Today's Blessings

Art by Kathryn Fincher

• We celebrated Chinese New Year with my family this evening over really yummy Chinese takeout! Chinese New Year has such fond memories for me. It was three years ago, that we invited my family over for Chinese food and to celebrate the Chinese New Year, when John and I broke the news to them that we were expecting Luke! I had taken all of the fortunes out of a bucket of Fortune cookies and put my own in. They were cryptic messages.... and after we all read our fortunes out loud, finally someone figured out the message we were trying to impart!! Such sweet, sweet memories!

• While John was at work today and when Luke was napping, I was able to sit down to do some quiet crafting. Today is Rudolph Day and I was able to work on a few projects. Including this new piggy bank that we're calling Christmas Fund 2009. We'll put loose change in here and at the year we'll see how much we have to play with!

• A sleepy, angelic face looking up at me from his crib when I went to wake him up from his loooonnng nap. A quiet little voice whispering "I love you mama" as I lift him up for some cuddles. Tiny little fingers patting my back and playing with my hair as I carry him downstairs.
  

• A shared pot of Double Bergamot Earl Grey Tea with my husband after Luke's bedtime, as we cuddled on the couch and watched a long anticipated episode of The Office.

Thank you Lord, that you have blessed me richly with the family that you've surrounded me with!

A Wonderful Memory of Warmer Days...

Today was a frosty, snowy day. And fittingly enough I hosted a Penguin-Happy Feet Playdate today for Luke and a couple of his friends. We made penguin hats (this is Lukes)....

I had Happy Feet playing in the DVD Player, we ate goldfish crackers and fruit and we also collected socks for a local women's home (get it? Happy Feet? Socks?! LOL!!). It was a fun time. After all winter in Canada is brutally long. You might as well celebrate it.

But I can't help but dream of warmer days. My friend sent me these pics of our two boys this past summer. It was a sweet time, watching our little ones make a mad dash for the ONE puddle in the whole park!

Here's the Mad Dash! (I love the little hands in the air!)

Hmmm.... THIS is fun! Do we Dare???

Of COURSE we do!!

Gosh, he looks so little in these pics... sniff sniff.... okay I have to go and plan a tropical vacation or something!

Enjoy the Little Things...

I keep seeing this quote pop up lately and it's been on my mind. I like to think that I'm a "smell-the-roses-kinda-gal"..." but who am I kidding? I'm just as busy as the next mom, trying to jam pack 24 hours with 28 hours worth of stuff that we THINK is important at the time.

One area that I know I need to work on is the dinner hour. The times when we are able to sit down for dinner as a family are so dear to me because they don't happen everyday. With hubby working shift work, very often he is not home for dinner.

But even when he IS home for dinner, I don't think that I take the time to give it (the dinner hour) the attention that it deserves. Sitting down to dinner as a family can easily become one of the "little things" that we forget to enjoy....we take it for granted. Maybe its because we know that we'll have another tomorrow night? And the night after? And the night after that?

One of the gifts that I want Luke to take away with him when he's old enough to leave the home to explore the world on his own, is a wealth of rich memories of the dinner table. I want him to remember hours of laughter, debates, good conversation, problems solved, moments celebrated, good food and great company spent around our table. Sarah Ban Breathnach in her book titled "Mrs. Sharp's Traditions" (I adore this book by the way!) says: "...when your children are grown...what they will remember best about life with you are family mealtimes."

I really do believe that some of life's most magical of moments happen at the family dinner table. For this reason, I want to start making our dinners more enjoyable and special.... and not just on special occasions. I want to make them special all the year long. Even if we're eating hot-dogs.

Some ideas that I've come up with or found (and would LOVE more!!):

• I'd like to be intentional about creating a sense of anticipation. Maybe we'll have fun family dinners... maybe sometimes we can have a "Goofy Dinner", where we all come to the dinner table looking as silly or goofy as we can. And TRY to keep a straight face! Maybe I'll surprise my family once in a while by serving dessert first once in a while...

• I'd like to be more aware of setting a table attractively. And I'm not just talking using china.. I'm talking about taking the few moments to add some fun to the table. Creativity in this area is not my strong suit... but why is it that I will obsess over how the table looks for Sunday dinner or for guests; but then use any old, chipped and mismatched dishes (strewn any old way) for the two most important people in my life? Maybe I can have some fun coming up with neat centrepieces? This can be something Luke can help me with too - we can use his artwork or lego creations for centrepieces!! Oh and Here is a CUTE idea for a table setting that would correspond nicely with a themed family night: http://theinspiredroom.net/2008/04/17/cute-table-idea-for-kids-party-or-baby-showe/

• I'd like to foster a sense of encouragement at the dinner table. I would like the dinner table to be a place where it is safe to open our hearts about what is on our minds. I would like my family to feel comfortable talking about problems and asking for prayers. Debates are fun and I want to also include those at the dinner table, but first I want to make sure that the emotional needs of my family are being met. I want to create a team spirit where each of us knows that we're all each other's biggest cheerleaders in whatever life may throw at us.

• I'd like to introduce the idea of discussing thought provoking questions. I saw THESE and I think I might just have to pick up a set!

In any case, those are just a few ideas I had on how to enjoy the little BIG things in life, namely the dinner hour.

101 In 2009 (Part 2)

I started this list (you can read part one HERE) of things that I would like to accomplish in 2009, and I thought I'd continue on....

11) Get our Will completed.
12) Paint the kitchen
13) Paint the staircase going upstairs.
14) Have the built-ins in Luke's room built for his 3rd birthday (his biggest gift will be a big-boys room!!)
15) Create a photogallery on the freshly painted staircase (see # 13).
16-27) Plan a date night per month with my husband.
28- 39) Plan a fantabulous themed family night per month with my two men.
40) Celebrate Candlemas on February 2nd - a tradition John and I started in the early years of our marriage.
41) Learn to embroider.
42 - 53) Host 12 different Themed potlucks.
54- 65) Invite 12 different dinner guests to our home. See THIS post for some reasons why.
66-77) Have 12 SUPER fun 'playdates' for my niece, nephew and son. I already have a file folder FULL of fun ideas! Would love one per month!
78) Paint upstairs hallway.
79) Plant a veggie garden.
80) Plant an herb garden.
81) Plan a weekend retreat away, just for me.
82-93) Read 12 fiction books. I'm hooked on non-fiction mainly, so it'll be good for me to read 12 really good fiction books. I'd like to include some classics in there that I never got a chance to read during my formal education.
94) Convert Luke's crib quilt into a quilt for a double bed.
95) Plan a summer vacation to remember.
96) Flesh out the book idea that I have.
97) Discover new hiking trails with my men!
98) Discover a new waterfall.
99) Go camping (our cottage vacation doesn't count - I'm talking tenting-it!)
100) Plan my stepfather's 60th birthday party. It's going to be something to talk about!
101) Read the entire bible.

There.. that's my list for 2009!! Wish me luck??

Celebration Journal Entry

Art by Sandra Kuck

Last night we lit our celebration candle and wrote an entry in our Family Celebrations journal in honor of Luke! He's been using the potty all week! I'm so proud of my wee little man. But also sad. Not that I want him in diapers forever, but aren't diapers one of the very last remnants of the "babyhood era" to go? Now that he's in pullups and training pants, the last sign of his babyhood is his crib. Thank goodness he loves his crib.

Momma needs at least a few more months to get used to the idea that her baby is no longer a baby.

101 In 2009

A friend of mine shared a really great idea with me.. she's listing 101 things that she'd like to accomplish in 2009... these could be really tiny, fun things or larger, more involved projects.
I like this idea and I'm adopting it!

Off the top of my head, here are 10 to start with:

1) Pay off car (which would make it 2 years ahead of schedule!)
2) Take John on a date to SS Diner - it's no longer the original - but I think he'd get a kick out of it just the same.. as well as bring some great old memories from our dating years.
3) Reach my goal weight.
4) Walk/run the Half Marathon in May.
5) Finish creating/decorating my craft room!
6) Go sledding with Luke and John, on the wooden sled that Santa brought Luke!
7) Write a book for Luke.
8) Start our blessing fund.
9) Get caught up with my photo organization! (photo books, etc).
10) Finish John's blanket. (STILL not done! LOL!!)