The Setting of 2010...

Here are some pictures I captured of the last sunset for 2010!







What a gorgeous day we were blessed with to close off a year that has showed us SO much!!

2010 was a year filled with growth...

finishing off a job that took me 100% out of my comfort zone, but taught me I had nothing to be afraid of...

surviving a 6 month drought with Jim's work that found us seeking the Face of the Only One who knows our future...

enjoying the work that comes along with a "fixer-upper" home such as ours...

seeing the progress in a job well-done!!

getting to spend our first summer in our new home!

taking the huge step out of a paid job to stay home with the girls...

and with that step, picking up the extra job of "homeschooling"

witnessing, first-hand, the joys of our steps of faith...we've never once regretted our decision to homeschool! what a freeing, bonding, growing, relaxing, fulfilling, encouraging job i have...not that it doesn't have it's challenges...there ARE certainly moments through days where I wish (and so do the girls) that we had some space, but that only teaches us more about how we work together as a family and how we deal with trying circumstances!

finally getting our heads above water with Jim getting his job back, only for us to find ourselves back in the same boat now for over 2 months! But we know God is faithful...and He has a pleasing plan for our future!! We now see this as a period of time in which we are to grow closer to Him and to each other, and we look forward to the day when His plans for us will be shown!

All in all an incredible year! One that I entered into having chosen to SAVOUR...and one that has certainly taught me to do so!!

Now...stay tuned for my words for 2011!!

Have a blessed and happy New Year celebration!!

Christmas 2010

well now, THAT was fun!!!

here's a picture-walk through our holidays...i hope yours too were enjoyable, and filled with laughter and love!!

Christmas Eve



Karys ~ 5 yrs

Avery ~ 3 yrs


And the stockings were hung...finally!!
(if you're not friends with me on Facebook, you wouldn't know that these things have been talked about getting done for a WHILE now!!)


Jim's parents decided to come and spend the holidays with us, which is an added bonus ~ having all of both families right here!!


It's Jim's family tradition to open all the presents on Christmas Eve, but mine to open them on Christmas morning. SO the compromise we've worked out is: the kids get all his family's presents of Christmas Eve, and my side on Christmas morning...it kind of breaks things up a bit so as to attempt to avoid being completely overwhelmed!


SCOOTERS!!!!!!

Unfortunately i didn't snag a picture of the girls with my Mum, but my lil sis did...so, i guess i'm waiting on her!


~Christmas Morning~

Stockings...

Chapter books!!


a TAD too early for Dado!!

I am quickly realizing that as I found myself completely caught up in the hubbub of it all, i failed to capture many moments of the day on camera :( but here they are setting up one of the several "big toys" the girls got this year...which entailed a LOT of snapping and screwing and batteries - most of which we were completely unprepared for!!

They LOVE "tooling" with Dado!! and now they "can"!!

SO...from here on out you'll simply have to imagine: for brunch we enjoyed a delicious meal of waffles with whip cream, strawberry sauce and bacon...and for dinner, we had a traditional feast of turkey with all the fixings!!

Another year has come and gone...Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year. So much anticipation and excitement building up to a frenzy of food, family and gifts.

We are blessed...and now look forward to the dawning of a New Year and all that comes with that!

::Merry Christmas...::

...to you and yours!! And a very blessed 2011!!

love, US xoxo

::Sissy is Five!!::

okay, to be honest, this on snuck up on me! i mean, i KNOW, i have been teaching this girl Kindergarten for the past 4 months...but FIVE?!?! Already?!?!

i'm still in a bit of disbelief, but we DID enjoy Karys' day...fully!

it all started the week before the girls' birthdays when we headed into town for, what the girls thought, a trip to Costco!

and although we DID fit in a much-needed visit to the big-box-suck-your-bank-account-dry-store...our main intent for the trip across the water was....

Stanley Park's Bright Nights...with our favourite girls!! Unfortunately, we failed to snag a picture of all five girls...but fun was had by all! An event most certainly needed to be repeated next year!!

it was crisp and cool, a perfect addition to a wonderful Christmas event...and a great way for us to celebrate their birthdays...doing something simply... enjoyable!!

so, once their actual birthdays rolled around, it was nice to be able to just focus on the day and what we were going to together to make the entire day enjoyable and dedicated to the girl at hand:) (in case you're not aware, our girls birthdays are 5 days apart, and then our anniversary falls 9 days after that, so this is an expensive, blessed month, to say the least:))

Karys birthday comes second, but certainly not the least!! she has come to the age where she can remember the traditions we do for birthdays, and get excited with anticipation about what's to come!!

so...here she is, with her birthday pancake...and early presents from Gram


and later that day, we had set up a surprise for her!!!


4cats just opened a new studio here in the local mall, and i could not be more excited!! I thought it was a perfect way to allow Karys some alone, big-girl time on her special day! so i signed her up for a 2.5 hr course and we told her right before!! she was so excited!! and had a great time!!

Later that day, we had some family over for cake and presents...and Karys liked nothing more that to have undivided attention!!


the shirts suits her perfectly...and she LOVES her new game!!

all in all, it was a great day celebrating my first baby...turning five!!

here's my baby, 5 days after her little sister was born!!

so cute!!

mummy loves you Sissy, i love seeing you become such a little lady, a better sister each day...and such a big helper to me!!

::beanie is three::

so, the birthday girl's morning started as all birthday mornings do in our home...with a birthday pancake, or two:)

in this collage we have the birthday girl patiently waiting for her #3 pancake to cook, posing for Muma in her birthday "outfit" - chosen and put on my the big girl, herself! And, an excited face ready to eat a yummy pancake!

(remember to click on the picture to get a bigger image)

the rest of the day was dedicated to Beanie...she chose what we did, she chose what we ate (to a certainly extent!) and she chose her guests for her special birthday dinner! Funny to think her favourite people are all 10x her age...or more!! So, we had the requested "noodles" for dinner...was that at ALL a surprise?! nope...

and here she is tearing into her presents and munching out on some birthday cake!!

all in all, it was a great day celebrating our baby...

what a different a couple years makes!!!

baby girl, mummy loves you and looks forward to celebrating many, MANY more days dedicated to YOU!!

::no fail...super simple::

Play-dough!!

wanna know how to make it??

Check it out here at my simply homemade site:)

::dance, dance, dance::

yes, the birthday posts are coming...i have the pictures uploaded and just need to do the posts:)

but lookie what we've got heeeere!!!

last week we had the privileged of sitting in on our girls' dance classes (3) to see what they've been learning this term!!

avery, i believe, is the youngest in her class, and has had quite a difficult time letting me go...but she has stayed a few times and certainly enjoys the class when she does decide to let go of her inhibitions.

all the little "ballerinas" in her class are SO.CUTE!! and...SO.TINY!! so, it's extra special to see them....




Karys is in her second year of ballet, and is a natural!! She LOVES her class, and LOVES her teacher! (which i was happy for, because it's a new teacher this year)



she is also in her first year of a combined class of tap and modern dance...this one was SUPER fun for us to watch as we had NO idea what she did in this class...or how she was doing!


she likes this class too...but maintains that ballet is her FAVOURITE!!

we love our girls...and love getting to be a part of what they love!!

::my baby::

i know it's a day late...but who's counting! I mean i am, because i can NOT believe that Avery's three already!!!

so here's to my baby...Bean.

the sunshine of my life

SO smiley and eager!

willing and hard working

c.u.t.e!

sensitive

and cautious

but willing to try!

LOVER of food!

and her Sissy

always ready to get a laugh


my beautiful baby girl!

You have grown in leaps and bounds in this past year...and you're still a baby in my mind!! I love everything about you...your huge heart and short temper! Your love for life and sleep:)

Mummy hopes to raise you to be the best you can be! Confident, kind, loving, patient, big dreamer...And love every minute you are given!! Love you, my baby...

::super speedy thin crust goodness::

go on over to my simply homemade site and check it out!!

sooo gooood!!

:: refreshing truth::

so...I've written about this devotional we've been going thru several times now...maybe I'll try and find the links...maybe not... (one here, and i can't find the other one)

but I gotta write this while I have a moment...

so yesterday, before I even rolled out of bed, I was laying there, praying. That I would be the Mum the girls need, that I would portray some of the patience my heavenly Father bestows on me, that I would find the time to let them know how much I love them and just that the Holy Spirit would be present with us throughout the day...

and then we went for a drive...our Saturday ritual done on a Thursday...why not?!

i pulled out the devotional and opened it to this text...the words breathed refreshing truth into my heart, spoke right to my soul and cause tears to fall...

it's SO awesome when stuff like that happens, especially after I'd prayed for the Spirit to be present with us...

so, here's a section of the reading that will hopefully be some refreshing truth to you today:

One winter night evening, I drove up to the house, and there wasn't a single light on. At first I thought there must have been a power outage or something, but our neighbors' homes were lit up.

I walked into an empty house. Lisa and the kids had visited some friends and were stuck in traffic. The silence of my greeting felt overwhelming. The house, dark and empty, looked like a completely different place. I did something I never thought I'd do. I turned most of the lights on to welcome Lisa and the kids home.

That incident became one of those "lightning" moments when God impresses a truth on your heart, when the mundane becomes prophetic and time stops long enough for a profound thought to slip through. I couldn't articulate the thought, but I realized that every blessing comes with a burden.

If God were to take my wife and children home, I'd have a much smaller electric bill - and a hole in the heart the size of Texas.

I soon realized that in just about every complaint lies the foundation of thanksgiving....The fact that you're so busy assumes that you have a job. The fact that there's a load of laundry means someone is alive to get it dirty....

It really comes down to how we choose to look at it. God could remove the burden - but if he did, he'd also take away the blessing....

This week, whenever you feel tempted to complain because your kids are being kids - making messes, not replacing the toilet, leaving lights on, messing up your car - ask God to remind you of the blessing behind the burden. Ask him to help you remember that a clean house, a smaller bill, and a spotless car aren't nearly as fulfilling as a relationship of love. ~Gary Thomas

::'tis the season::

for warm, chocolaty goodness...

check out how to make some...over HERE!!

do it....you know you waaaant to!

:: creamy potato leek soup::

wanna know how to make it???

Check out my Simply Homemade blog!!

::currency::

there's two

in this world

one that controls many lives

and one that life is controlled by

one that people strive to gain

and one that often slips away without so much as a glance

one that causes people to make pretty silly, hasty decisions

and one that, when all gone, people grieve not savouring

money

or time

when you have the money

you don't have the time

and when you have the time,

you, more often than not,

don't have the money

but what would you rather?

when THIS time is done...

it's gone, for good.

never again to be obtained,

no matter how hard one works.

at this moment...

i am living life with a currency

that can never make me wealthy

but what a rich, rich life i lead.

**********

***********
what currency are you living for??

:: IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE!! ::

and by IT, i mean DECEMBER!!!!!!

can you sense my enthusiasm??

*******
perhaps you don't share the same extent of excitement as me?!

that all may possibly be due to the fact

that your children weren't all born

in December?!

or maybe you don't absolutely LOVE Christmas

the way we do here?!

OR...maybe...you didn't choose to also

get married in December?!

***********

Needless to say...

We (heart) December...big!!

And, there's nothing more refreshing than

tearing off last month,

(with all of it's obligations,

written in pen,

and crossed out when done)

and looking forward to

this new month

and all the blessings it holds.

all the memories we will make

with birthdays, anniversaries,

the trimming of trees,

the crafting of all things

yummy and cute,

and remembering the birth of our Saviour.

Happy December!

::can you hear me?::

...i mean amidst all things loud
and busy about my new backdrop??

if you read me thru "reader"
or something of the like,
please click into the site
to take a quick peak
of my new digs...
and tell me if it's too...??

pretty please :)

*freedom*

there's a lot of depth to that word....

there's a lot of limitations too...if you've trained yourself
to box in the word
as it pertains to you...and your life

i know that i have had MANY walls built up
surrounding that word
as it related to almost every aspect of my life

and I can honestly say, now, that most of those walls,
thank the Lord,
have been torn down

but the issue i am having now,
in all honesty,
is embracing this freedom,
being 100% fine with it,
and viewing how it's effect on my life
changes everything

because when you live in your own restricted freedom
for SO long
it's hard to retrain your mind

but i do it,
because i deserve it,
because Jim deserves it,
because my babies deserve it

Where the Spirit of the Lord is...there is freedom! ~2 Corinthians 3:17

so...as I am hit with these truths I am learning to embrace them,
to share them with people
and, hopefully, with you
but my struggle is making the time
and finding the words

the Truth is being spoken to me daily,
His word is breathing new life into me,
His Spirit wants nothing more than for me to KNOW this FREEDOM
but he enemy wants nothing more
than for me to shrink back
into that stilted, self-defined definition of the word
"Freedom as it pertains to you, Christina"

I will write on here more,
it is therapeutic to me,
and hopefully, if nothing more,
keeps you updated to my current "goings-on"

this Truth was brewing in my gut tonight,
and the old me didn't think it was worth mentioning
but I know better
because I now know the truth and
the truth shall set ME free ~John 8:32

freedom...
there's a lot of depth to that word
and my guts are still brewing
with more "stuff" that's on my mind

that'll wait for another day...
hopefully soon


~blessings

i AM here

and life is INCREDIBLE

a LOT of "unknown"

a LOT of trusting

some HUGE steps of faith

i am still here

i still want to be writing posts

uploading pics of our incredibly blessed life

but i am really trying to figure out HOW

HOW i want this to be presented

HOW i hope this to be interpreted

SO....until i figure that out

i hope you'll stay tuned



~be blessed

sitting here today...trying to think about all the this that need to get done...

but all i can think about is this and #2 on this love list

yup...it's that time of year again, for me. and one would think that if the in-between times are "easier," then THE DAY may get easier??

so far....not that case:(

but, it gives me cause to reflect, remember, and attempt to bring his personality and character across to my girls...

off i go to savour this day...

well, as the days and weeks pass by, i am still 110% confident that we've made the best decision to homeschool our girls!

no...it's not easy

yes...sometimes i wish that we all had a 6 hour break from one another

no...we do NOT "do school" every day for 6 hours

yes...i ultimately love the time that we are getting as a family to work and be together.

here are a few pictures of 'school' in the past while:

our week focusing on the letter "c"

Cuties

Colours

Cookie Cutters

Creations

more fun with our discovery toys "busy farm"

colouring our little "fall is..." reader

Thanksgiving Turkey and her creation;p

my very creative Beanie...yes, that IS a "turkey"

so, there you have it. it's all i got right now...basically my life in a nut-shell - crafts and kids!
and I wouldn't change it...for anything!