Another Prayer Answered???

John's father underwent a major surgery today.  7 hours long.  The doctors were not optimistic about his chances. 

But I'm happy to say that the surgery went VERY well.  The doctor's are pleased with how it went.  They believe that they got every bit of cancer!!! He still has to undergo radiation.  And there is always the fear of infection with such a major surgery (lymph nodes and all).   So your prayers are still needed please!!!  I will keep you all updated as to his progress.

But we are feeling optimistic for the first time in a long time!!!!!  Thank you Lord!!

Homespun Gifts for Luke's Stocking

As the Christmas and Advent season unfolds around us, we are busily getting ready for all of the events and traditions that the season brings. 

I believe I have written in the past (too lazy to look through the archives right now) about how John and I are committed to trying to stay away from the commercial aspects of Christmas as much as possible.  It is almost impossible to avoid all of the marketing and consumerism of the season, however we try hard to do what we can.   Take stocking stuffers for example....

I tend to make and buy little necessities as stocking stuffers.... partly because Luke is still at an age where he gets a thrill out of a fun new toothbrush and undies with his favorite characters (the only places where I will cave on my anti-marketing stance!! LOL!!).. it is my hope that he continues to appreciate the small stuff... and maybe its wishful thinking on my part, but I hope that if I continue this tradition while he still is young enough to get a kick out of it; then perhaps when he's older it will be the tradition of it that is comforting to him.

I also tend to be a worrywart about finances and i'm always paranoid about making sure I never raise the bar on expectations surrounding birthdays, Christmas, etc... who knows - there may come a year when we will face financial hardships... and its those years, that I would love for the traditions we've started to be a source of comfort for us....

But I'm not a complete scrooge!! LOL!! I try and give one stocking stuffer that is not a necessity... I'm thinking that I'd like to start Luke eventually on a collection of Adventures in Odyssey cd's.... for now, I might try and find age appropriate stories on CD at Salem's.

So Luke's stocking stuffers this year will probably be:

- new fun toothbrush and new tube of toothpaste

- new undies

- his own badger lipbalm - as he's always using mine!

- homemade facecloth and some organic bubble bath or body wash.

I made this facecloth from Cottontots - if you look closely, you'll see a frog!

- some kind of sweet - maybe a square of homemade fudge or my skor bars??

- A homemade bookbag for AWANA night and for trips to the library

I made the one below using transfer paper and my printer!

- new notebook/journal with colored pencils and some stickers tucked inside

- a homemade wallet

- a cd of some sort

-  a Fontanini navity piece for the collection I've started him on.

I have a Fontanini nativity too and I try and add on a piece every year or so too!

- And finally, what stuffed stocking is complete without a clementine in the toe?!! LOL!

This Week's Blessings!

*  A letter written and mailed off to Santa!

*  An evening spent making Gingerbread men cookies!

*  Chuckle Club this morning!

*  A sweet email from a sweet friend telling me she was thinking of me

*  Another batch of freezer meals put away in the freezer

*  An idea for a family night from DADDY!!! We'll be stringing popcorn and cranberries!

The Kid's Got Imagination....

So y'all know how much Luke adores Dinosaurs... in fact for the past couple of months,  he's been telling anyone who will listen, that he's a baby Triceratops.  Yep - apparently he's no longer a boy - but a dinosaur.

Yesterday at the dinner table, he announced that he would not eat his fish because he was a herbivore - but could I "please pass the cucumbers"?  And something we did not know (but he enlightened us), was that herbivores ARE able to eat chocolate cookies! Who knew?!

Today, while I was puttering in the kitchen I spied a little sprite of a boy dressed in his "Dino-jammies" (because today was a recuperating, jammy kind of a day) inching his way toward the fruit bowl.  Unaware that I was watching him from the corner of my eye, he nabbed two clementines and then hightailed it to the living room.  Then.... silence.

I walked into the living room to see Luke squatting in the middle of the floor... with the tangerines underneath him.   Before I could even find my voice (!!!!), he explained himself.. these were his dinosaur eggs, and he needed to keep them warm in the nest!!

Nah... he's doesn't have any kind of imagination or anything.....

Today's Blessings!

*  Often times when Daddy asks Luke what he learned today - Luke will just shrug and say he doesn't know.  However today he was MOST excited to tell Daddy that he learned all about the word "species".  A word he heard on his new fave show "The Dinosaur Train".  He asked me about it and we had a little discussion early this morning.  Was so sweet that at the end of the day, he actually remembered!!

*  My freezer is now the proud home for an assortment of amazingly delicious cookies and squares!! Thanks to the cookie exchange hosted tonight by a dear friend!  Now the real task will be to keep them for the holiday season!

*  Luke has his voice back!  We've all been sick with colds - just seems we're hit with one virus after the other.  I'm hoping that this means we'll be fit as a fiddle come Christmas!  In any case, Luke came down with croup and then lost  his voice, much to his amazement.  But it made a reappearance today!

*  And finally, my husband has been such a blessing to me these past few days.  He always is - but especially so recently, since Luke and I have been sick. Last night he set up the living room for us - built a cozy fire in the fireplace, blew up the big portable bed and covered it with pillows and blankets.  Then we all piled on to watch a family movie.  He also let me sleep in this morning and took the night shift with Luke - who has been waking every few hours since he's been sick.   Thank you dear hubby - you take such good care of us!

I love you for it!!

Blessings!

*  I got to finally visit with a dear friend who just recently gave birth to twins!  Babies AND Momma are looking GREAT!!

*  I had the women from my bible study over this evening in order to start a new bible study.  We've been meeting and fellowshipping for the past 5 years.  We have been there for each other, prayed over each other and supported each other through sooooo much over the last 5 years.  It felt really nice to be meeting up with them again.  They have been a true blessing to me over the years.

*  This morning, Luke and I spent a fun morning at the park with a new friend!

First on the chopping block?

I've started to go over my committments and have started to outline a plan to reduce them, as per my previous post. But its not easy... with some of them, I'd really be letting people down. With others, I'd be taking away something that I enjoy. I've been debating it over and over in my mind these past few days...

But then, a bit of drama ensued in my mommy group over an issue that really saddened me. This is the mommy group that I've been a part of since Luke was a newborn. And one that I've debated saying good bye to in the past, but just couldn't, for sentimental reasons. Then just yesterday the little bit of drama grew into something that I'm really having a hard time overlooking.

Then I started taking a look at how much time I've spent on the computer with this group and started thinking about how much I'd accomplish if I didn't spend this time online...

Decisions, decisions....

If only I wasn't so darn sentimental! My decision would be sooo much easier!

Rest assured, this decision will be prayed over.

Feeling Overwhelmed....

Between illnesses, doctor's app'ts, studying for my job competition, more app'ts, various events, work, filling in for employees who are ill, more work, ill family members etc, etc, etc - I'm feeling just a tad overwhelmed lately.   And stretched very, very thin...

I said this last year, and yet I never did it.  But in 2010 it will be my top priority to reduce the committments that are not directly related to our family goals. There are so many things that we want to accomplish as a family, that we are not doing because I'm just too busy.  

I need to get ruthless and learn how to say no; even when faced with a guilt trip (although I think the guilt is mainly self induced and not imposed on me!)...

For now, I need to get through the year and slowly start weaning myself away from some of my busy-ness; so that I can enjoy the more meaningful events that are planned for the next couple of months.

What's up Butter Cup?

One of my little quirks (I guess you could call it), is that I'm always saying the silliest phrases to Luke...
Today for some reason, he suddenly just 'got' the humor and he laughed and laughed and laughed when I came home and asked him "What's shakin' bacon?".  He then immediately asked me "What's your story morning glory?" (which he's heard countless times before)..  So for the next few minutes the convo between John, Luke and I went something like this:

"What's the deal, Banana Peel?"

"What's cookin Good Lookin?"

"Ready Freddy?"

"Ready Betty!"

"Okay dokie Artichokie!"

"Eat your lunch honeybunch!"

"Nice thinkin' Mr. Lincoln"

"What's the word, Hummingbird?"

"Chop Chop Lollipop!"

"Put on your jeans, Butter Beans!"

"I'm the boss, applesauce!"

"Easy peasy lemon squeezy"

"Know what I mean, Jelly bean?"

"Come on out, Brussel Sprout"

And it was about that time that Luke decided that he had to throw in the word dinosaur (cause that would make it EXTRA funny, right?).  So he was cracking himself up by saying "what's new dinosaur?" and then would collapse into giggles....

We DO have a weird sense of humor, I guess!!

Peace out, Boy Scout!!

Hungry Hungry Herbivore...

is the title of Luke's latest favorite song.  It's from a great new PBS Kids show called Dinosaur Train.
It's such a cute show.  Highly recommended by Luke... and me....

In addition to learning what a hypothesis is, Luke has also learned what a herbivore is.  We did THIS activity the other day.

Oh and if you want to listen to the Hungry Hungry Herbivore song, click here to watch the episode "Triceratops for Lunch".  The song is about 8:02 minutes into the video.  

But be warned that if you listen to it, it'll be buzzing around in your head for the next day or two!!

Today's Blessings!

A Morning Hug by Robert Duncan

*  A morning hug by my little Ray of Sunshine (who has the sweetest sleepy smile).

*  Purchased my favorite fridge calendar (http://www.motherword.com/). Don't you just love a fresh calendar?? The possibilities of the year ahead!!

*  I drove my aunt to a doctor's appointment in the next province - and while I was waiting for her,  I got to spend a very peaceful hour reading in the car with a fresh cup of coffee.  Not a single interruption!  (Luke was with Nanna and Poppa) Heavenly!

*  A little boy who has been telling EVERY SINGLE person that we've seen today that "My Momma is making me a sock monkey and we're going to name him Socks.  And he's going to be waiting for me under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning!"   He told it to the cashiers at the store, to everyone who called on the phone and even to a little girl at the park.   I just LOVE that he gets so excited over such little things!!  I know it may not always be this way... pretty soon it might be gaming systems, computers and other expensive items that he'll be chattering about.  But for now, it's a blessing that he appreciates the simpler, homespun gifts. And really - what could be simpler than socks and stuffing?!

Thinking About....

SOCK MONKEYS!!  Do you know the kind I'm talking about?  The ones that were originally made from the Rockford socks... that moms have been making for generations and generations now?  I love them.. and have been meaning to make one for Luke for a couple of years now (procrastination!!).  But this year I must... for Luke apparently seen a sock monkey on a tv show called Mr. Moose (I've never seen it - so I can't confirm if that's the true title of whatever show he saw).. and then he came to me and asked me for a sock monkey named Socks... how can I say no?!

Apparently a local toy store carries them for the steep price of $29.99 plus taxes.  There is no way I'm paying that price for socks and stuffing!! I'm going to attempt to make it myself. So I'm on a hunt for a pair of men's work socks with a red  heel or a red stripe near the top.  I'll be sure to post a picture of the finished product, no matter how funny or forlorn he turns out to be!

Prayer Answered!!

We received the most BLESSED news today!! 

My mom will be placed on the kidney transplant waiting list!!
Thank you to all who kept her in their prayers for all of these months!! I'm truly, truly grateful. 
 It was all I could do to keep from crying when the doctor told us the news today during her app't today.  All of these months (almost 36 of them!!) , through all of the tests she had to go through - she's finally deemed a suitable kidney transplant recipient!!

God is indeed amazing, amen??

AND not only that - but the doctor had even more good news to share.. Mom's waiting list "start date" is retroactive from the day she first began dialysis - which was almost 3 years ago!! So in effect, she is kind of boosted to close to the top of the list - since the average waiting time for her particular blood type is about 3 - 4 years.  This means that she could very well get a call anyday from the transplant team (on the other hand, it could be next year - there are no guarantees WHEN a compatible kidney will become available).

What a truly wonderful day!!

I know we still have a few more hurdles to got through... so please, don't stop praying!! A compatible and suitable kidney needs to become available, the surgery needs to take place successfully and then finally, her body needs to accept this new organ.  So please keep the prayers coming? 

Thank you!!

My Favorite Things - Movies

I'm not a regular movie-goer or movie-watcher.  I have a hard time sitting still for more than a few minutes, let alone a couple of hours.  There's also the fact that John and I have very different tastes in movies - I can't stomach any sort of violence or disturbing issues.... and he "says" he doesn't like historical fiction (but I know that his protestations have no bite to them). 

But there are a handful of movies that I've watched over the years that have made it to my "favorite movies" category:

When Harry Met Sally:  My favorite movie of all time.  Its the only movie that I've seen dozens of times.  And I laugh everytime.  The script is sooooo clever and soooo quotable!!

Immortal Beloved:   I am a huge fan of Beethoven's music.  And so when this movie was released - it was a must-see for me.  It did not let me down.  Although the film's writer took liberties with the plot (contrary to how the movie plays out, Beethoven's Immortal Beloved has never been conclusively identified), the movie is absolutely gripping.  Gary Oldman deserved an Oscar for his performance -it's mind boggling to me that he was never even nominated.  And after watching this movie, I can no longer listen to Piano Sonata #8 without detecting the heartwrenching emotion behind it.... BRILLIANT movie.

Fireproof:  See this link to read what I think of this wonderful movie.

The Notebook:  An unforgettable love story.  And this movie get's it RIGHT... I know that romantic movies are a dime a dozen.. but the ability to convey a love story with this much chemistry is not easily attained.... I know of very, very few.  This is one.   And the characterization is quite outstanding.

The Chronicles of Narnia:  It feels like I waited forever and a day for the production of these movies... I am so thrilled to see how remarkable they are! I can barely wait till 2010 when The Voyage of the Dawn Treader arrives in theatres.  I rarely buy movies - but this is one that I had to have!

The Princess Bride:  This movie brings back fond memories. Another unbelievably quotable movie!

Anything starring Audrey Hepburn:  One of my all time favorite actresses.

A Charlie Brown Christmas & Polar Express:  A yearly tradition to watch these two movies at Christmastime.

Raiders of the Lost Ark -  Best eaten with cheese fondue and black tower wine.  The Indiana Jones movies bring back memories galore.  I don't think I'll ever tire of them.

Pride and Prejudice - Really - can anyone ever look at Colin Firth again and NOT think of him as Mr. Darcy?! I love anything Jane Austen - but this one holds a special place in my heart...

Elizabeth (starring Cate Blanchett) - This movie really pushed the boundaries for me - I almost stopped watching it after the first couple of minutes because I didn't think I could handle it... but it was my fascination with this remarkable female historical figure that pressed me to continue watching it.  Oh my gosh, I'm so glad I did.  Cate deserved a thousand Oscars for this performance - but of course she lost out to Gwneth Paltrow that year for her role in..

Shakespeare in Love.  Such an entertaining movie! Loved Gwyneth... loved Judi Dench....It totally deserved the Oscar for Best Picture that year!

That's it.. my favorite flicks!

Today's Blessings!

*  John was actually home on a Sunday!! He normally works every Sunday.  But not today!

*  And not only was  he not working, but he also came to church with us! I L.O.V.E when my whole family is able to go to church together.  It happens so rarely but is so special when it does happen!

*  A new recipe for Sunday dinner which was quite nice - Beef Chimichangas from my freezer cookbook.  I'll definitely be making this again, but in bulk this time, so that I can add some meals to the freezer.

* Two rows completed on John's blanket. 

*  Finale for So You Think You Can Dance Canada!!  Go TJ!

*  A loooong email from my sweet friend Heidi! Love you toots!

*  One more sleep before we hopefully find out whether my mom will be able to be a kidney transplant recipient!  And not a day too soon, I've been on pins and needles for months.

*  Still savoring a super fun, and much needed evening with friends on Saturday night. 

*  Still pinching myself because I now have a dear friend who is almost a neighbor.  Not since my friend Heidi went and moved across the country on me, have I had a close friend live within walking distance! So exciting to me to again have someone to borrow a cup of sugar from, or to invite myself over for tea!!

* A nice evening walk with the fam after Sunday dinner to check out the neighborhood pumpkins!

My Favorite Things - Comfort

Since most of my blog will be printed into a yearly book (Blurb.com).... I'd like to capture a snapshot of what some of my favorite things are at this point in my life. 

I fully realize that if allowed the space and time, this post could run on and on and on... so I'm going to try and divide  it up into multiple posts with various categories.... not that it'll be organized in any way (aside from the categories).. it'll just be random things that I like...


So under today's category of comfort here are a few of my favorite things...

Quiet Time with God - the rest of the list is not in any kind of order of importance... except for this item.  It truly is my number one source of comfort.  I'm not trying to be overly philosophical or profound.  It just very simply is the one thing in my life that gives me the most comfort.  The days that I don't start my day off with my Quiet Time, are the days that I somehow don't feel as grounded.  First thing in the morning, with a cup of coffee and my favorite Book. 

The Lazy Boy Chair in our bedroom.   This chair belonged to my mother in law for years and years.  When she felt it was finally time to retire it and buy herself a new lazyboy chair, I begged her for it. It doesn't match anything in my bedroom. Its ancient.  It's not pretty. Yet I love it.  It was the chair that I nursed Luke in. Its where I read bedtime stories to Luke. This is where my Quiet Time takes place, its where I journal, its where  my best thinking often takes place.  Its where I go to pray and its where I go to cry.  And somehow it connects me to my mother in law who has since passed on and who I've learned much from.

West Coast Dark Roast - THE best dark roast coffee around for your buck.  And believe me, I've tried them all.  I do prefer the Kicking Horse organic dark roast... but with the amount of coffee that we consume - that one is kept for special occasions! And besides, West Coast Dark Roast will always remind me of many wonderful conversations my dearest friend Heidi and I had over countless cups of our beloved West Coast Dark Roast!

Stash - Double Bergamot Earl Grey Tea & Yorkshire Gold Tea - I love trying new teas.  I have many different kinds.  But these two are like old comforting friends that I return to over and over again.

The Electric blanket that John bought for me.  My husband is not known for his gift giving.  And I'm more than fine with that - he has so many more finer qualities.  But one gift that he did buy for me was absolutely PERFECT.  An electric blanket.  We have a running joke that John can tell when summer's finally over by the fact that my feet turn to icecubes.  I'm always cold.  And he's always warm.  Every winter I would pile on 4, 5 or even 6 blankets... and he would be stifling. And then one Christmas while shopping for a gift for me, he stumbled upon a display of electric blankets and knew that it was the perfect gift for me.  He was right! Thank you John!!

A crackling fire in the fireplace - self explanatory - who doesn't like a crackling fire in the fireplace in autumn and winter?

Sundays are an  anchor to my week.  I always reserve Sunday for going to church and for family.  My favorite day of the week for sure.

Yankee Jar candles specifically in Sparkling Lemon and Sparkling Pine scents.  Mmmmmmm.....

My journals - I've mentioned a few times already about my quirky obsession with writing things down.  So it comes as no surprise that I count my journals as being among my few prized possessions.  Journal writing is unbelievably therapeutic for me.  I've been journal writing since I was a young girl. Its one of the most comforting things in the world for me to sit down, if even for a few moments, to write down my blessings of the day or to read a page or two from one of my journals.


And last, but most certainly not the least of my favorite comforts are books. My love affair with books started when I learned to read at age 5. And has only gotten stronger over the years.  For me, a room does not feel complete without at least a few piles of books scattered around.  I cannot fall asleep without reading at least a few pages of a current read. And I don't feel comfortable leaving the house without tucking a book into my bag. (is that weird?!!) My next "My Favorite Things" post will cover some of my favorite books.

Maintaining Friendships....

Kindred Spirits - Anne of Green Gables

Something that's been on my mind lately is the topic of friendships.  I'm realizing (perhaps too late in life) that I'm not a very good friend these days...

Oh I have some qualities that redeem me:  I'm a loyal friend.  I'm a great listener. I love to help solve problems.  I love to help, period.  I think that for those reasons, I have the capability to be a GREAT friend.  But what prevents me from being a great friend lately?

I want to say lack of time... but aren't we all gifted with the same 24 hours? 

Whatever it is, I find it hard to keep in touch.  I'm not a phone person.... I love email.. but then I find that days and even weeks go by before I respond to emails. Notice I say 'respond'.  Because rarely, it seems, do I initiate contact.  And that's NOT because I'm not thinking about my friends. Because I do - ALL of the time.. I just kinda get sidetracked...

For me family will always come first...if a family member is need, I will cancel any and all plans to help them...

But I also have to admit that my calendar is overstuffed these days...I'm the type of person who works best with LOTS of blank calendar space... I get crusty when I have back to back to back to back engagements.
The other day, I was having an email convo with a new friend.. and we were trying to come up with a date to get together... and I  had to tell her that the earliest I could get together with her was in November - three weeks away... I really felt awful telling her that.  

And lets not even talk about the recent episode where I wrote the wrong date for an open house a friend was having... I had it marked down for a completely different day... yowsers..!!

Life is hectic, we all have our own version of hectic-ness... but the reality is, the choices we make with our time tell the people in our life how much or how little they mean to us.  Even if that is not our intention.

Life is all about the relationships.  I need to create more blank space in my calendar... more space for last minute coffee dates and cups of tea... I'd like to work on finding ways to nurture the relationships that mean a lot to me.  I want to find little ways to let my friends and loved ones know that I'm thinking of them...

How do you maintain and nurture the friendships in your hectic life?

Life with Luke - Memorable Conversations!

Bad-quality action shot of the Flying Dragon

This is more of a one-side conversation - with him doing the talking... but still - we think its memorable... AND funny!

One of Luke's 'jokes' lately is to ask us:  "Have you ever seen a Luke do this?"  and then he'll do something that he thinks is a riot... and we always answer: "Nope, I've never seen a Luke do THAT before!"...

The other night was particularly cute because he had gotten on his dragon costume (which he likes to insist is a dinosaur costume) and was jumping quite enthusiastically (and quite high too) on our mini trampoline; with his little arms wings outstretched to make us believe that he was in fact a flying dragon.  And all the while he kept asking us "Momma, Daddy - did you ever see a Luke do THIS before?"!

No little one, we have never seen a Luke do that before...but just love your adorable quirkiness, your hilarious sense of humor and your vibrant imagination.  We hope you never change little Luke!

A Serious Case of the Giggles

Tonight Luke and I were invited to Nanna and Poppa's for dinner and to watch the hockey game on tv. 
But just before the game, Luke, Nanna and I played hide and seek.  For a smallish-apartment, my parents home sure has some great hiding spots.

I haven't played hide and seek indoors since I was a child.  At least that's the last time that I remember playing it.  And considering just how much we laughed and giggled, I'm not sure why we don't play it more often!

Luke loved it best when I hid and he got to be the one to search for me.  I had the best time trying to come up with so-called clever hiding spots... and landed up looking like quite the fool when I would get stuck or cramped up and couldn't get out!  Apparently I'm not as small as I think I am! (understatement of the year!!)

But oh - the giggles... I had forgotten that delicious sense of anticipation when hiding and waiting for someone to find you.... there were quite a few times when a serious case of the giggles got a hold of me and ruined my perfect hiding spots!!  And even a few times when I could not STOP giggling!!  Giggles that turned into full out belly laughs..!!!  Medicine for the stressed-out soul!!

Blessings!

*  My niece was discharged from the hospital and is now back at home!! YAY!! I can only imagine how happy she must be to be back to her own bed and her own bedroom!  We love you so much M!!!!

*  A surprise visit from Nanna and Poppa during Luke's swimming lesson!  He was so happy to show them how much he's progressed since the Mom & Tot days! LOL!!

*  A new very warm and very cozy down parka for me!!  This winter we have LOTS of outdoor activities planned - snowshoeing, hiking, skating, sledding, etc.. and since I always seem to get cold so easily - I'm hoping this down parka will do the trick and keep me toasty!

*  A FULL 7 hours of sleep last night!! WOOOHOOO!! 

*  Finished my menu planning for next week.  Hey - this is a big deal in my world!!