothly now.'

so.

not.

true.

but the days when i do spend time in the Word...

i do find that i can see where God wants to work on or through me a little clearer.

and, although, still not easy peasy - 

but definitely not hopeless.

learning to read

got the sight word evaluation yesterday.

When he was reading the checked ones to me he pointed at the top middle word.

it wasn't checked.

"mommy, i know the word AND, i just didn't say it."

so i checked it.

this morning i was reading that school is actually on..

no strike..

i told him school was open but he could stay home anyway.

he then says..

"but no buses this morning."

"yes" i say, "How did you know that?"

i saw the word.

so he read BUSES too.

crazy kid.

he is expected to know all the listed words by the end of SK.

i'm just a proud mommy sharing my child's accomplishment.

2013 plans.

Tough Mudder.

i was first told of it last year.

my friend asked if dan and i would do it with her.

we were going to put a team together.

well, the plan is to do it this September.

registration for the September event isn't open just yet,

but it will be soon...

and then, commitment is made.

will we have a team?

i sure hope so.

i hope that all of us who say we want to do it.

will do it..

can do it..

it's not a race.

it's an accomplishment.

it's a team event.

(at least for most people that do it- some do it solo)

it's about completion..

it looks crazy.

it looks scary at times.

it looks AH.MAZ.ING

i'm running and bouldering a few times a week to begin training for it.

this is our 2013 plan.

i need to do this..

i want to do this.

in June i'm planning to do a 10km run.

that's goal #1

of course the sept. Terry Fox Run goal #2

and goal #3...

Tough Mudder.

2012 Toronto event video see here 

GAH!!!

try not to think that far ahead yet - let's do one month at a time.

that's me...a tough mudder!

Il Divo - Amazing Grace

i have posted this song in a different rendition before.

I sing this song...not this well, or this dramatically.. to my kids quite often when they are having a hard time falling asleep.  

when they're scared. 

when they just want to cuddle.

i have hummed this to them since they were babies.

i sang this when i was pregnant with each of them.

Last night i sang this to my little girl, with tears in my eyes.

she asked me to sing it, as she does most nights.

what made it extra special last night?

my boy asked Jesus into his heart at lunch yesterday.

then.

at supper my little girl wanted Jesus in her heart so she prayed with her daddy.

i sang this to her at bedtime.

my dad sent me this video this morning.

i wanted to share it with you.

may you know God's Amazing Grace.

(my boy is excited that he'll get to see his great grandpa in heaven one day.  

but not yet little one...not yet)

2012 in review

at the end of 2011...beginning of 2012  this is what was going on: see here

2012 in review

January: 

went to my parent's for Christmas and my dad started with radiation and chemo treatments.

elijah headed back to school and began enjoying it.

saw Mary Poppins on stage!

February:

dan and i spent valentines eve crazy carpeting around town.

March:

our little girl has a 'dog party' for her 3rd birthday.  thankfully the weather was nice and we were able to be outside.  

our boy makes a best friend at school

my dad is done chemo and radiation

April:

my parents come up for Easter.  

dan's aunt and uncle come to h'ville for a visit.  so good to see them.

May:

jack comes for a visit.  lots of fun as the kids get to know their cousin.

family road trip down to North Carolina for dan's cousin's wedding.  

my dad is cleared of cancer

June:

back home from NC

school ends, with a little boy having fond memories of school.

dan turns 32.

July:

kids have 5 nights at papa & grammas while elijah's loft bed is created

i turn 37.

our boy has his first friends birthday party...space theme.

August:

our boy turns 5

ride the Ontario Northland, down to Toronto, for the long weekend...kids first train trip.

another 4 nights (for the kids) at papa and gramma's after a day at the African Lion Safari.

September:

our boy heads back to school excited for the new year.  while his little sister longs for the day she gets to go.

we run the Terry Fox Run, with a cancer free papa.  

dan and i to Cirque du Soleil

October:

our first experience with lice.

Thanksgiving

halloween - kota a lion, elijah a power ranger

November:

go to elijah's class observation...so thoroughly encouraged.

remembrance day.  we attended the service at the legion and parade.

american thanksgiving 

December:

the world didn't end.. silly Mayans

my first dec. in a few years that i don't have a play i'm practicing for.  

we have my parents up for Christmas.  

over to dan's parents on Christmas day to visit with his aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandma.

friends over to sled on new years eve.

skype with dan's sister and kids, gpa and gma..

and then skype with papa and gramma  at 10pm.

Happy New Year.

*2013*

i plan to focus more on my family. less on the computer.

* my kids are only young once.

'kota starts school in sept.  

they won't be little for much longer, 

and i plan to enjoy this stage as much as i can.

* my husband is my best friend.

we are together for life.

i plan to enjoy life with him.  

when the kids are grown and moved out, i'll still have dan.

i want to still have things to talk about, things to laugh at... i want him to still be my best friend.

* i also plan to train to do Tough Mudder in September.