moved to wordpress....

I have NO idea how to redirect you readers easily to my NEW blog.

So you'll just have to click HERE if you want to read my new stuff ;)

goal for the mind

I often think about Vancouver and all the things I miss. Usually it is friends, family and my church that come to mind… or the mountains, downtown and mild weather. But lately, I’ve missed my passion and TIME for reading.

I would spend about 2 hours a day commuting to and from work, so what else could I do to pass the time ? (Pinterest was not an addiction of mine as of yet)

I’d read a new book every week almost… always keeping my mind busy learning new things.

Well… this is my bookcase.

It's small for a book lover, but for an OCD nut like myself, it causes me anxiety just looking at it. Never mind trying to pick ONE book from amongst them all to start up my long lost hobby.

So the other night I allowed myself to go to the shelf, pick out 12 different books, and insert them into this “mini shelf” that my husband just gave me !

So my goal is to read these 12 books within the year. My secret goal is that I will finish them early and pick through the other titles that fill my “main shelf,” but if I only finish these twelve I will still be pleased with myself.

Here are the titles (In no particular order) :

1.       One Thousand Gifts – Ann Voskamp

2.       The Ultimate Priority – John MacArthur Jr.

3.       Fanny J. Crosby (Autobiography)

4.       Here I Stand (Story about Martin Luther)

5.       The Pastor’s Wife – Sabina Wurmbrand

6.       Behold The Man – Charles Swindoll

7.       Don’t Waste Your Life – John Piper

8.       Finally Alive – John Piper

9.       God is the Gospel – John Piper

10.   The Four Loves – C.S. Lewis

11.   A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 – Phillip Keller

12.   Corrie Ten Boom – Biography

never grow up

I find it such a bittersweet thing as each day goes by… my baby is growing up. People might scoff and say “she’s only 3 months old…” but it is still 3 months older than the day I brought her home.

Friends of ours, Dave and Hannah, welcomed their beautiful baby boy, Charles Desmond, into the world on Monday afternoon... and we were blessed with being able to meet the little man on New Year’s Eve ! It was the perfect end to a wonderful year. Dan and I were so excited when they told us they were pregnant because we were hoping our friends would have kids

close in age ! Other friends of ours, Adam and Joy are due in a month and a half, so we are all going to have quite the adventures together I'm sure.

I looked at these pictures and can't believe it… it’s only been 3 months but I already barely remember my girl being that small (or smaller haha). Newborn. Fresh. Tiny. Light. That smell… that cry… everything.

 

 

And then at the same moment I long for my daughter to be 2 years old and enjoy going to the zoo, talking a bit, walking, getting excited for Christmas morning, eating real food, etc ! So I have to cherish each moment, because I won’t get to rewind on her little life.

I was driving home from London on Monday and this song came on and the words brought me to tears…

Your little hand's wrapped around my finger

And it's so quiet in the world tonight

Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming

So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light

To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret

I'd give all I have, honey

If you could stay like that

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple

I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart

And no one will desert you

Just try to never grow up, never grow up

-          Taylor Swift

It got me thinking about times I’ve been hurt or had a broken heart and I cannot imagine having to watch my daughter feel such pain. And my mind started spiraling. I cannot control those things, just like I cannot control any choice she makes. Then it really hit me. One day my girl is going to become accountable to God for her sin… and I cannot control whether she accepts His gift of salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross, or whether she rejects Him.

I mean I’ve always known it wasn’t a sure thing that my kids would be Christians… but until I really pictured her, my girl, rejecting Christ in her life, I broke down. How will I ever deal with that? How does any parent ever deal with that? With bended knees I’m assuming. Only prayer and faith could keep you going.

Oh sweet girl, mama is praying for you.

nicaragua take two

Oh I have been SO excited to write this post.

Last February Dan and I went to visit our friends in Nicaragua for about 12 days, and we LOVED it !

We were about 10 weeks pregnant with Adele and because they had recently had a baby of their own I wanted all the advice I could get - so they were some of the first people we told the news ! (Also because I was tired and nauseous all the time they were likely to get suspicious anyway.)

Dan and I talked about going back because it was the perfect trip. Sunshine + friends + affordable. We just didn't know when...

Then we found out our friends were pregnant again - and due in February ! Well what better time to go than when I can be useful and help out with her toddler and cooking/cleaning etc. (Especially since having a babe of my own, I know how nice it is to have help !)

The real kicker is... I am taking Adele down ALONE for the first three weeks and Dan will join us for the last week. I know I know I'm crazy hahah, but I really want to take advantage of being on maternity leave ! I've only got 7 months left and back to work I go... so this opportunity is rare and needs to be taken.

I am beside myself with excitement as we leave in just over a month. We got our passport photos taken yesterday and Adele's tufts of hair are standing in full force against that white background. Her cheeks and double chin are in no way being discreet either. I'm glad she's too young to have any self consciousness cause this picture is a doozy.

Now the second kicker is... the fact I'm going alone... with a baby, a stroller, a diaper bag and luggage... and I only have TWO hands (unfortunately)... It meant I really needed to figure out how I was going to do it. So I went on a hunt for luggage that was on wheels, but also able to sit on top of my stroller while I carried Adele in the Ergo Carrier. So here is the only piece of luggage I am taking with us (aside from the diaper bag.)

(I only have the sneaker in the photo to properly

show the size of the bag)

Yes, call me crazy. The bag is tiny. And it is a whole month. And it's me. And my baby. What was I thinking ?

Anyway, PLEASE post any and all tips you have for traveling with a 4 month old. And for traveling light, for a month ?

 

I'm sure you'll see a post within the next month showing how I pulled it off, or how I failed big time !

Stay tuned.

merry christmas

Well I truly hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Ours was great. Christmas Eve was spent with pizza and gifts at the in laws. We were all so blessed and had a great time. Christmas morning was spent at home with Dan exchanging presents and making some dishes for dinner at the in laws in the afternoon. It's hard being away from both of my "homes" for the holidays. I haven't spent Christmas with my parents in years... mostly because traveling to a cold climate location in the winter especially with Christmas & Canadian flight prices doesn't really interest me. And I don't actually have a "home" in Vancouver to go back to for Christmas haha, sooo I suppose Sarnia will have us every year. Here are a few pictures we got of Adele on Christmas (before having an accident up her back in her "First Christmas" outfit !!

Dan has been off work since Christmas Eve at noon, and Adele and I have loved having him home with us. I'll admit it has been the most lazy of days in our house though as we crunched through Prison Break Season 4... I am SO THANKFUL it is over. Never have to watch the show again. I was absolutely hooked when we watched Season 1 last year... but then we recently got Netflix and I saw Prison Break was on there, I thought I should find out what happened after they got out prison... BIG MISTAKE. Season 2 was almost as good as 1, Season 3 was lame and Season 4 was awful. Anyway, it's over and I will never watch another episode again. Thanks for letting me vent. We did get off the couches today for a while to take Adele for a walk to the post office and banks etc. Here she is sporting her snow suit from Nana !

Now the next couple days are going to be spent CLEANING the house as best I can before my beloved house guests arrive ! One of my best friends that I met while living in Vancouver and her husband are spending Christmas in Quebec with his family... and are coming to visit us in Sarnia for a few days next week before they head home to the wild west ! I am beside myself with excitement as its been a year since I saw them both.

Oh wish me luck... I am such a procrastinator when it comes to cleaning. I have made a to-do list to help motivate me though ;)

so fast

In only 2 days my baby girl will be 3 months old !!! How did this happen ? Dan often comments on how it feels like we've had her forever, but sitting here today thinking about it, I cannot believe she is already 3 months old.

In the beginning I was so scared of forming unbreakable habits, that...

I can count on one hand the amount of times I rocked my girl to sleep/held her while she was sleeping. And while I am so so thankful that she can fall asleep by herself in her crib - I sometimes wish she loved cuddling and would fall asleep while rocking with Dan or I.

I never wanted to use the swing "too often" in case she got dependent on it, so now she can't stand it for more than 5 minutes... which is really unfortunate when I am trying to get dinner on and cannot be in two places at once.

I didn't want to confuse her and give her a bottle before 6 weeks for fear that she wouldn't nurse properly afterwards (thanks for the terrible advice prenatal class)... now my darling won't take a bottle at all. So much for date nights !

Well those are just a few of the things I'll probably try to do differently next time (Lord willing there is a next time).

We are still enjoying the challenges and blessings that come with a little life, and look forward to the months to come and all the "firsts" that come with them !

Here are some photos from the last month.

Our first family swim. Adele loved it!

 

Love these sweet moccasins, even if they are too big in the foot and too small in the calves !

Sweater from aunt amy and uncle tyler - love the elbow patches ! And my special blanket from aunt karo and uncle merv !

Auntie katie got me this sweater for when I'm 6 months ! I'm excited to have it in different sizes for the months to come.

I already love airplane rides !! :)

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Box Red Velvet Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)

1 tsp Baking Powder

2 Large Eggs

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Cup White Chocolate Chips

½ Cup Icing Sugar

Yields: Approximately 20 Cookies

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or silicone baking mat)

2.       In a large bowl mix together the cake mix and the baking powder

3.       In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla

4.       Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir to form the dough. You will need to fold the dough with your hands in order to get rid of all the dry “pockets” of cake mix. The dough will be oily

5.       Fold in ¾ cups of the white chocolate chips

6.       Roll into 1 ½” balls and put about 10 on the baking sheet

7.       Put 4-5 chocolate chips on top for looks – if you want. (NOTE – See mine aren’t very "pretty" and have browned tops… I’d suggest waiting until the cookies are half way cooked and then putting the chocolate chips on the top)

8.       Bake each batch for 10-12 minutes

9.       Remove from oven and top with a sprinkle of icing sugar

10.   Allow to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet and then fully cool on a wire rack

Unfortunately - mine didn't turn out the nice bright red that I've seen on Pinterest... but they tasted great !

ENJOY & let me know if you try them and anything you did differently to make them better !!!