KNOWING JOY

Who would have thought?

2011-02-27T19:40:00.003-06:00

Another season of hockey is almost over.
We are always a little nervous when a new season is about to begin. There's always the dreaded cost, worrying about which team Jadden will make it on to, and yes, the parents and children that will end up on our team.
Well, our season started off with a anonymous person paying for Jadden's hockey registration. We were blown away. We had really been praying about putting Jadden into hockey because he was starting guitar lessons and The Plunge (A Christian discipleship training program) this year and we were worried that hockey would be more of a distraction and extra cost that just wasn't necessary. So as you can see God confirmed that it was important for Jadden to play hockey.
Once try-outs were all said and done, Jadden ended up on the C team. He was teamed up with 11 boys that were all identical. They all love Lego, star wars, and reading. These boy's played tournaments and skated off cheering even if they lost. They made us wait 15, 20, sometimes 30 minutes for the boys to change after a game because they would get carried away with chit chatting. These boys did a good job on the ice, but their biggest concern was talking about what happened that week.
Now looking back at the season, we know why we had to pray about this and we know why God gave us such a significant sign that Jadden needed to be on this team. He not only made great friendships, but he felt the freedom to be himself. He talked about what interested him the most and that is Jesus Christ our Savior. Parents told me that they've found their children behind closed doors reading their Bible's because of something Jadden talked about after a practice or a game. Jadden started getting opportunities to pray over his friends for healing, weather it was for physical or emotional healing.
Jadden started doing the most remarkable things for God with his team. At the beginning of the season he asked his coaches if he could pray with his team before every game. After the coaches approval Jadden stood up before every game and started a prayer time. Today was the greatest day of all. Their goalie was injured this week and their whole team stood over him today, put hands on him and prayed healing over his foot. This boy who showed up on crutches played an amazing game in net. Our God is good, isn't he?
Now that the season is almost over these boys who's interest is in Lego, star wars, reading, and now God just won their first round of play-offs are going into the finals to take home the banner!!!! For those of you who don't know what that means, they are three games away from 1st place!

I need to confess

2011-02-21T22:05:00.004-06:00

Oh, the things we do for our children. This week is busy busy busy! My son is on a hockey team so us parents always have the dreaded week scheduled into our winter to work the canteen. It is only a couple of day's through out the week but it's too much for me.

Sunday: Company for lunch, my moms birthday party.
Monday: Moms birthday, working the evening shift in the canteen.
Tuesday: School, working the evening canteen shift.
Wednesday: School, Jadden's first play-off game and hour away.
Thursday: School, Helping Shel's sis and bro-in-law move.
Friday: Home school group, Work the canteen evening shift.

I'm the kind of person who can't handle a booked up week. I need at least one evening for my family to stay at home and rest. I'm also a person who can't handle change. Yes' I'm laughing while I right this because who's life doesn't change, but I'm confessing my weakness.
I wish you all a great week. Be sure to give me some tips if you have anything stashed in your survival kit.

It's about time!

2011-02-17T14:05:00.003-06:00

It's been almost a full year since my last post, but I'm not sure if I really want to give this up. I'm busy most of my day's teaching my son, but love the fact that I can still come here to connect with women, to refresh my mind, and renew my spirit.
I've spent this past year at home. I've been busy teaching my son, working on knitting projects, and taking baby and children's portraits of my close friends and family, but mostly enlarging my mind with God's truth and love. My Father has blessed me yet again in seeing faith and knowledge being built, not only for myself but for my husband and son. We have experienced God work miracles in our life this last year. Financially, supernaturally, and deep in our hearts. He is changing us for the better!
We've experienced a great holiday filled with memories, and challenges. (giggle) Camping on an island (i hate camping period), having our tent torn to peaces in a wind storm, and last but not least...losing the motor for our boat in 50 feet of water making it hard to trek back nine miles to main land. Thankfully we all got home safely and laugh about it now.
We've had a much more relaxing winter. My son Jadden is still playing hockey but my husband took off this winter from coaching which has freed up two evenings out of each week. Very thankful for that! Jadden joined a discipleship group this winter, learning the in depth works of Christ, and Sheldon has joined in on the fun and he's become one of the mentors.
I'll try harder to keep you updated in the future. Gotta get to other things.
God Bless!

Written by: Beth Moore

2010-04-15T23:57:00.002-05:00

We're unindated with news that all is at unrest.

We've not a clue what the world coming to, just thank the Lord we're blessed.

Beloved, this very day you thought you'd never live to see

Is just the one God preordained and chose for you and me.

We're not called to shake our heads and utter "what a pity."

We're called as candles on a hill and towers in a city.

We can draw far more to Christ than tracts or fancy steeples.

We are proof in breathing flesh- God moves among his people!

Please understand, this race you run, is not just for a prize.

Grab young hands, courageous band, run for their very lives!

For us we must live for today, for them, live for tomorrow.

Redeem the time for many blind for there is none to borrow!

The prints of history's heroes will soon fade into dust

If there will be freash prints, my friend, it's up to us.

Foot prints that walk the talk that say's, "I'll go where you lead!"

Kneeprints that bridge the gap and make the hedge to intercede.

God, kick us off our cushioned seats, don't let us turn our heads!

Let's cease to hide behind the cross and carry it instead!

You beckon us, "My warriors, the time has come, ARISE!

Draw your swards, fight the fight, sound the battle cry."

"Where are my few who dare to say,' Come follow Him with me?

'Would you lay down your own dear life so that my Son they'll see?"

"Consider Child, carfully- am I quite worth the cost?

To surrender hearts to holiness andd count all gains but loss?"

"I call you from your comfort zone, dare you be one of few?

If you'll not leave freash prints, My child, then I must ask you, who?"

If you'll not lead the way, my child, then look around you, Who?

Our Hearts Desire

2009-08-14T11:33:00.011-05:00

What is the core of a woman's heart? What are her desires? What did women long for as little girls? What do we still long for as women?

This is where we, as women have to look deep into our hearts. God has set within you a femininity that is powerful and tender, fierce and alluring. And for some reason we have been misunderstood.

When girls move into womanhood, the first response would sooner be humiliation than excitement. I had three older bothers to live up to. I had to either act like them, or serve them. My choice was obvious, I acted like them. So needless to say that when my womanhood popped up from behind the curtain, I was humiliated. My feelings and emotions stayed hidden deep down in my soul. Feeling as though they were wrong and I had to "suck it up." Feelings I still struggle with to this very day.

God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.Gen. 1:27

This is a piece of scripture that has always kept me on my toes. I've always been searching for answers. Wanting to know why God created me. Who I needed to be and why I was so messed up. I know I'm not alone in this roller coaster and that's why I've chosen to share, and enlighten you on God's truth.

...But for Adam, no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. Gen. 2:20-22

Eve was the crescendo. Like a work of art. Creation being built up until the grand finally. "WOMEN." There is not a doubt in my mind that Eve was the crown of creation. The world was not complete until he made his beautiful masterpiece. There must be something significant that was missing that he had to place us into his creation.

Oh, and there was! His desires of his heart are the things he needed us to carry. That was the image God wanted us to bear. Our hearts were made in reflection of God's own heart.

So now you tell me. Is God the romantic type? Was he longing for the Israelites to love him? Does he long for us to pursue him? Is he full of love and kindness? Did he sacrifice everything for us?

Now you tell me what gets your heart pumping? I can assure you that there will be a resemblance.

Ava

2009-06-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

This is our new little member of the family.
Ava!

Spring

2009-05-13T11:46:00.001-05:00

What brings me joy???
SPRING!
I love to watch my plants (Babies) peek through the ground for the first time.

Clean up the yard from the mess the winter season left behind.
I love to start up the mower for the first time and usually mark it on my calender so I can compare it to the following year. After I've mowed my lawn, It usually takes a couple of day's and it becomes a beautiful gleaming green lawn.
I can finally bring out all my Adirondack chairs and enjoy the warmer evenings outside with my family.
The first bonfire with family or friends is something I like to mark down on the calender as well.
The deer's come out on to my yard to eat the left over acorns.
The rabbits coats turn back to their grayish brown color. Sometimes I even get the chance to see the new baby bunnies hoping around on my yard.
I love to watch the trees bud and eventually pop out their leaves.
The first thunderstorm always gives me goosebumps but brings a sign that spring is really here.

AND TODAY, IN THE POURING RAIN, MY FIRST HUMMING BIRD CAME TO FEED FROM MY FEEDER!!!!!!!!!
This is the most magical time for me. These birds have become my true joy through out the summer.
And for most of you readers, you already know how much I love them so I wont go on and on about them, but They are here! WOOOHOOO!!!

2009-05-05T12:02:00.002-05:00

Seeing I'm done "my time of rest," It's time to get back into the blogging world. lol...
Sorry it's been so long.

The big question thats been playing and re-playing in my head has been, "Do you have unforgiveness in your heart?"
HMMMMmmm...
Do I need to think long and hard on this one? No. ((Shamefully))
There were just some issues in my life that I didn't feel needed attention.
God kept bringing these people to my mind. "You need to go see them." "You need to go make everything right or you wont be able to move on."
My argument with God grew and grew, but I was not going to do it. I thought to myself that I could make myself move on and I could do it no matter what God told me. I reassure you, this was all done unconsciously. lol
But then, during one of my classes, I read words that stung like a bee.
GOD WILL NOT REPEAT HIMSELF IF YOU UNDERSTOOD HIM THE FIRST TIME!!!
Who was I arguing with? I understood Him the first time, and now I've been wasting my time arguing with myself. ((if your like me, picturing this in your head makes it pretty funny))
Seeing I didn't want to look so ridiculous, I sucked up my pride and met with the people God lead me to. It seems like when I'm done dealing with one problem, another person pops into my head. So it looks like I'll be pretty busy for the next while.
This has been a very humbling experience, and I feel like I've lost 50 pounds. Woohoo!!! It's amazing what unforgiveness can do to you.
I also read that scientist's studies have shown, they have found that 70% of illnesses and depression come from the thoughts in your mind, anger, unforgiveness, loneliness, and the list goes on and on.
Sounds like we could all find a great health boost by just watching what we are thinking.

Manly Advise

2009-03-21T16:07:00.005-05:00

Last night my husband and I were driving my son to his sleep over party and we were discussing what we might do for the evening. We wanted to make it special, take advantage of the fact that we were alone!!! But some day's it's hard to come up with something to do when your just too tired to move, so we were both stumped.
As my husband was himming and haaing my son interrupted him and gave him some manly advise.
REMEMBER, HE'S 10!
"Dad, Why don't you go get a romantic movie and make some popcorn."
We were so stumped by his remark that we didn't know what to say. I think the silence made him think that he had an opportunity to go on.
"Dad, sometimes I sit through moms romantic movie just to practice and get used to what I'll need to do when I have a wife."
ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What do you say to that??? I turned to applaud my son and through the corner of my eye I could see my husband face turn a shade of pink.

So what do you think we did last night? We rented a movie!!!
I know my son will have a very happy wife. Sigh.........

2009-03-20T13:36:00.004-05:00

It's time to party!!! The ultimate blog party has begun and I encourage all of you to join in the fun. I can't wait for the opportunities that I'll have to meet other blogger buddies, share and hear all that might be going on in our world or in our homes. I don't have any wine or goodies to share but I might have some cheese. Or should I say that I might have something cheesy to say. That would be like me.

This is my family.

I'll be celebrating my tenth anniversary with my husband this year. He is the love of my life. He's filled me inspiration and help me gain confidence in the way I see myself and the person that God wants me to be. He's a man who makes you want to work hard a try harder because he always wants more. This is not a bad thing people, he motivates me. He always wants to be a better husband, father, friend, employee, what ever he focuses on.

And then theres my son. Jadden is a 10 year old, fun loving guy. I couldn't really say that his interests are focused on just one thing. It's a wide stretch from hockey to science and every thing in between. Right now he's just trying to survive. Hockey's done and soccer's in a couple of months and he can't wait for school to be done.

Now for me, I'm a stay at home mom. Thinking about getting a job in the future but I'm very comfortable in my safe home. I help my father out on his dairy farm during the summer months and spend the rest of my time in my gardens and providing my family with a great home atmosphere, clean cloths and what ever else they might need. I'm a child of God and aim for my son to know the true love of Christ and His amazing gifts.

What I love:

1) Refinishing furniture

2) Studying Gods word

3) Gardening

4) Music that inspires me. (Love to attach myself to the lyrics)

5) My husband and son

6) Spending time with my friends and family.

7) Dreaming about decorating my home

8) The fact that I live less then a 1/4 mile away from most of my immediate family.

9) My home and my country yard

10) Knitting through the winter months

11) Singing

12) Watching my son and my husband play sports

13) Cheese cake smothered in caramel sauce

14) Camping with my husbands family

15) Watching my family grow in their faith and love God

I hope you all enjoy this post. I hope to meet a lot of new people so make sure to leave a comment so I know where to find you.

Biggest Loser

2009-03-07T00:01:00.003-06:00

I've found my all time favorite show. The Biggest Loser had given me so much inspiration so I decided to get involved in The Biggest Loser League!!!

It's a free on line program that gives you challenges through out the week and it gives you the opportunity to become a team member and get to know new people dealing with the same problems I struggle with. The worst issue I have is just pure laziness. I now get to view my progress through percentages of how close I am to my goal weight, my BMI and charts to record my food in take and measurements.

I started working on loosing some of my weight as soon as I started watching this show so I'm already 52% away from my goal weight. I don't know how dedicated I will be able to be with this whole thing. Theres a lot of documenting to do daily(Totally not my thing). My biggest reason to join was the support from others and extra healthy tips that I can use.

Check it out if your interested.

A New Season

2009-02-17T12:50:00.002-06:00

No, I know it's not spring yet but I see that a new season has begun in my home.
My son is not getting younger, no matter how badly I would like that to happen. We are starting to see the signs of puberty so my husband and I have decided that it's time to look at what we need to do to prepare our preteen for his future.
As we started talking about the expected up and coming events, I realized that this is going to be harder then bringing a new born home from the hospital. Needless to say, I was seventeen when I brought my son home. You would think that nothing could be harder than that, but I'm starting to think that that was a breeze compared to this.
We are already starting with the out bursts of tears for no reason at all. "Might I ask, is that not what girls do???" Of course, this only happens when he's over tired. So what do I do now, start an earlier bed time? It feels like time is moving backwards.
We have talked the puberty talk and we've talked the sex talk, so we don't need to worry about that, but it's the hormones that are taking me for a loop.
I know that their taking my poor son for a loop as well so we are going to try to do our best.
After much discussion and prayer, my husband and I have realized that this is the time. This is the time in my son's life that will impact him as an adult. Good or bad. When he becomes an adult his memories of life will be on these very years. They can make a impact on him in what he does and what we do. Talk about pressure!
We want him to enjoy these years and treasure them that he will want the same kind of life for his family. We want him to know where to go to find strength. We want him to become independent, responsible, respectful, joyful and know where the best place for him would be to find the love of his life. I could go on and on about all these big responsibilities. But I'm sure that it would never end.
This new season is going to be fun and stressful. This new season wont only be about him but us too. I can already see that we are growing from this knowledge and it gets me excited to see what God has planned for our life. I know there are many of you women that are in the same season as I am in. I'm thinking of you now and sending out a prayer for you all, because this is for our future.

MARTEN

2009-02-17T12:04:00.004-06:00

I have a new friend. Someone who might be a little dangerous but very entertaining. He/She jumps from tree to tree in the most aerobatic moves and takes care of all those creatures that I would rather live with out. Like mice and squirrels. Not that squirrels are all that bad, but they love to wiggle into the crawl spaces of our house and they make a racket and pull out all of our isolation. So at this very moment, this guy is my friend.

This is a Marten, he is in the family of wolverines, mink's and weasels. EEEeeek... I don't like the sound of a wolverine. This guy should be out in British Columbia but has now made a home on our yard. So we will enjoy him/her for as long as we can.

We just need to be very careful when we let our dog out because this guy is very interested in her. "Not a good thing"

I've seen this thing kill and carry a squirrel the same size as him up a tree. And it's pretty vicious.

Another one

2009-02-05T16:10:00.001-06:00

I'm yet another auntie. My Brother and Sister-in-law had a little boy early this morning. I can't believe it. Two boys in 24 hours. We are so excited!

I'm a new Auntie

2009-02-04T13:31:00.003-06:00

I'm proud to announce that I have a new nephew. He was born at 8:45 this morning. Nehemiah Robert Allan to Norm and Rose, Sheldon's Bro and sis-in-law. He was named after two of his uncle's. My husband included.
He has three older brothers waiting for him at home. My sister-in-law will be well protected with all her big boy's in her house. I can't wait to see him.

The Carillon

2009-01-30T11:36:00.003-06:00

I made it into the local news paper with the stylish hair I had on the 26th. You can see picture's on my previous post.
My son was also in the paper with his mohawk.
We are just popular people around here. lol...
All you need to do is be a little crazy and stand out and you can get known by everyone.
Not that it's going to make a difference in my life, most of the people (including me) call the local paper the "Careless News."
Have a great weekend everyone!

2009-01-27T14:35:00.002-06:00

Years ago I could go to sleep at 1:00am or 2:00am and get up for the morning milking at 5:00am.
This is where I have realized that I am getting older. There is no way that would swing around here anymore.
My husband and I went to bed at 12:30 Sunday night and I still feel like I can't recover from the lack of sleep. It's doesn't help that I'm trying to cut my coffee down either.
Does anyone have a special trick or secret for me?
I need energy!!!

Team Spirit

2009-01-26T20:38:00.002-06:00

Today was all about "Hockey Spirit" for the Mitchell Mohawks!
A bunch of the kids in Jadden's team got Mohawks, painted their hair blue for provincials and got into the team spirit with the football look.

Some of the parents got involved and styled their hair like mohawks and painted their faces.
Kinda hard to do with long hair but I did my best.

We had a blast and I'll have to say that my son's team had great looking fans.

My cool boy showing off his new "due"
Very Cool!!!!

I'm babbling...

2009-01-23T11:08:00.006-06:00

When you've been gone for a week, it seems like it takes a life time to catch up. I've been home a week now and I have been cleaning and cleaning and cleaning around that clock. I have vacuumed, done laundry, washed wall's, washed floors, and shampooed carpet's and my house still feels like it's out of control. I clean one room and as soon as I turn around it's a mess. I'm not cleaning up after toddlers tho, it's two grown men, a ten year old boy, a dog and myself. You would think that they would have learnt how to clean up after them selves by now. Oh ya, do I mention that my DOG has had the flu all week??? Good thing I still have the carpet shampooer. "I'm sorry I mentioned that."
My goal was to have the house work done by Tuesday and spend the rest of the week on school work and my daily house hold duties. I guess I was dreaming. Or maybe I'm just too fussy. That could very well be.
As I chuckle to myself about this idiotic post I'm looking around and realizing that it will only take me and hour and my house will be the best it can be, the guy's really aren't that bad, and then I just have to think about getting groceries. That's actually not that bad for a Friday.
Now the question is, do I delete this whole post or do I share my jibber jabber with all of you? I know I'll look like a fool but I think I'll sacrifice my pride so you can all have a laugh.
I really think this helped, jabbering on and on about useless information, because I feel a whole lot better and I'm ready to tackle that last bit of house cleaning.
I wish you all a great weekend.

Cuba

2009-01-20T15:08:00.000-06:00

I guess it's about time I inform you on our trip to Cuba.
I'm sorry I took so long to write. We headed straight to my son's hockey tournament which lasted the whole weekend and I spent yesterday unpacking, doing laundry and cleaning.

Our trip was filled with excitement, laughter and many great memories. We arrived on one of the coldest days they had in the past week, +29, but thankfully that cold spell only lasted a day and we enjoyed the warmer weather, +30-32.
sorry, I had to rub it in your face.

Every morning we were on the beach and most afternoons we headed back to the pool. The kids did amazing through out the whole trip, very little complaining and most of them did well with the different food. All the children had an opportunity to go to Kids Club every day, giving mom and dad a two hour break. woohoo!!! They went to feed the fish on a paddle boat, they went snorkeling, and they went to look for fossil on the beach. My son has nothing but great things to say about our trip. It only worries me that we wont get to go on our own trips anymore. Good thing I'm still the parent.
We never left the resort because the closest town was an hour away and the roads weren't the greatest. But to our surprise, we never ran out of things to do.
The biggest highlight for me was that we were able to give gifts to the local people. Some of the people were left with nothing after the hurricane, but we could see that they were not forgotten because there were many people giving them gifts, clothes and helping them with their shelters.

This was a trip I wont ever forget. We travel with an amazing family (Conrad and Louise) and gave Jadden a chance to see a totally different world. I hope we will have many more opportunities to go on trips like this with our whole family.

I don't have a lot of pictures to share with you here but you can go take a look on facebook any time. Just look for "Candy D"

2009-01-08T15:08:00.000-06:00

Good bye cold snowy winter.

Hello hot sandy Cuba.
15 hours and counting till we take off to Cuba. I'm busy packing and doing last minute chores around the house.
My son is so pumped about leaving today that he was trying to skip school to "help me pack." Funny boy, I can only imagine what that would have been like.
Well there will be no post's for the next week so I wish you all a great week.
(P.S. I heard it should be getting warmer here in Manitoba. That would be nice for all who need a break from this nasty cold weather.

Small house, Big heart!

2009-01-05T23:10:00.003-06:00

I have had a big problem with hosting parties during the winter months because I wanted my house to be perfect and I wanted to go way out of my way to make everyone's stay great. That's not a reality to make it perfect in a 850sqft. living space. But I've noticed that it's cozy and people always make themselves at home.
I have had a great holiday season having guests over at my house much more than I usually do and I notice that I have a lot more great memories from me getting over myself. And as far as I know, my guest's have enjoyed their visit every time. So yes, I've been cheating myself!!! I used to count down the winter months because we have a great big yard to visit with friends through the summer months, but I don't think that I'll have to keep counting. No matter how big, small, stylish or cluttered, I can always make room for my friends. (((Cheesy...)))
Man it's great when I learn something new!

2009-01-05T23:08:00.001-06:00

This is another picture I took from our weekend snow fall.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
"I just heard that there's more snow on it's way."

2009-01-04T17:13:00.001-06:00

Talk about a lot of snow.
15 cm
It's absolutely beautiful.
This is my front yard and if you take a close look at the tree's, you can see that there's almost a foot of snow on some of those poor branch's.

2008 is finished but wont be forgotten!

2008-12-30T21:23:00.004-06:00

Another year past but there so much that will last for years to come. I'll share two of them with you, because they mean the world to me.
#1. Memories:
- Sheldon and I travel out to Cuba for the first time in January. It was an amazing experience for the both of us. There was so much we had never seen that it we felt it was important to bring our son out there to see. We will be leaving shortly after the new year.
- The three of us took a trip out to Minneapolis for our birthday celebrations and we got to watch two NHL games. (Something we don't have in this area.)
- Jadden got straight A's in his last report card for grade 4.
- Jadden and I made our first garden and found great success out of it.
- We got to share a week of camping with Sheldon's family.
- We booked a cabin for a week and were able to share it with many friends through out our stay.
- Sheldon is coaching the local Junior hockey team instead of Jadden's team. It's been a great learning experience for the both of them.
- Jadden has improved so much in hockey and became the captain of his team.
- I started a course "The International School of Ministry"
- We've had so many days and evenings that we'll remember that were spent with our friends and family hear in our home.

#2. Spiritual Growth:
- My relationship with God has been strengthened and has been built on a firm rock. I have been through a lot and I have pushed myself to see God in the light He wants to be seen in. He has spoken to me in ways I can't explain and He has given me a foundation that I can now find independence and strength from.
-God has shown Himself to my husband and given him a new light to walk with. My husband has become the spiritual leader in our home and his faith and growth surprises me daily.
- My son is pushing his way through the confusing stage of getting older. (yes I know that could speak for everyone) He is slowly growing from a child into a man. With help from God, he has found confidence in the fact that he can be himself because of God's plan for his life. He understands that the decisions he makes for his life can come with consequences (not just from mom and dad) and he's constantly goes to God for new strength and understanding. I'm so proud of him and his choices.
What are some of your great memories from 2008?

2008-12-25T10:58:00.000-06:00

I pray for you and your family this Christmas, that you will all have a Merry Christmas and Gods Richest Blessings through this Holiday Season.
What an amazing gift we have received, Our sin's are washed away because of this day. I absolutely love this story of Jesus' birth and how He rescued us from such a sinful world.
God Bless you all.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T09:42:00.000-06:00

Christmas fun in my eye's.
Skating, Tubing, Snowmobiling, sledding and Quading with family and friends.

And then warming up with hot chocolate and games.

Memories!
I hope there will be memories made to cherish each and every day this Christmas Season.

Cuba, here we come!!!

2008-12-13T15:21:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that we are going again!!!
This picture is of us in Cuba a year ago. We were only dreaming to think that we would possibly have the chance to go again. We are going with the same couple (Shel's Sister and Bro-in-law), but we are bringing our children along. I know that this will be life changing for all of us, especially our kids.
We want to go out there with toys and much more to give to the people. These people have so little and I think it will be great for Jadden to experience this and give to the people and children in need.
So early January, we are off!!!
The picture below is the expression we got from Jadden when he found out.
So cute!

Winter Fun

2008-12-11T22:54:00.002-06:00

Who needs the NHL when you can bring the ice home to you?

This is the project my husband has been working on for two weeks. We can wait to get out our skates for our first skate. He's been working on this rink every night into the wee hours of the night and it looks like we will be able to put it into use very soon.

This is ice brings back a lot of memories for me. The house we own is the house I grew up in and this is the first year that we can bring a part of my dad back onto this yard.
When I was young, my dad and uncle made an ice rink for us every winter. It was something we looked forward to every year, because we knew that people would start showing up and it ended up being a party every night. You know the saying, "If you build it, they will come." Well thats what happened with my dad's ice.
They built beautiful boards, 4 feet all around. Complete with lighting and was built to the full size of a professional ice rink. They had a big heating shack built with a wood stove inside. It was the ultimate haven for our family. So great that we would have sleep-overs in that shack.
The ice my husband is building, as I speak, is built in the exact same spot that my day had his ice. You can see the light's in the pictures above, the electrical cord that we used is the same one my dad used. We found it over grown and stuck in weeds when we started cleaning up the plot for the rink. You have to remember that this was from a long time ago. At least 20 years!
The heating shack is still there but we can't use it, seeing it's rotting away and we didn't build the rink nearly as big or fancy. But it means that world to me. It's a dream come true and a great place for our family to enjoy evening and weekends.

Decorating

2008-12-10T14:57:00.001-06:00

I finally had a chance to sneak outside and get the front entrance decorated.
My husband and my father-in-law were such sweet hearts and built me a pergola this summer.

This was one big thing I was looking forward to.
A fresh garland to hang along the pergola for Christmas.
It feels so cozy and it adds a perfect touch to our country yard.

I made all my decorations out of ceder, pine branches. This is something I love to do, but it takes a lot of time.
I started the first weekend of December and I only finished now.

And of course, my dog, Cleo had to help too. She was my guard dog for all those "man eating squirrels."
(Have you heard of them, we have them all over our yard.)
Lol...

Whats little and whats BIG?

2008-12-08T14:14:00.007-06:00

I was so hurt this last weekend. It wasn't because of some huge conflict that I had with a friend or an unexpected accident. It was the feeling of disrespect.
A person overstepping their boundaries after I has asked them not to. (Sounds like our kids, doesn't it?)
I talked about this with a close friend yesterday and I was shocked to see that he/she didn't understand where I was coming from and I couldn't understand where their thought pattern was going either.
This person was looking at how small these issues where and I was looking at the big impact these small issues were causing in my life.

The story of Adam and Eve struck me like a brick wall!
If you would only look at them eating the apple, you would look at that as a small thing. Wouldn't you? Just eating an apple is not all that big. We over look the "small" part of this story because we know the ending, It's "BIG" and we are living in a sinful world because of it.
How often do we look at what we are doing and justify it as something small. "There's no way that it could cause grief." But to the receiver, it does.
How often do we sneak around a person because we think they won't find out? How do you think that person would feel if they knew?
This situation has given me an opportunity to look at my life pattern, and I encourage you to take a look for yourself. Not just for yourself, but for the people around you.
Are we spending each moment out of our day seeking God and trying to please Him? Are we listening to what we are saying to others? Is it filled with gossip or deceit? Is it a loving conversation that wont hurt a person and will it show everyone you know respect?
It's not only what comes out of our mouths, lets take a closer look at our actions too.
I'm not saying this to fill anyone with shame.
I have seen myself do this a million times. But this weekend was the weekend that God showed me what it felt like to be the receiver. I promise all of you that it doesn't feel good, not even a "little."

December

2008-12-02T19:21:00.002-06:00

December has snuck up be hind us, hasn't it?

I hope you can all enjoy your Christmas this year.
The excitement of putting up the tree and decorations, buy gifts for the people you love, baking cookies for company and my favorite, listening to Christmas music.
What are your favorite things about Christmas?

The Book of Hebrews

2008-11-26T11:44:00.004-06:00

You would think that if you wrote something as great as this you would put your signature on it.
I kinda like the idea that its an unknown author in the book of Hebrews. We don't have the opportunity to focus on anyone other then God Himself, and what He requires of us in our daily walk with Him.
What is said in this book is real and sometimes harsh. But it can be very rewarding when you understand it's message and try to live according to it instructions daily.
The world "Discipline" has become an unpopular word in our society, but according to Hebrews, discipline is necessary in our life. One of the most important areas for believers to have discipline is in their thought life, because every act is the product of thought. "Have your thoughts focused on Jesus." Hebrews 3:1
If we don't discipline ourselves in our thoughts, we could very likely turn away from Gods calling for us and be attracted to the things of the world. Every time that we are lead away from are calling, the works of God through our lives are delayed or even destroyed.
This makes me think about yesterday during our family devotion time. We read about the story of Eli and his wicked sons. (1Samuel 2:12-36) They weren't disciplined enough to think about what God really wanted from them. They were treating the Lords offering as worthless. But in their minds, it was something very little and they figured no one would notice. I in God's eye's it was very sinful. God then told Eli that because of this, his two son's will die on the same day and none of the men in his family will live to old age.
The words in chapter 25 are very harsh but also very true.
If one person sins against another, God will take care of him. However, when a person sins against the Lord, who will pray for him? (1 Samuel 3:25)

I have found for myself that I need my quiet time with God. The more I read in the Word and spend time listening to God, my calling becomes more clear. Reading Hebrews really helped me to see what God intends every believer to do. I encourage you to take the time to read through Hebrews and ask God where He wants you. I promise that it will take a lot of discipline to achieve these great goals that God has set for us, but with our minds set on Him, we can do anything.

Wedding Celebration

2008-11-11T11:37:00.001-06:00

We got a picture with our handsome boy.

Jadden's Buddies, Brent (Grooms Man), Elmer (Groom), Stacey (Best Man) and Jadden ( Junior Best Man)

Elmer, Wanda and Jadden

Our Family.
We have finally become a family of Five.
You ask why I would you say that. Well, if you have read my post through out the last couple of years, you will have noticed that I had a teen pregnancy, and Elmer is Jadden's birth father.
We have gone through some very rocky moments, but all together it's been a Blessing.
Jadden has been the #1 reason we stuck it out and push through our selfish feelings. We decided shortly after Sheldon and I got married that we wanted this to work and Elmer was with us 100%. While Jadden was growing up, we were too. Funny, the way it sounds, but that's the truth. We were all very young at the time, but we were all leaning on God and He pulled us through.
Jadden has been able to grow up with his whole family surrounding him and supporting him through his life. He has a ton of people loving him and praying for him as he has been growing. And he seems to be doing great with it.
When he was very young, we told him that Elmer, Jadden and Sheldon and I are a family and it will stay that way all his life. Now we have a family of Five. I can't believe that I finally have women to hang out with. Our Christmas and any other event we celebrated together was me with three boys. Boys = sports! Not the greatest for me, but it worked.
Wanda is an amazing person. I love to see her strength and acceptance towards our family. She is very quiet, but she brings so much joy to all of our lives. Again, I feel so very Blessed as to how this has worked out. I know that we will be able to share our lives together and both be Blessed with a great relationship.
So that's my story. And I have to give God all the Glory! We couldn't have done it with out Him.

Ready for the BIG DAY!

2008-11-07T11:51:00.002-06:00

My son has his first big moment of being a Best Man! Junior Best man, that is.

Brent (Grooms Man), Jadden (Junior Best Man) and Elmer (Groom)

Check him out! Mama is so proud!
It was very hard for me to release him out onto the bad roads. We had our first snow fall this night and the roads are covered with slush and ice seeing we had rain before the snow began.
They are traveling and hour away for pictures, so I'm praying for safety as I speak.

Elmer and Wanda (read the cake)
Last week of freedom (Fredom lol)
This is the lovely couple who is going to tie the knot tonight. I can't wait!

I'll have many pictures to share with you tomorrow.
I wish you all a Blessed day and safety for anyone who has to face the bad roads.

A Better Person

2008-10-28T00:34:00.004-05:00

What urges you to be a better person?

When you take a day and spend it with the one's closest to you.
When you have a deep conversation with a friend.
When you hear a message in church that relates to your thought life.
When you lost your patients with your child.
When your well on your way to reaching your goal.
When you meet your child "finally" in their territory, so they understand you.

This has all happened to me in the last 36 hours. Incredible! Don't you think? I'm rejoicing in the Lord. I have seen Him move in my life and show me incredible things through these very points. I have spent many moments in tears, just being captivated by His power and plan. He is speaking to me and showing me where I need to be.

And most of all, He is telling me to slow down. Open my eye's and see what He has put in front of me. When I have listened, I have been blessed beyond measures.

This is what makes me want to be a better person.

I had to share this with you today, because I'm almost crawling out of my skin in complete happiness.

Test Day

2008-10-16T08:49:00.004-05:00

Did I do enough? Will I have changed enough to get through this? Can I really memorize this much a put it on paper tonight?
These are the questions that have been going through my mind for the past week.
I started a course at the beginning of September and it really took a lot out of me to step out and register for it. I have never done well in school and I was afraid that my past would come back to haunt me if I started school again.
I am attending The International School of Ministry (ISOM).

Today I have the first big test. I've been studying for the past week, but I just don't know what's enough. I'm praying to God to give me knowledge for tonight, because of my history. I used to freeze up when a test was put in front of me. I hope that doesn't happen tonight. I really want to do well!
Please pray for me. I'll need it!!!

Giving Thanks

2008-10-14T21:17:00.003-05:00

Thanks Giving

Definition: is to take a day to thank God for taking us through a harsh storm.

Intresting what I find when I get couriuos. This was one of the definitions I found when I looked up the word thanks giving.

Everday we are faced with storms.

Sometimes our thoughts start clouding up through out the day and it begins overwhelming us with lies and condomnation, becoming a storm thats out of control and fills us with unhealthy thoughts.

Sometimes we have to face illnessess that drain us completely. Once again planting a storm in our lives.

At times death will overwhelm us with greif, giving us the uncontrolable storm that takes a long time to heal the moarning and loss, missing the one we love.

Then we have the on going temptations, bad habits, raising our children and relationships that can push us in and out of storms.

Everything I have mentioned here will will surely bring you to a point of sadness. Grief, because of the uncontrolable world we live in. God is always there. Watching us, crying with us and trying to hold us through our storms. He is faithful and just! He will never leave you!

So now we had this day of thankgiving, why not take a moment to give thanks to God for taking us through all of our storms through out this life, year, day, whatever it might be. He is always there to calm the storm and hold you in his arms.

2 Samuel 22:17-19

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who are to strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of disaster,

but the Lord was my support.

Personality (Part 2)

2008-10-08T08:44:00.007-05:00

This is the next step of my Personality post....

For thoughs of you who haven't seen my last post on personalities, I encourage you to take a look at it before your read any further.

Four basic styles
produce 16 combinations
We can be combinations of each of the four styles and most
people are a blend of two styles

Driver

Driver Director
-new opportunities

Driver Promoter
-adventurer
-dominance & independence

Driver Administrator
-pioneer
-direct tasks

Driver Supporter
-producer
-bigger & better

Promoter

Promoter Driver
-enthusiast
-Influencing people

Promoter
-socialiser
-social approval

Promoter Administrator
-impresser
-win with flair

Promoter Supporter
-helper
-friendship

Administrator

Administrator Driver
-master-mind
-personal accomplishment

Administrator Promoter
-assessor
-accomplishing goals
with excellence

Administrator
-thinker
-desire to be correct

Administrator Supporter
-perfecter
-predicable results

Supporter

Supporter Driver
-go-getter
-steady flow of more
accomplishments

Supporter Promoter
-harmoniser
-approval from helping others

Supporter Administrator
-specialist to specialise

Supporter
-relater
-personal stability

Seeing some of you found out your personality last time, I figured we could go the extra step and see if we have any combo's of personalities...
I am still just a plain old Supporter! not that that's a bad thing. I have to say that it suits me well.
Did you stay the same or did your personality change?

It's here

2008-10-07T13:29:00.005-05:00

Look what I got!
My husband decided to treat me to an amazing gift for our anniversary! After watching the video, The Bible Experience on you tube, and watching me cry through the whole video, my husband decided to treat me. It just got in and I can't wait to listen to it while I make my pasta sauce and salsa.
I wish you all a Blessed day.
Take a look at the video, it's amazing!

Personality

2008-10-06T12:37:00.004-05:00

I was talking with my sister-in-law this morning and was informed on the exact personality is was according a shape. Yes, A shape!
Being so very interested in this, I took a look through google to see if I could give you the same info. I didn't find the exact one, No shapes, but I always think that theres something to say about your own personality. You can find out a lot about the person you are and the person God entitled you to be when you become conscious of your life and the personality you were Blessed with. Take a look at what I found and I urge you to take it to heart. I'm sure you will see your purpose more clearly as soon as you find your personality. I did... For thoughs of you who want to know, I am a Supporter!

Drivers
 Do it now, can do attitude
 Goal oriented & a self starter
 Assertive & Competitive
 Results oriented
 Task & information focused
 Decisive & want control
 Fast paced often impatient
 Prepared to take risks
 Problem solvers

Promoters
 Want to be noticed
 People oriented
 Direct & open
 Animated & emotional
 Creative, enthusiastic leaders
 Lots of ideas, bubbly, outgoing
 Fast paced & spontaneous
 Prefer working with others
 Excellent persuasive skills

Supporters
 Want to get along
 People oriented team players
 Help others & solve conflicts
 Relaxed & friendly
 Slower paced
 Cautious, risk averse
 Enjoy harmony & trust
 Patient & cooperative
 Dependable & predictable
 Avoid conflict & good listeners

Administrators
 Want to get it right
 Accurate & meticulous
 Logical task & information focused
 Detail oriented & precise
 Slower paced, quality not quantity
 Cautious & risk averse
 Problem solvers
 Structured and orderly
 Dependable & predictable
 Set high standards

There is so much more to add to this, but I'll leave it at this for now. There might be a follow up with more info tomorrow.

What personality are you??? I would love to know!

God Bless

Perseverance

2008-10-01T09:07:00.002-05:00

Every day in my time with God, I meditate according to the feelings and thoughts that are provoking me. Then I start reading and researching (love google) and God leads me to what I need to hear, and I can then start work on areas in my life that I sometimes don't even know I needed help with.
This past Sunday I was lead into a very in depth week of devotion and fasting. I can't really say that I have ever been lead this clearly. It's very exciting, so exciting that I involved my husband in this journey. At the very moment that I opened it up to Sheldon, my heart began to swell and I was Blessed immediately. It was another confirmation that I was heading into the right direction.
Now, being on day 3 of our big event, I was lead to the topic of Perseverance. I have to say that it is my favorite topic, but I thought that it wouldn't lead to this.
So I listened and obeyed and my spirit was renewed once again. THANK YOU LORD!!!

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
God gives grace in the difficult places when we turn to Him. That does not mean that troubles are instantly gone, but He will work His perfect will in us to mold us to the image of Christ, He promises.
It is during those times of deep suffering that we are tempted to turn to the idols of the world in the same way that the Israelites turned to the idols of the nations when God seemed far off. But when anyone turns from God in the midst of suffering, they not only lose out on the possibility of spiritual growth but they postpone the real help that God both promises and provides.
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:3-4
What an awesome God we have. My goal and I encourage it to be your as well, is to have faith and remember that God can be in control. If we want God to work in our lives, we need to give him tools so he can work miracles. "What," you ask, "are his Tools?" We are!!!!
We just can't give up. Persevere!

A walk with God

2008-09-29T09:17:00.001-05:00

A walk with God (Sunday Devotion)

2008-09-29T09:02:00.001-05:00

Gods Love

2008-09-28T10:38:00.005-05:00

This will give you the chills....... GOOD chills.
A young man had been to Wednesday Night Bible Study.

The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice

The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does God still speak to people?'

After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.

It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'God...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.'

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk.
He shook his head and said out loud, 'God is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home.
But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk.

The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.
'Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.
As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.'

This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection.

Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street .

At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh.

Half jokingly, he said out loud,

'Okay, God, I will.'

He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi- commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.
Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give t he milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.
'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.
Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for some thing, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.'
He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away.
The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. H e looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?'
The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway.
Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face.
The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.'
His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?'
The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face.He knew that God still answers prayers.
This is so true. Sometimes it's the simplest things that God asks us to do that cause us, if we are obedient to what He's asking, to be able to hear. His voice more clear than ever. Please listen, and obey ! It will bless you (and the world).

Phil 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

A true testimony of Gods wonderful power.

Married 9 years

2008-09-25T14:19:00.001-05:00

I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine
Song of Solomon 6:3

God has designed this plan of marriage and it works perfectly!
Marriage works perfectly???? I know many of us ask that question at times.
Sheldon and I have been through both rough and amazing times through out our marriage. But I have noticed that all the rough times have performed some kind of a Blessing or Miracle in our lives. With as stubborn as we both are, we have prolonged many sufferings in our lives "because we can always do it ourselves."
I know it sounds pretty bad that I'm focusing on this subject on the day of our anniversary, but when I'm looking back on our last 9 years together I look at everything that we have conquered. As we have grown closer together with God, we have found easier ways of getting past difficult times. We are building not only a foundation for our marriage, but we are building a foundation for our son. It's always such a comfort for a child to be in a safe home. And it's always great to have that kind of an influence of a strong marriage.

My husband who loves me dearly, has helped me grow, given me hope and confidence. He is a protector and supplier, a father and a husband I could have only dreamt of as a child. I thank God every day for this man, my marriage and strength to support my family and be a leader with Sheldon in my home.
In this last year, we have found out that we need our daily time together just to talk, and talk about things that can be left behind in our busy lifestyles. We have found this has given us a lot of foundation for our marriage. There are times when we need to stand together and fight, and there are times when we can celebrate. "I'm telling you, it never boring around here."
I found a list of 12 tips for a marriage on "Christian Marriages Encouragement."

1) Keep God First!
2) Pray Together!
3) Respect and honor each other!
4) Encourage each other to grow together!
5) Read the Bible together as much as possible!
6) Be swift to hear and slow to speak!
7) Make time to communicate with each other!
8) Protect and honor your marriage vows!
9) Do not let others come between your marriage!
10) Have a "Mission Statement" for your marriage and family!
11) Thank God every day for your mate and the life you have together!
12) Understand that love is a choice, not a feeling!

My goal is to do this every day. My husband only deserves it.

"Therefore what God has joined together,
let no man separate."
Mark 10:9

2008-09-19T23:02:00.004-05:00

"Jadden's Paintballing Birthday Party with his friends"

Well, if you haven't read my last post, I suggest you do.

I was in the middle of getting Jadden's birthday party ready so I didn't have a lot of time.

My son turned 10 today.

It's a little surreal now if I think of the last 10 years. He has been such a blessing to me and Sheldon.

11 years ago at the age of 16, I found out that I was expecting a child. I was all alone, very scared and I lost most of my friend's. Dealing with criticism, rejection and a helpless feeling of how I was going to get through this. The one and only thing that I could be confident about was that I wanted to keep this baby. Now looking back at it, I know it was God.

During this time, Sheldon (for thoughs of you who don't know, my husband) encouraged me and told me that he wanted to help out and stand by me through this. "I know, at such a young age it all sounds a little crazy" But he did stand by me through it all. He helped me through my pregnancy, getting ready for a baby and he gave me a lot of joy through a very hard time in my life. During my pregnancy, our friendship became a very loving relationship that turned out to be true and strong.

Jadden was born on September 19th at 12:51 am. Two day's after his due date (Grandpa's Birthday)Weighing a full 9lbs 12oz. "Crazy kid had to make a grand entrance."

He was perfect to the tee...

A week after Jadden's first Birthday, Sheldon and I were married and our life with Jadden became complete. So far, Jadden is the only child that we have. Our doctors informed us in our first year of marriage that we couldn't have another child. It's been a tough walk for us, but we still believe that God has a plan out there for us. I'm just so thankful that we have been Blessed with our Sweaty, Jadden.

He is our little miracle, who has filled us with joy, peace, entertainment and love.

"I just can't believe that he's getting so old"

I love you Jadden. You warm my heart every day and you are truly a gift from God. You have made me want to be a better person. You have given me a purpose and you have blessed me with our talks. I know that you love Jesus and I'm so thankful that your reaching for great goals.

I love, love, love you boogs...

Happy 10th Birthday

Happy Birthday little boy

2008-09-19T18:00:00.001-05:00

Jadden was wanted us to wake him at 12:51 this morning so he could celebrate the actual time that he was born.

Sheldon made a late night run to Tim Hortons to get Jadden's favorite donut.

It was short and sweet. Just like this post. lol... I have to run but I will tell you a lot more this weekend.

Dad

2008-09-16T23:14:00.003-05:00

"Partying already"
Happy Birthday Dad.
55
In my teens, my mom always told me about how my dad insisted that I wear frilly dresses and had to have pretty hair. I was the youngest out of four kids and the only girl so my daddy wanted me to have it all.
I was his little princess.
Princess in rubber boots, that is...
I never believed my mom, seeing my dad had always been so busy working on the farm. If I ever wanted to see him, I would have to ride along with him on a tractor, grain truck or combine. Most of the time it was spent in silence. I would follow my dad around all day if I could and just loved it if he didn't send me home too early. He worked long hours and my memories only show him asleep when he was at home.
Now as I have grown up and have my own family, I can see all that I couldn't see then.
The very manly man the I looked up to with great respect as a child has become my cuddly bear of a father. His very calm wordless expression has erupted with giggles and joy. His work ethic now stops when he enters our home and we have built a bond that no one can separate. His relationship with God is now seen, and his pride in his children and grandchildren is spoken regularly.
This is the man he was many years ago, but he was working hard to supply for his family. Now he's able to slow down and enjoy his family. The stress of making enough money for food, clothing and recreational events for his family don't need to be his concern any longer.
The Stress Is Gone...
I am so thankful for all this man has done for me. I am so thankful that you can see the joy, pride and peace in his eye's. This man has Blessed me 100 times over. This man has loved me no matter what I've done wrong. This man holds a peace of my heart in his hands.
Happy Birthday Dad.
I love you with all my heart and pray Blessing into your life for all you have done.
Thank you

Little up date

2008-09-10T23:10:00.002-05:00

Well I'm off on the field again. Being the little good farmer girl I am. lol...
I actually can't wait. (please remind me that I said this when I complain in a couple of day's) It's been a long break for me and my truck has been in the shop, so I think it will be better driving this time around.
My cabinets will be put on hold for a while, but staining and varnishing is done and most are hanging again. I just need to finish all the last touches. I can't wait until their done.
I wish everyone a great week and weekend.

Oh ya, Did anyone hear that it's hockey season again. Woohoo!!!!
My favorite. My son has been on the ice for two weeks already. Can you believe it? He started in August. Anyways, thats whats going on.
Wish you all a great day.

What's your routine???

2008-09-04T23:54:00.002-05:00

My sis-in-law just had a great post on her blog about daily routine's.
As you can see on the picture above, this is what gets me going every morning. During the summer months I got up when ever I pleased and made myself a cup of coffee, and while the coffee was brewing I would do the dishes from the night before. As soon as thats finished I would be out on the patio until I had my fill of coffee, the flowers, devotions, and sometimes a conversation, and then clean, work in the gardens or go visiting.
Now that my son is back in school, I'm trying to find the motivation to get out of bed seeing it's much earlier then I got up before and get my boy out on the bus. Not much to brag about, must I say.
My goal is to get up much earlier then Jade, get on the treadmill and shower before I have to make breakfast, Jadden's lunch and get him on the bus. Then I can feel a lot more energized while I'm having breakfast with Jade and I can get into a new routine that I can be proud of. I need routine in the morning or it becomes a fight zone in my house. lol...
When Jade is finally off to school I can then sit down with my cup of coffee and do my devotions and get my head in the game.
When I reach this goal, I'll let you know. But I must warn you that it might take a while.
I'M NOT A MORNING PERSON!!!
LOL

Busy, Busy, Busy...

2008-09-03T21:37:00.004-05:00

It's time I up date you guy's on my life...
I kinda feel bad that I haven't said anything for such a long time. I just didn't have much to say I guess...
We'll Jadden went off to school today, It was great for him, but I love having him at home.
Crazy me, I went into over-drive and pulled my whole kitchen apart. (A little crazy, seeing I have the house full of people all weekend) I started staining my bottom cabinets. Now that I've been working on it all day, I'm a little worried because they aren't turning out exactly as I had imagined. But it's never too late. I know it will be great when it's done. I just can't say when that will be. lol...
I'll post pictures when I'm done, If I do it now you'll all agree with me that it looks like garbage.
I can hardly wait tho. I have many plans before winter gets here. I want to paint all of my exterior door and interior doors, wash my walls and paint. I can't wait for the end product. Hopefully my husband will get the basement done soon that I can start looking at new furniture for the main floor and get some of my space back.
Well I promise to stay in touch and keep you posted.
Have a great week.

It's about time...

2008-08-07T22:20:00.000-05:00

Look what I finally got.
I have wanted a picture of my humming birds for the last two years and I never got a chance.

My last failing attempt (yesterday)was really entertaining. I went to sit outside with my coffee, like I do every morning and I figured that I'd bring out my camera just in case the humming birds showed up. Not to my surprise, they did. I tried to turn on my camera and it didn't. I think I had to try three times till it turned on. (the battery was dieing) I focused on the bird and attempted to take a picture and it didn't do a thing. By that time that bird flew away. But I knew that it would come back so I sat and waited until it returned. Once it did, My camera didn't work fast enough and the bird was gone once again.
At that point I looked up into the heavens and asked God why he didn't want me to share this beautiful bird with my friends. Would he really want this to be just for me? I laughed it off and shared this story with many of my friends witch was very amusing for them.

Finally I have my shot. It was a great time in my life. Just wait, I'll probably get many pictures of them from now on. lol...

Friendship

2008-08-05T23:37:00.000-05:00

God has blessed me with many friends.
In the Bible the meaning for friend is a person who loves and respects another person.
Each person you see here has helped me grow into the person I am today and I am so thankful for that.
(There are many more)
I am so thankful for each and every one of them.
When I read Philippians 1:3-11 took the words right out of my mouth so I thought I would share them with you today.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart: for weather I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share Gods grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the effection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.

This prayer goes out to all of you who read this. I know that God has a plan for each and every one of you weather you think you are big or small. God wants to use all of us. I pray that you will seek Gods love daily and that you will feel Gods grace in you.

A week gone by

2008-07-31T18:13:00.003-05:00

Its time to get my life back in order. I have felt like it's so impossible to get back into a rhythm since I got off the grain truck. My house is getting so out of hand and I'm going into a busy weekend. I know I would feel so much better if I had everything in order.
It's kinda funny. I would love to beat myself up about this, but I know that every women has their day's, or in my case, week's. lol...
At this point, a holiday for me would be a week where I could get organized and I wouldn't have anywhere I needed to be. I get so tired of appointments and plans.
I love, love, love just taking care of my house and family.
I hope everyone is having a Blessed week. If your not, I pray that God will Bless you today.

The Forks

2008-07-27T00:34:00.001-05:00

We don't have too much time to take a lot of holiday's in the summer. So we take any opportunity to make special days for our family.
After a very long week for us all, we decided to take a day to relax at the Forks. What a great day it was. I haven't spent a day like that at the Forks since I was 16. It's been too long...
We enjoyed the walk through the market, all the neat shops and an excellent meal at the Spaghetti Factory. The weather was perfect for a great meal outside so we took advantage of it and enjoyed our meal on the patio.
After supper, we took a stroll along the Red river. The river was lined with many ducks and ducklings. "Don't you think it's a little late to have ducklings around?" I thought they would be much bigger by now.
Even though there were tons of people there, it seemed very quiet and relaxing.

It seems like when you take the extra effort to get away, your conversations and attitudes become renewed. (My attitude was a little sour at time's seeing I have PMS and I'm exhausted from the previous week. lol) Sheldon and I told Jadden about all our memories of being here when we were younger, and Jadden was on his best behavior.
I just don't think I could be any happier with the family I have. Jadden has become such a big kid and I can see that the older he gets the more we want to get out of the house and go off on an adventure. It's so easy and so much fun. I'm not just getting away with my family, but I'm getting away with my best friends.

Oh ya... I can't wait to show you..... On our way to the forks, we stopped by the mall to buy new glasses for me. I bought two pairs Woohoo... I have to wait till next week to show you!

HI

2008-07-25T01:00:00.002-05:00

I really don't know why I'm starting this. I'm so tired and I need to get into the shower and to bed. I haven't planned anything big to share, but I really miss you guy's.
I've been stuck and a very hot grain truck since Tuesday and I've felt like I've missed out on everything for the past couple of day's. "I hope you haven't been partying with out me. "
I still have another couple of day's to go. I think next Wednesday we'll be calling it quits. And then I have month at home until we start all over. Harvesting is long.......
Some of you might be thinking that I'm talking gibberish seeing I quit my job on the farm almost a year ago. I know...I know, They wrangled me into hauling on the fields with a grain truck just for the summer. Can't really complain, the pay is awesome and I still have a lot of time with my family.
Haha... I just read through this and it sounds so depressing. Really I'm not! I have been able to spend a lot of time with God and I just finished an evening with a close friend of my riding along with me. I had a blast!
but I am Praying for a little cooler weather.
woooh, it was sweltering out there today.

Morris Stampede

2008-07-20T12:16:00.001-05:00

Once a year we spend a day at the Morris Stampede. We had a great day filled with rides, games, FOOD, and of course the rodeo and chuck wagon races. Unfortunately we witnessed a horrible accident during the chuck wagon races (1st race). The announcer said that the horses and drivers are alright, but the drivers cell phone has made it's last call. They always have to find humor in everything. The clown is hilarious!
It was a blast, and expensive...
My ultimate favorite would have to be the mini-donuts and fresh lemonade. MMmmmmm...
We spoiled Jadden rotten with almost anything he wanted and so we'll have to shorten his leash a little that he doesn't expect it from now on. LOL...
We all had such a great time and the weather was amazing.

2008-07-18T13:34:00.001-05:00

I was asked what I do with all my strawberries, so I thought it was a great excuse to continue with a strawberry theme.
I just made a bunch of freezer jam. So easy and tastes great. I figured I leave the recipe:

Strawberry Freezer Jam
2 quarts (8cups) Strawberries
5 cups sugar
1 lemon, juiced
Directions: Stir ingredients together in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Let cool and pour into pint jars or plastic containers. Store in freezer.

And then low and behold. Our family favorite...
Strawberry milkshakes.
I combine fresh strawberries, mango-pineapple juice, ice cream and whipping cream together in a blender and serve. I have found that the whipping cream makes a very creamy drink. We love it.

The rest of my strawberries get washed and put into the freezer for future milkshakes and it's great with ice cream. I might make a few dessert's before I put them all into the freezer. Any one have any ideas for a great strawberry dessert?

It's that time again...

2008-07-17T16:03:00.000-05:00

It's that time again...
Jadden and I had to prepare ourselves for this one. We have tried many times to work in the garden before and we just can't get along. I know it's not his thing, but I can't stand him sitting in front of the TV all the time. So this was our expedition this morning. We both decided that we could make a good choice about having a good attitude through out the whole picking event. And it worked, we felt so blessed by the outcome. We picked four pales of strawberries and didn't complain one bit. LOl.... I know it sounds horrible. But thats what we had to do. I know that it's not only today that we will be excited about us waking up at six to conquer the morning. But we have made great memories. I'm so proud of Jadden and how much he has grown in the past three months. He has shown me so many times that he is trying as hard as he can to be his best and I can't be happier.

What's In My Tree?

2008-07-15T08:17:00.001-05:00

I woke up extra early today (5:00). Yes I know that sounds ridicules, but I wanted to make Sheldon coffee before he went to work. So after he left, I thought I would take this opportunity to sit out on my patio and find God before I started my day. But before I went out I grabbed my camera thinking I just might get that picture of one of my humming birds that come to visit through out the day. I have wanted a picture of one of these bird for years and I just haven't had my camera handy when they would show up. "I actually work and I don't just sit around waiting for a bird to show up" lol...
So today I sat and admired all the work I did the day before and started moving plants around "in my mind" and out of nowhere this loud racket comes from the tops of one of my trees. I had this bad feeling that it was a bear, seeing people have seen bears in the area but I had never seen a bear and wasn't planning to see one today at my home. Then this sound started like one from the jungle and branches came falling down to the ground. I grabbed my camera and searched for this THING and behold.... I saw this woodpecker. It wasn't the usual small woodpecker that finds bugs in my trees. It was at least a foot tall if not larger and was boring holes into the top of my tree.
Once the bird flew away I came inside to see what this thing was. To my surprise, it's called a Pileated Woodpecker. This was the model bird for Woody Woodpecker. "So cool" And the only North American birds of similar plumage and size are the Ivory-billed Woodpecker of Southeastern US and !!CUBA !!, and the imperial Woodpecker of Mexico. Both are extremely rare, if not extinct.
So now I get to relish in my sanctuary again. According to my Father-in-law, I have the beauty of South America on my yard. For myself, I have my beautiful gardens I can work in and my "humming birds" flying around my head, and now I have this Woodpecker that laughs out these amazing calls and gives me a taste of Cuba.
Talk about getting close to God. He has made that most beautiful creatures with amazing song and colors only for our enjoyment. I feel so blessed to be able to take the time to sit in this beauty.
Now I want to get out there and find these nests. I read that they bore these huge rectangular holes into dead tree's. I know there have to be some in the bush surrounding our yard, because I can still hear that woodpecker laughing. I can't wipe the smile off my face, it's such a neat sound.

2008-07-12T15:58:00.001-05:00

2008-07-10T14:59:00.000-05:00

I love the summer months when I can work outside in my gardens and reflect on the beauty that God has created.
I not only get to see the flowers that are blooming through out the year, but I can see the birds that are taking advantage of my garden. My favorite bird has to be the humming bird. There's no better name for this bird either. I can hear that hum coming from a far off distance. I can't help but pause when it enters my garden either. I love to see it's shimmery green feathers and buzzing wings.
Talking about buzzing... I have enough of thoughs around too. Me bee's have become a soul owner of my garden. Which I don't mind anymore. I never knew why God created such annoying creatures, but sting doesn't hurt near as bad once you see how much work a bee does in your garden. I'm so amazed at their pollinating. They bring so much beauty to my gardens.
But I have to get back to my watering, I just transplanted a bunch of plants and they need some tender loving care. I don't want them to die.

2008-07-07T12:21:00.000-05:00

Summer is well on it's way.
Jadden and I planted our first veggie garden. It was a lot of work but both of us agreed that it was worth it. We have been able to watch our plants grow and mature. We can see our strawberries ripen and our corn grow by leaps and bounds every day.
We had our anual July long camp out this past weekend with Sheldon's family. There were so many new highlights. I would say that one of the biggest was the outdoor theater we created,"So Cool" and my father-in-law brought out his tractor and hayrack and took us for rides all over the country side. We ended off our family weekend with a great display of fire works on the 1st of July.
It's starting out to be a great summer.
"I would just like it if the rain would stop that I could enjoy the outdoor's instead of sitting inside."

2008-06-15T11:17:00.002-05:00

What a great excuse to celebrate my husband. He's always thinking about other people before himself, especially Jadden. He has taken out many hours of his life couching Jadden in Hockey and Soccer. He takes Jadden out for man on man golfing time. He has been able to bring out many characteristics in my son that I would have only imagined only a few short years ago.
Bringing out his passion in life has given Jadden the drive to live his best life. Jadden's dreams have become endless and his confidence has sored.
I can go on and on about all the sacrifices Sheldon has made for our little boy. Starting right at the beginning, when Jadden was still in my whom. But I don't have 12 hours to write it all out. lol...
The awesome thing is that God knows what he has all done and he is building Sheldon mansion in Heaven as I write.
I'm so proud of you Sheldon on the man you've become and the man you are raising. You are so Blessed to have the relationship that you have with Jadden. I love you dearly.
Happy Fathers Day!

2008-05-28T13:11:00.003-05:00

It was my Birthday on Monday and I wanted to put something special up on my blog, but I just couldn't come up with something great. So what is great? Memories, and alpha post, what? I really don't know.

So I decided to post what makes me happy...

My joy comes from conquering the world. Fighting my fears and putting all my effort into the things I love. What are the things I love, you ask...

My husband, who spoils me rotten in words of affirmation and gift's of love and understanding. He has given me strength to be comfortable with the person I am, he has shown me great beauty in myself, and he's given me the freedom to recognize who God wants me to be and supports me in my travels God has set out for me.

My son is a gift from God. He has brought me to a place where I want to better myself that I can be the best for him. Jadden shares his amazing insight and feelings through our devotion time and it brings a closeness I could have only dreamt for us just a year ago. His mind is full do's and don'ts, but with time he finds the right path and we have been able to celebrate those huge defeats together.

My Friends have given me strength to carry on. They give me rest through my busy weeks and fill me laughter and joyful tears.

My family has given me challenges to conquer. They have given me a shoulder to lean on and a helping hand when I've needed one.

God has given me opportunities build my faith and friendships. He has given me tests and challenges. And I have been able to see Him through out my day's and feel so Blessed to be me. I can celebrate me in my growth, taking chances, and being looked at as CRAZY!!!

On The Hunt

2008-05-20T22:32:00.003-05:00

Who would have known that trapping moles could be so much fun. My son started a new job. A job that not only has been past down from me, but it's also been past down from his Grandfather. It only pays a lot better now. My dad was paid 10 cents for every mole he trapped, I was paid 25 cents for every mole I trapped and Jadden now gets $1.00 for every mole. "I can't say that's fair"

Yes, This is a family tradition, not as a sport, but for the sake of our fields. These crazy CUTE animals can ruin a field in such a short while. "IT'S CRAZY" So my father hired Jadden do get the job done. As you can tell, these boys got a little carried away with their job. They thought it was great to play tackle football with the rodents every time they caught one. I couldn't help but laugh... and take pictures! I love watching these two boys bond. Jadden really has found a true friend.

After three hours we finally finished our job and made $7.00. It's become a great way to give Jadden a little taste of responsibility. And I've found that it's becoming a great time of bonding for all of us every day.

Spring clean up

2008-05-11T13:45:00.003-05:00

It was time to take charge. "as you can tell in the pic, we were very serious"
My aunts thankfully planed a day for the family to bring my grandparents yard back to it's original beauty. I worked along side my aunts, grandparents, uncles, cousins and sis-in law to get the job done. What a great way to bring back the unity in our family after so many distractions.
Here is my loving Grandma who made sure we were all well fed. We never have to worry about getting hungry with her around. Thanks Grandma...
We raked and raked and raked. I think that was main part of most of our day.
Pruning, gardening, mowing, fixing up my Grandmas green house, and much more went into our long day before we could call it quits.
I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa are so thankful for everything we did. So on behalf of them, thank you all for your dedication and blisters. These are day's I never forget.
When we all grow up and move onto our own families, we very often forget about the ones who have nurtured us in our childhood years. When I have a chance to bring that back, I jump at it because it brings back so many great memories and laughter. I am so lucky to have my extended family live so close to me and make an effort to keep that family alive in all of us. Thank you to every person in my family who was there in my world. I am grateful for every one of you. "and you know who you are"

Time for a BIG MAC!!!

2008-05-10T19:57:00.002-05:00

Tis the season to be busy.
My father-in-law was busy seeding his crops and Sheldon wanted to treat him, so he stopped by the Field and took a ride with his dad. "He said he felt like a little kid again" and I could see that dad was in his glory.

And to end it all off, he got his Big Mac too. It was great to sit and eat supper with him. So many time's I do it with my dad, but I don't get the opportunity to join my father-in-law to a meal on the Field. Ever since I was a kid, eating on the field has been a highlight for me. I love the farmer talk and the sound of the tractor.

Of course, Jadden had to have his turn. He was amazed at the GPS system Opa had. He never knew that they could actually put a computer in tractor. We all had a great time.

Dad, I'm so proud of you and all the work you put into the land.
I hope you had as much fun as we did. "Thanks for sending Sheldon home before his curfew" lol...

Mothers Day Out

2008-05-08T14:29:00.005-05:00

Wow... What a day. I didn't know that I could do so much in a day. Or should I say that I have never felt so many different emotions in one day. Of course, I would have to only expect that on a day our with the girls.
I look forward to this day all year long. It's a day out with the in-laws. (girls only)
We started our day with a pedicure (for mom and Rose) and gel nails (for me and Louise). Unfortunately I've had better "TeeHee". But being able to share this time with Louise was great, seeing she was loosing her virginity to Gel Nails. lol
I didn't get any pics of our time at the salon because the chic doing my nails had issues with the glue. "bad mistake" I think she was a little blond.
After we finished up at the salon, we headed off to Earls.
Wow did we let loose. No booze involved, well at the beginning...anyways.

The music in the restaurant was all Cuban so I had to have a Mojito. MMmmmm... Loved it. It made me miss Cuba so much, I was ready to check the air fair.
We spent a lot of time sharing stories in our lives and celebrating our love. I always think it's so interesting to look at all the differences in our lives but yet how we share so much of the same feelings and interests in our lives. Mom has always been such a great influence to me and I love her deeply for her honesty and humility she shares at a time like this. After hearing mom speak so deeply at last years mothers day out, we all took the initiative to share our hearts desires. Tears were flowing..........
And then we laughed so hard tears were flowing
Down our legs ...............LOL...
Never a dull moment.
After our great lunch we went shopping. And again we were a little silly. "Louise"

Thanks girls, for being so much fun and being such a great support in my life. I had a blast and I'm counting down the day's for next year.

Prayer

2008-05-04T23:18:00.002-05:00

I'm sending out a big prayer request for my mom. She had an emergency appendix surgery this afternoon. She is doing well right now, but I know that the recovery will be long and hard for her.
She is a great mother and a wonderful grandmother to our children. Very caring and compassionate. I feel so bad for her that she has to go through this right now and I know that she will miss a lot of time with her grandchildren. (She had a big week planed.)
Mom I love you and I pray for a fast recovery for you. "All of us wont know what to do with out all help and food" lol... You have such a big heart and so much love to give. Thank you for all you do. God Bless you...
Get well soon.

Great Weather...

2008-05-04T09:32:00.003-05:00

Ok, It took a long time for me to get it together and get my pictures together, but two weeks ago we went from + 21 to -20 with rain (ice) and winds gusting up to 70 klm's and hour. Our power was constantly going off.

I bundled up and took a walk outside for some great pics.

2008-05-03T21:36:00.008-05:00

What a great way to welcome spring. One of our local greenhouses (Oakridge Greenhouse)started a new program for children. My bro, Mike is a very gifted man in the garden and has taken the time out of his day to teach kids ages 4-12 all about plants, bugs and what a garden is truly made off.
Today was BUGS!!!
Here's Mister Mike "the bee". Teaching us all about bees and how they pollinate.
The Children new everything about bugs and took the time to "teach" us adults about the good and bad bugs in the garden. "What ever happened to raising their hands?" lol...
Nothing we could do but chuckle our way through it.
Something about 35 kids verses 3 adults. lol...

We had a tonne of worms come for a visit... This was the highlight. They felt really important with the magnified glasses.

And to finish it off, they all got their own butterfly nets for their own adventures in their moms gardens. Thanks Mike and Shari for all your hard work and creativity.

2008-04-23T14:15:00.003-05:00

OK, I've been spending some time looking for an idea on a tree house for Jadden. I wanted it to be out of this world. Something you would want to play in as an adult. Well I found it..... Amazing tree houses for children and adults. They even have tree house hotels for romantic retreats. So cool! You have to check it out. Go to http://www.blueforest.com/ and you will be amazed. I don't know if I could every build Jadden a tree house like this but it would be fun.

Reno's

2008-04-22T17:31:00.004-05:00

Wooo hooo reno's. I can't say I enjoy it much. I like the decorating a lot more, but I guess we all have to go through it.
We'll add a lot of living space to our house by the time our basement is finished. We are adding a TV room (big screen for Sheldon), a office and an area for me to work out. I can't wait for it to be done. I'm hoping for middle of summer. With paintball starting, Sheldon has much larger responsibilities then renovating the basement.
The best part of the reno's is the new furniture I'll be getting on main floor. I can hardly wait to go shopping. Hopefully by myself seeing Sheldon wants nothing to do with it. lol...

Spring Trip

2008-04-17T12:02:00.004-05:00

Again.. It's been a while, but what a great time I have had.
The three of us took off on a four day trip to Minneapolis on the 28th of March. My goal for this weekend was for us to clean off our slate and take this time to grow in our family relationship and share our moments together in celebration. My prayers were answered. We had such a blast fulfilling every one's expectations and needs. We all went into this trip with a goal to think over each other before we thought of ourselves. I was amazed at how much we could do in the few hours we had every day.
We saw two NHL games. Friday we watched The Minnesota Wild vrs The Vancouver Canucks (for Jadden). Where Jadden got all of the Canucks autographs. He was so exited. And on Sunday we went to the Minnesota Wild vrs The Colorado Avalanche game (for Sheldon). We didn't get any autographs, but we got some amazing pictures and POPCORN..... I have never been at a game where it's been so loud. That's NHL for ya. To bad we don't have the Jets out here any more.
So for me,,,, We went to Ikea, of course. I found a tonne of great thing's witch i didn't buy. But I did come home with a bunch a curtains and have made my house feel so much warmer. The only problem is that every time I put something new in my house I can see what elts I need. More $$$$$$$$$. LOL...
We filled up the rest of our weekend with shopping, eating, and a lot of walking. And to finish it off, a trip to the Mall of America. Jadden and Sheldon had never been there before. You should have seen their faces when they saw the roller coasters screaming past us.
I can hardly wait for another trip. Jadden is getting to the age were we have things in common and we had many chances to share and talk. So often we don't find time to do this at home, but just a little of this makes me want it all the time.
So whats next? We are planning our summer trip. We'll see where we end up.

Spring is here...

2008-03-14T10:25:00.005-05:00

It's great to see that spring is on it's way. Is it just me or has this winter seemed long? I love the new smells that are coming out. It even sounds like spring. The birds are out and when a car passes our yard, it echo's. So cool.
I can hardly wait to sit outside on my patio with a cup of hot coffee in my hand. Lying in my hammock with a book comes second to me spending time in my flower beds. Oh I can hardly wait.
How long do you think we'll have to wait?

A Job Well Done

2008-02-29T10:44:00.002-06:00

I'm finally at home. I have spent two and a half weeks cleaning at my moms. She has been having problems with her health and My bro and I decided to take a bottle of bleach and role up our sleves to see if there is anything in her house that's making her ill.
Well, To our surprise we found mold, lots and lots of mold. We cleaned out every room, including her basement and scrubbed till our knuckles were raw. I'm really concerned that what we did is not enough. Mold is so dangerous. I'll be looking into it a little more, but we did what we could.
My mom has kept every school project that us kids have ever made and kept every peace of furniture they have ever owned and now was ruined by this horrible stuff.
We filled two and a half dumpsters of junk.
Warning to all...
Don't be a pack rat, it only depreciates and could even greater your chances of getting sick. These things that you treasure only collect dust, and in this case, collect mold and could kill you.
Now that I've finished my moms house I feel the need to clean out my own house. Just get ride of the useless stuff and then I will prevent the day that Jadden will have to do a cleaning job on my home. I doubt that will happen, seeing I hate to collect, but I still have things. Extra dishes and towels, toys and bedding. Things like that. The less I have in my house, the less I have to clean around.

What's happening to our children?

2008-02-28T16:11:00.003-06:00

Jadden just came home from school and told us that one of his friends was beat up by a group of kids during their lunch recess. I hear about it all the time, but I never thought that we would see it happening in our own school.
Four kids from grade five went after a fourth grader. What was up their butt?
I hope that the school put a stop to this real quick, or we will see this happening more often.

All I have running through my mind is prevention. Have I raised Jadden well enough that he would never do this, or even fall into the peer pressure of doing this. What do I need to do to prevent this? We have talked about this many times but I know that this gives me a chance to talk about bulling again, so I'll keep this short.

Fun Game

2008-02-26T21:42:00.002-06:00

I found this on Louise's Blog, I love games like this. All you have to do is answer each question, every answer has to start with the same letter as the first letter in your name.
It's pretty cool. Once your done reading mine, copy and paste it to your own page so you can do it too...

What is your name...........................Candy
4 Letter word....................................Cash
Vehicle................................................Cadillac
City.....................................................Calgary
Boy Name...........................................Curt
Girl Name...........................................Chance
Alcoholic Drink...................................Cooler
Occupation..........................................Child care worker
Something you wear..........................Capri pants
Celebrity..............................................Colin Ferrel
Food......................................................Chocolate fondue
Something found in a bathroom........Calcium build up
Reason for being late...........................Couldn't find my key's
Cartoon Character..............................Clifford the big red dog
Something you shout..........................Can't you just clean up behind yourself?
Animal...................................................Cocker Spaniel
Body part..............................................Clitoris
Word to describe you...........................Cute (Sheldons own words)

Eli and Lucy

2008-02-19T09:56:00.002-06:00

Aren't they the cutest things you've ever seen? I have fallen in love and out of love with them many times. They are great pups, but when you have five of them, they are a hand full. I only have two puppies left. Lucy and Eli. I am trying to potty train them, but when you have two they seem to influence each other too much. LOL... Well at least their paper trained.
I have them up for sale, but some day's I would love to keep them here at home. I think if I would do that, I would have to choose inbetween them and Sheldon. lol... Oh well.
If you know of anyone who wants a pup, You can send them my way.

Hockey Weekend

2008-02-16T23:51:00.000-06:00

This weekend is all about hockey. Jadden had his first play-off game of the year and unfortunaly in over time, they lost their game. Tomorow we have another game and if they loose tomorow, their session will be over. The poor boy along with many other kids came off the ice in tears. It broke my heart.
I love watching him play. He has really found his passion in hockey this year and is really exciets me. He is doing great. I wish I could watch him play all year round.
We went to the Moose game this evening with his team and as always we had a hoot. I love the chance for Jadden to have so many friends and really find a place to connect with his dad. Thoughs two are crazy about hockey.
Love you Jadden, good luck on tomorows game.

Valentines day

2008-02-14T09:06:00.002-06:00

Yesturday I got one of the best Valetines gifts in the world. Sheldon and I started a marriage course at our church. It was an amazing start. It's opened up a big can of worms, and I'm looking forward to today and this next week to work on areas of our marriage that we haven't thought to give attention. Sheldon is even exieted about this. Woohoo... I can't wait for next week to see what will be set infront of us then and the all the weeks to follow.
HAPPY VALETINES DAY GIRLS! I hope it's a great one for all of you.

Grow up

2008-02-13T15:54:00.003-06:00

When life sucks, isn't it hard to look at the good that will come out of it in the end? And why is it so hard to give it all to God? The best life for me comes from God. Believing that every day is my biggest down fall.

In the month of January we had a seiries at church that really made me think twice about my life. The title was "GROW UP" Sounds brutle, and it was.

They spoke about how God wants submission and obedience before he wants our friendship. John 15:14. When I looked at my life after thoughs messages, I faced the lie and admitted that I didn't obey God in everything. I couldn't even give the friendship to God that I wanted with Him. I knew at that point that I had to quit my bad habits. I needed to be rescued. And there was only one way.

I feel so thankful that I have made time seek God every day. I am making the comitment to quit smoking and to throw all my self pitty away and let God take the pain away.

This brings me back to my situation of dealing with the loss that Sheldon and I can't have any more children. It took me 7 years to finaly give it to God. My marriage went through the wringer and I lost all my sanity. I couldn't beleive that anything good could come out of this. Because of that, I refused to hand it all over. I was waiting for God to give me a child. In my mind that would be the only good that could ever come out of this. I wanted the Blessing and I never looked at the realationship that I could have created with God at that time. I thought it was funny when our pastor said that some of us are more in love with God's Blessing then we are in love with Him. It's not really that funny, because it was so true in my life. It seems so rediculas to look at now, Why couldn't I just give it up. "Grow up"

I am so amazed at how strong God is and how our friendship has grown. He has given me the strenght to face every day. I now know that I need His strenght every moment of every day. I feel so much peace and joy in my fight to quit smoking, and I feel like I have learnt so much more. I have gained self control, I'm learning how to love myself and respect my body. I never feel alone. I am always in the presence of the Lord and He will help me through every moment.

I knew that I had to submit myself to God but I don't think I ever knew to what extent God wanted my comitment.

2008-02-10T18:36:00.000-06:00

Ok Louise, This one's for you.
You asked me why I didn't write any more. Well here I go.
No, I haven't said much on my blog in the last couple of months. I ran out of things to say and I found other things to do. I really enjoyed writing on my blog and reading all of your posts. I found many times that I found great incouragment through reading your blogs and I thank you all for your inspiration.
I really didn't run out of things to say, because many things have happened since November. "November? Has it been that long?"
Anyways... Christmas was once again a blessing and a great time with family. I found myself complaining about all the gatherings that I had to attend and then was stoped in my tracks when I was reminded of all thoughs people who would have loved to have a family to share the holidays with. HMMmmmm.... something to ponder.
After the new year passed, "just barley" We took off to Cuba. We found a great couple, who I think I would go with again, and took off for a week. The great couple of course was Louise and her great husband Conrad. We shared many laughs "mostly at Sheldon" and enjoyed each others company in the hot hot sun. Woohoo...
Louise, I want to thank you for your great friendship. You are not only a great friend, but a super teacher. I have learnt so much from you and your honesty has given me insight for my own life as well. I know your a person who love's to get gifts, but you are also very good a giving us gifts. Your gifts are often in words of wisdom. You are a woman who is not afraid of sharing your faith with others. You could make an amazing insperational speeker. "You know if your looking for anything to do." lol
Thank you for your good looks, lol... and your super good "Sponge Coffee". LOL...
Thank you for your honesty and the effort you put into our relationship. (I think more people would give you credit for that) Thank you for your huge heart that never stops loving. You are a person to look up to. Cheers
Love you Leese...

2007-11-27T11:05:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't posted in a long time, You've all probably stop reading because of it, but I have a prayer request.
Sheldon is going in for an ultrasound this coming Thursday. We are both worried and we are both praying that it will be clear enough that the doctors can see whats wrong with Sheldon. We are totally leaving it in Gods hands and we understand that we have no control of the out come. We just need peace of mind and the strength.
Thank you for all your prayers and God Bless.

Megal pups

2007-11-09T22:07:00.000-06:00

What a crazy day...
Thursday morning I picked Sheldon up from the hospital. When I got him home and all settled in, our dog went into labor. I had never helped a dog give birth before but I did my best. She was six day's early (this would be the same as a woman being six weeks early) I wasn't prepared and it came really fast. Three puppies came out breech and in their sacks. Thank God we were there. We would have had three still born if it wasn't for us. Sheldon got really worn out and after three hours of sitting with my dog, I was tired.
We have Three females and two males. They are all doing well and mama too.

2007-11-08T23:15:00.000-06:00

Surgery Day has come and gone.
It was a hard day, something that we hadn't expected, but God surely had a hand in it. Sheldon went in for a hernia surgery and came out with his appendix removed. The surgeon found that Sheldon's appendix was swollen and infected and removed it a soon a possible. The surgeon also found two hernia's and said that we'll have to schedule another surgery to fix them as soon as he's healed from this surgery. So... we have another surgery to look forward to. I can't say that we're looking forward to it, but what are you going to do?
Sheldon is doing very well. He's so thankful that this was all found and taken care of. He's kinda dreading another surgery, but he knows that it needs to be done. He spent one night in the hospital, but know he's at home resting. We are looking forward to a fast recovery and we thank you all for your prayers.
This is an amazing man... He's never thinking about himself, only about others. Is he worrying about himself right now? No... He's more concerned that I wont get too tired. I am tired, but I enjoy taking care of him.
He's a really good patient.

2007-11-02T11:54:00.000-05:00

Sheldon's surgery day is coming closer. It's less then a week away, and I'm trying to get the house in check and change my work schedule that I can be there for him when the time comes.
We are only looking forward to the time when he's all healed up. We're not in control of our lives at this point, and it will be great to regain our control. Or at least know the unknown...
I love, love, love this man and I ask you all to pray for him.
Thank-you in advance.
I cherish you all.

every day of life

2007-10-25T11:36:00.000-05:00

What's this life I'm searching for?
I can't really say what my expectations are in life, other then happiness, peace, guidance and love. I'm trying to live a better life every day. This brings questions, fears, joy and relief to my life. I know my life will never stop changing. I know the trials and defeats are ahead. But when?
Letting God take over my life and hold me accountable for every minute of my day solves my problems. And then in between the minutes, I have seconds of doubt. Fear can take of my confidence and hold me prisoner.
"Will my life long dreams ever happen?"
"Why am I sitting here day in and day out knitting into my dreams?"
"Will I be able to be strong enough to follow through in the hard times?"
As I write, God is speaking to me. "Follow me and I will give you what you need."
As I sit for a while and ponder on his words, I feel relief...
With God's freedom he has given me.
My choices to follow through only inspire me to keep pushing through. What I've accomplished at the end of the day, gives me a peace of mind. My failures push me to try harder tomorrow.
I will live to give God praise. God gives me hope and he gives me strength.
He has the control, and I will live with that in mind.
I will praise God for every day of life he blesses me and my loved ones with.

Fall

2007-10-19T01:34:00.000-05:00

I've always said that I haven't enjoyed fall much. I can't stand all the leaves dieing and falling off the trees. It takes a matter of a week and the tree's start to change color and they loose their leaves. I know it's not like that every were, but that's all we get. I've always said, it reminds me of death.
This weekend was a different story for me. As our family headed out to the bush for our annual fall hayride, I saw this beautiful bush growing outside of my Grandmothers house. The colors were so rich and the bush was still full of leaves. I don't think my camera could have snapped fast enough. The sun was like a spot light on these leaves. It shone just as bright as the sun. Not only had I found this bush, but my brother was in there right along side of me, catching it's beautiful hue with his camera. This is a picture I want to frame, so I can see these colors every day.
I can use it as a reminder, that God has made everything beautiful. Even fall, when the leaves start to fall to the ground.

Fight SBS

2007-10-16T11:31:00.000-05:00

I wish I could just send all of my troubles and worries away. I'm so over whelmed...
As you've noticed, I have a big heart for baby Kaleb who is fighting SBS. I've posted a couple of stories about him in the past while. And my love has grown for this family and for this poor little boy. God has in stored it in my heart to try to help. I have ideas that God has told me to do, but I get so over whelmed by it all. How can I possibly help children that are fighting SBS. I've been looking on line for hint's and tips that Canada is doing something about SBS, but I am found at a loss. There is tons in the States, but it doesn't help delete the many chances a child has to be shaken here in Manitoba. So sad...
And of course... I'm trying to do this alone, so it feels like a huge project.
Right now I'm spending time in prayer, asking God to lead me. All I'm getting is anxious and I'm taking it out on the people around me. "Sorry Babe"
I'm prodding and searching, trying to figure out what to do. Hopefully with in a couple of years I can make a difference. I can find what God wants me to do and help the prevent SBS from ever happening.

Update...

2007-10-15T11:44:00.000-05:00

My how time has passed... I have found that today I had a break to reflect and share a little with you.
I have asked for prayer for my sexy man in the past two weeks, and I felt that I should give you a little update. We finally can take another step. I can't say that it will take us anywhere, but I'm sure it will be in the forward direction. lol...
Sheldon is slatted for surgery on November the seventh. If you could pray for the surgeons working on him, a fast recovery and an answer to all his pain, it would be much appreciated. We were told at first, that it was a hernia, but the surgeon didn't think that that was the problem. So we are going into this very blind and a little uneasy.

More on a positive note...
In time's of trouble, you find yourself consumed in time with God. I have found such peace of mind when I take time to sit with God in my yellow chair. I can feel his presence. I find scripture that encourages me, he has given me goals for tomorrow and the days that follow.
Thanks for all of you who have been sending out prayers for us.

Kaleb

2007-10-03T21:57:00.000-05:00

If you haven't watched my post on Kaleb, I encourage you to do it before you read further. This family is suffering for putting their trust in a babysitter. Kaleb had SBS. "Shaken Baby Syndrome". Kaleb has suffered many surgeries and his out look doesn't look good. The doctors said that if he makes it through this fight, he will grow up with many disabilities including, being blind, not being able to hear, talk or communicate. He will be a vegetable for the rest of his life. He wont even be able to hold up his head. How in the world could someone do this. This poor boy is left with a full life time of fighting for his life. My heart goes out to them all.
I had this sent to me a month ago and this family has been in my prayers ever since. Please join me in my prayers. These parents have hope, and courage. They know that God can create a miracle in this little baby and heal him completely. Lets join them in the walk with their son and send a prayer out to God. It's the least we could do.

Kaleb Schwade Fighting

2007-10-02T11:57:00.001-05:00

Hockey

2007-09-30T14:04:00.000-05:00

Some day's I think I'm a little crazy. I got an invite to join a women's hockey team. It's a bunch of women that can't skate at all. To funny... I haven't skated in 12 years, so I figured that this would be a lot of fun. AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH.... What am I doing??? I can't believe that I'm doing this.
We have a coach. She is 13 lol... It's going to be great. A little exercise and a lot of laughs. I might need to wear depends. lol...

If anyone it in my area and wants to come out and have some fun, let me know.
So far, their are 23 women and we would love to have more.
MEN AND CHILDREN ARE NOT ALOUD TO COME WATCH US UNTIL CHRISTMAS.

We'll decide if we want visitors after that. We are not playing against any other teams. So there is nothing to worry about.
I'm looking forward to it.

And yes, I got pink gloves. I never got an opportunity when I was playing Rinngette, so why not now? lol...

A girls got to look good out there. If it wont be my skating, It will be my gear.

Prayer

2007-09-28T11:39:00.000-05:00

Look at my cute man... yes, he is singing.
Yesterday, my life as I know it, flashed before my eye's. I know I really shouldn't have, but I thought about how my life would be with out Sheldon in it. I cried and cried... Sheldon and I had just celebrated our eight wedding anniversary this week and now this was all I could think of. Sheldon found a lump. I didn't want to think of the worse, but I couldn't stop myself. The fear of cancer completely consumed me. The couple of hours that it took to get through the morning felt like a full year.
Thankfully we were told that it was a hernia. It still means that he'll be having surgery shortly, but it's something that the doctors can fix. The next couple of weeks are at a standstill for us and we'll need a lot of prayer for Sheldon's healing. Sheldon has been in a lot of pain so I ask you for prayer in that as well.
Thanks for your support and God Bless.

2007-09-26T10:03:00.000-05:00

September 25th was eight years since our wedding day, yesterday we spent the evening looking back at our life. We saw our goals that have been achieved and such a big difference in our friendships and family.
In our journal, we wrote down the things that we have conquered:
- I have found peace in not being able to have more children.
- Sheldon have learnt how to understand me and all of my unique personalities.
- We have found ways to support each other emotionally.
- I have overcome my jealousy over Sheldon (yes, I've been Jealous. He's very successful)
- I have come over a lot of pain from my childhood, and learnt how to deal with my problems.
- Sheldon has put a lot of faith into the Lord. Instead of holding everything on his own shoulders.
- Sheldon has found great success in his business and put it all into Gods hands.
- We have filtered out all our bad relationships, there where a lot of friendships holding us down and putting stress on the both of us.
- We have found a great church that suits the whole family. It has helped us grow and become very real in our own skin.

After we looked at this list and found out that we have come a lot further then we had thought, we made a short list of goals for ourselves:
- We want to find our BEST LIFE through our relationships, our Church, our work and our family. (That's a big one)
- We want to grow together in prayer and find Gods plan for us, NOT ours.
- We want to celebrate each day. We want be thankful through our hard and hurtful times and through the Big and little blessing that are given to us every day.
- Seeing our Cell group has lost touch, we want to find a new Cell group. It helps both me and Sheldon be real people.
- We want to be the best parents we can be. We want to be able to support Jadden through his challenges in life, and we want to be there to celebrate with him through the good times.
- We want to find our MISSION. Weather it be at home, in our Church, in our local community or out of the country. God has a mission for everyone, so we are going out of our way to find it.

It was a great time. Looking into our lives together has made me feel very connected to Sheldon. I can hardly wait to spend the rest of my life with him.
Happy Anniversary Sheldon...

2007-09-04T17:56:00.000-05:00

Sioux Narrows...
What a great day. Jadden did his Hallelujah dance for us as we sat out on the water. We sat out on the water all day and the fish never stopped biting. It was a three hour drive, but worth every minute.

We met my brother Mike, and his wife, Brenda(and her family) at the lake for a break from Pinawa. We saw a ton of bears at the local garbage dump and visited a bunch of little shops in town. what a great little place... We want to go back as soon as possible.

2007-08-28T08:40:00.000-05:00

Well I'm off on Holidays, just relaxing and enjoying my time. I have a lot of knitting to do. I have a sale coming up in November, so I have a lot to get done.
It's really cold out here. I was hoping for better weather that we could go out on the water. Maybe I should have brought my winter jacket. LOL...
I'll keep posting as the week goes on. Hope you are all enjoying the last bit of summer.