Crafting Genius

  So I thought I would inspire you all with my crafting genius.  The holiday season is when crafters come out of the closet and paste their beautiful creations around their homes and share them with friends and family.


Well this is me sharing...although you may not want to follow suit - I thought you would want a chance to admire our fine work.  Although I can't take much of the credit Gabe and Eliana did most of the original artwork. :)

Morning Devotional...

Well after my long absence from blogging I am apparently making my comeback with a rather personal reflection but it is God's work that I know that He is working out in more than just my life. So welcome to my morning devotional. Tomorrow morning I will be sharing this at the staff meeting at my school - I covet your prayers in this.


I don't now about you but there are seasons in life, or perhaps it is just a fact of life, that is full of sorrow as well as joy. I so loved Linda's reminder last week about counting our blessings and keeping our eyes on God's goodness and faithfulness in the big and small things. With that very premise in mind I wanted to take a peak at a slightly different angle of this - being able to see God's goodness and faithfulness even in the midst of our own pain and suffering.
Obviously in our communities right now we feel the weight of sin - the overwhelming sorrow of loss and I know in a much less dramatic circumstances I have sometimes found myself equally disillusioned by what I have perceived was a lack of God's goodness. I have been reading "One Thousand Gifts" by Anne Voskamp and I wanted to share the quotes that struck me so profoundly that I felt that gut wrenching guilt because I knew her honest voice was echoing the voice in my heart.


Ann relates the beginning of her journey of living a life of thanksgiving by sharing her honest feelings about trusting God - even as a Christian


"Is this the toxic air of the world, this atmosphere we inhale, burning into our lungs, this -No, God? No, God, we won't take what You give. No, God, Your plans are a gutted bleeding mess and I didn't sign up for this and You really thought I'd go for this? No, God, this is ugly and this is a mess and can't you get anything right and just haul all this pain out of here and I'll take it from here, thanks. And God? Thanks for nothing. Isn't this the human inheritance, the legacy of the Garden?
I wake and put the feet to the plank floors, and I believe the Serpent's hissing lie, the repeating refrain of his campaign through the ages: God isn't good. It's the cornerstone of his movement. That God withholds good from His children, that God does not genuinely, fully, love us."


For me this lie has whispered in the back of my mind. Through the past couple years I have especially felt myself giving way before this lie. A Good, Sovereign, God who does nothing, while I watch those close to me loose husbands and children - mothers and fathers. While I watch personal injustices go unaccounted for - the widow taken advantage of, the fatherless cast aside. I have felt my heart scream as Anne screams. I just never had the courage to say it aloud. I felt as if I was one before the firing line and the suffering continually hit closer and closer to home. I was afraid if I spoke out against the one with gun the wound would be more than I could bear. But I continued to read...and God continued to speak to my scared broken heart and bring more revelation.


Again I rob another's words that so adequately capture the hope in it all.


"If the rent in the canvas of our life backdrop, the losses that puncture our world, our own emptiness, might actually become places to see.
To See through to God.
That which tears open our souls, those holes that splatter our sight, may actually become the thin, open places to see through the mess of this place to the heart-aching beauty beyond. To Him. To the God whom we endlessly crave."


When we can step back from ourselves, like Linda reminded us last week, we can catch a glimpse of an Eternal God. Who sees the grand tapestry and not the tangled thread. When I step back and take a moment to recognize who I am accusing - I am appropriately reminded "Who am I?" Who am I to know the mind and plans of Almighty God.
So what then?
Even as lately as this past Sunday I was reminded that I need to hold up my shield of faith to protect my heart and mind from the lies of the enemy and that I need to soak myself in the truth of God's word and in who He says he is. To remember that His grace is sufficient, that He loves with an everlasting love, that He is Good, That He is God. In the midst of chaos and sadness - injustice and sorrow. He is still God and He still wants to open our eyes to His goodness.

My Thoughts on Week Three...

To put it mildly this fall has brought a few changes.  On purely an emotional note I feel like I have jumped out of one of Mary Poppins chalk paintings into the real world.
I have been so lucky to have spent the last 5 yrs at home with my two kids but this year was the big leap back into 'real life'.  


Eliana has started full time kindergarten and has been on a permanent adrenaline high.  Her mission has been to makes as many friends and learn as many things as she can. Her teacher assured me that she is adjusting well and is very confidant.  I am still trying to decipher if that means - "your daughter is taking over the class". lol


Gabriel is so lucky to have one of his favourite people as his 'Nanny'.  He gets to stay home with 'Mimi' who has been doing a great job of planning little adventures and doing things that make him feel just as special staying home.  He still is adjusting Eliana being gone and they are so adorable when they hug goodbye in the morning.  


Tomorrow will be day five of my new job and I am totally enjoying the process of becoming an adult again! lol Its great to be working in such a great place and with such nice people.  I am still working on how to carry on life while working...I'll let you know how that goes.  Chances are though if I haven't blogged in a while, its because I am buried under a pile of laundry and need to be rescued.


Ed as always is my tangible sticking place.  I thank Jesus so much for bringing us together and giving me someone who knows just how seriously to take me. 


SO I have to say - so far so good.  There are pros and cons in this new life that we have but I know that God's grace is sufficient and I am confident that we are right where He wants us to be - learning and growing in the ways we need to learn and grow right now.

I Heart Faces - Back to School!

My oldest just finished her first week of Kindergarten...big week in our family.  So this challenge was mostly a challenge of which picture to go with!! I chose this one because the scope of the photo makes her look even tinier and I think every momma thinks their 'baby' is still to tiny to be going to school on the first day of kindergarten!

Apple Sauce Crotch

Last week was Eliana's first week of Kindergarten and the first week of a new kind of life for this family.  Getting up before 7:30 is new for the kids and I but I have no doubt we will adjust quickly.


The funniest thing Eliana came home saying this past week was 'apple sauce crotch'.  Knowing that I was loosing something in translation I asked for the context and learned that every time they sat down at group time they would say 'apple sauce crotch, put your hands in your lap'.  I couldn't decoded it until I conferred with some other moms - sure enough it made a lot more sense as
"Criss Cross Apple Sauce - Put your hands in your lap"
This helps the kids sit cross legged for group time.


I love that I can look forward to all sorts of new adventures and 'lost in translation' moments in the coming year.

Our Family Vacation

We left this past week for our first organized family vacation. We have done lots of other trips as a family but the focus of this one was to just relax and be a family together and I have to say it was the best yet.  We made the short trip to the coast and spent the first afternoon greeting the ocean.  Eliana was afraid of salt water for some reason but after much coaxing and a little squealing she got her feet wet and realized she could live through the encounter.  We rounded out the afternoon watching some crab fishing from the dock and beach combing for shells.

The next day we bravely ventured into the big city to the aquarium which turned out to be a highlight for the kids.  They were mesmerized by the sea life and in the end Eliana's favourite exhibits were the beluga whales and the jellyfish while Gabriel's favourite was the crocodile.  I loved it all but was particularly thrilled to get to touch a bunch of different star fish (which feel like rough rocks) and a sea urchin (which is really poky). The only one I didn't like touching was a star fish that looks kinda like a sunflower (lots of points) because it was slimy and squishy.

The next day was exciting for Ed and I  - the airshow. It is our third year in a row going and it is so awe inspiring that it just isn't getting old.  The kids loved it too and it was fun to watch them getting into the displays and getting excited for the loud planes (CF-18's!!) and bombs (pyrotechnics :)

Actually after the first set of pyrotechnics was set off Eliana was very distressed and asked Ed, "Why are they bombing Canada??" lol she was ok once we explained it was just part of the show.  Gabriel on the other hand...I don't know if he even noticed the jets sometimes - he just wanted to see more 'bombs' lol I guess that is a boy for you.  There were so many great planes and pilots at the airshow I would be sure to bore you with the details so I will summarize: A-10 is amazing in its capabilities, Bud Granley and his son defy everything you assume about flight, and the Snowbirds put on one of the best shows I have ever seen them do. 

The entire trip we were able to stay with some dear friends which made our evenings just as memorable as our days.  The kids loved playing with 'little sammy' and martina and are still talking about them non stop.  On Saturday morning Leanne and I went blueberry picking and it was such a great way to spend a morning.  While we were out the boys made waffles and bacon so we were treated to a nice breakfast when we got back.  Ed's blood pressure was through the roof but he made some great waffles :)

That evening when we returned home we went to the drive in to wrap our whole trip up. It was a perfect end to a great trip.  I love my hubby and kids and it was a great way to take the time to just enjoy who we are to each other.

Of Chickens

If I had thought about what this summer would hold for us this  year, you can be sure that I thought that there would be more sunny days and fewer chickens.


I wanted to share a few photos of our grown up chicks and proclaim that I would not make a very good farmer. Despite my efforts to remain emotionally aloof to our little feathered charges I got sucked in by how friendly they are!
If they hear me coming they start to peep and all line up at the fence for their feed.  Eliana is packing them around the yard at this very moment like they were well mannered cats.   They rest in her arms or at her feet while Gabe collects flowers for them to nibble on.


Ah the life of a chicken.

Of Order and Randomness

Every once and a while as a parent - your child does something that reflects the essence of who they are, encompassed in moment.

Eliana had such a moment this evening. Both our kids have chores that they are asked to take care of. This evening I asked Eliana to line up the shoes on the back porch. She came in a few minutes later and stated that cleaning up shoes is fun. I didn't think to much of it at the time. She is normally a happy little thing and I had no doubt she completed her chore but this evening I found out why she had fun doing it.

The best way to describe it is that she did it her way. When I saw it I saw a part if herself in her little mini self expression. Each pair if shoes were lined up neatly with one another but not one pair was next to the other. She had some under the deck chairs. Others on the steps and the rest randomly paired all over the deck. This would have been how Gabriel would have paired them if they were scattered in the first place - the part that makes me smile even thinking about it now is that all the shoes were piled by the door. It makes me smile because my daughter is so delightfully and seemly arbitrarily random. I know though that each pair was deliberate - a part of her plan and she had fun doing it. She found joy in the little moments. I hope as a mother I can help raise her to be who she was created to be and not just someone that fits into a mold.
Lord help me.

Welcome to the Farm??

So I am going to choose to share this story with you through the lens that God created me as an empathetic creature.  I am hoping in doing this I will look less crazy and more just like someone who needs to hone her gifting.


Ok, so this is how it started. 
I was born and I loved animals.  Did you know that I once cared for a dead robin for a whole day? Yup I did such a good job that the next morning when I went to check on him he was gone.  My mom told me he had flown home...(good one mom).
Flash forward 25 years.
I am now a photographer and I had a great opportunity to use some baby chickens as a part of a photo session for a family that owns a chicken farm.  It was so fun. (watch for them on my Twisted Lily Blog in the next few days...sooo cute!!)

Anyway at the end of the session these little chick models were homeless.  They couldn't go back into the  barns and risk cross contaminating the barns with whatever 'wee beasties' they picked up in the real world. In other words they were gonna die. Approximately 6 weeks ahead of schedule.

I shouldn't have let it get to me but I just felt for the little homeless chicks.  One short conversation later I was the proud? mom of 6 baby chicks.As I drove home with them sliding around in the cardboard box next to me - I tried to make a plan.

Actually I am still working on it. Mostly its a day by day thing.


Here are somethings I have learned in my 4 days as a chicken owner.


*Puppies laying next to chicks are NOT trying to be cute - they are waiting for the opportune moment to eat them. 
*Respectively if you act fast enough you can grab a chick out of a dogs mouth with no apparent damage other than a mad chick and disappointed dog.
*Neighbours will follow your lead and 'rescue' small baby birds and leave them in your care (Short version of how we acquired Quacker Jack our duck)
*If you live in a small enough town you can literally walk into a convenience store and walk out with a huge bag of chicken feed - and a slurpee.
*Chickens take over your life when you are so afraid of something happening to them you let them sleep in your en suite bathroom every night.


After reading that last one I realized I might just be crazy and need some help. Ah well.

My Littlest Sis...

This past weekend my littlest sis graduated from high school.  It was a great event and such a treat to watch her hit this milestone and celebrate her with friends and family. With that in mind I thought it would be cool to share a little about this girl with all of you.

Megs is one of those people that has a really sweet warm spirit with an extra dose of playful mischievousness thrown in. It makes her a great friend and excellent sister!  We are 12 years apart so growing up I mostly remember a little girl that was as cute as a button and a little on the quiet side but I had left the house before I really got to know the girl that I know now.

I love the change in the in the sibling relationship as you get older.  Once I realized that I couldn't always look at her as that little girl  - I found a friendship that has grown over the last few years.  Meighan has always been a creative being.  She has redesigned her room more times than I can count and I am always amazed how she can pull together colours and textures with such continuity.  Decorating to me at most consists of a coat of paint and often far less - so this skill never ceases to amaze me. lol

In the past few years she has also taken to painting and her work is so beautiful. I love that her style reflects something of herself.  Its always beautiful but some of her images are also strong and striking.  Her strength has been born in adversity.  She wasn't even in her teens yet when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  Thankfully we live in a country and time that allows her to manage it but it is not an easy burden to carry day in and out.  Although to talk with her you would never know it.  I think its the grace with which she handles it that impresses me the most.  When she could be whining and moping she takes it in stride.  Obviously she is human and has good and bad days but she has more good days than bad and is the type of person that will probably make other peoples day better by just being a part of it.
All of this said mostly I am just thankful to have a friend and sister like her.  We can be goofy and laugh about stupid things and then the next moment we can have a great conversation.  She has helped me with my house and kids so much that I have made a vow to myself that when she reaches this stage of life - I will be there to help!!! lol I am excited to watch her move forward and chase her dreams and figure out who she is and where she is going.  I love ya Megs!!

Of Bullies...

You know when you are young and imagine your adult life - the thought that bullies will still be around may not have crossed your mind.  I know that my young self thought that the days of bullies would be far behind me.


But we grow up and life gets complicated and when a bully stands in front of you as an adult - it can make life that much more tricky. Now instead of teachers and parents there to intervene - your on your own. Of course there are always the police and the legal system but it is easy to say 'it is just not that bad'...until one day it is and now what! The choice to stand up for your self goes beyond sticking your tongue out or pushing back. Hopefully as adults 'we use our words' and begin to create healthier boundaries for ourselves and our families.  In a perfect world the bully would be like, 'oh, wow, I had no idea that my behaviour was so offensive or my actions were having such undesirable consequences' LOL 
Ya right hey! If only it were that easy.  Instead of calming things down it often inflames things even further.  Its hard to watch scenarios like this one because you can feel so powerless. Its hard watching bully's lie and manipulate authority so they look like the victim.
I honestly don't know how things work out from this point; life is not a movie. Things don't work out picture perfect, neat and tidy.  What gives me hope is that although man may not see the whole picture and may not be just - God does and is.


Ps 71:4 "Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man"


Ps 22:8 "He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"

FYI...

So just an FYI...I am going to try to share my I heart Faces photos and such over on my Twisted Lily blog, in an effort to keep the photo 'stuff' there and the 'me' stuff here. I just thought I would give it a go - so feel free to pop on over there to check things out.


And if you really want to make my day become a follower!

Bring on the Warmth and Forget the Mess!

I am so happy to finally be sitting outside in shorts. Its a balmy 22 degrees so we have the kiddy pool out and the kids are splashing away. I willingly embraced a full fledged war with dandelions (they have over taken our yard) because they actually are giving me permission to neglect laundry and dishes for the moment.
Nicest part is, I still get to feel productive because I mowed the lawn, finished some gardening and transplanted a bunch of strawberry plants into pots this morning.
The changing of seasons is such a good reminder that things move forward and that we do too  - even when we can't see it. At the Beth Moore conference I remember her saying something along the lines that sometimes we can't see God's Hand moving because it's too close.  I remember the image bringing much comfort in a season where I was constantly waiting for God to show up.  To realize and remember that He is there  - its a knowledge that I know needs to sink deeper into my heart.


So yes, here we are now, welcoming spring and finding myself thankful for dandelions and the unseen hand that has carries us through the seasons - seen and unseen.

I was a fly on the wall...

I happened to overhear the following conversation between my daughter (4) and her friend big T (6)


Big T - " I am so strong that the other day I picked up my whole house and threw it into the ocean...but it didn't sink because I flew really fast and put a boat under it.


Me -  "Oh wow, Big T, you must be a super hero."


Big T - "Ya, I even have super speed" (proceeds to run across the living room) " But actually it only works outside"


Eliana - "I am really fast (starts running all around the living room as fast as she can) See how fast I can run!!"


Then this is what gave me the giggles...


Eliana - "And I am really strong too - see I can lift this..chair! (as she stuggles to lift a kitchen chair 2 inches off the ground....lol)


I thought it was so adorable that Eliana was taking the whole conversation so literally...and I am pretty sure she really does think that Big T is a super hero.

I Heart Faces - Pets

Some Fun Blogger Tricks...

Today I was able to figure out a few tricks thanks to RS Designs and the tips they had there for changing the fonts of your blogger posts and template.  Surprisingly simple for html...
Go on check it out - you know you want to. :)
Here is the link
Anyway I finally have a font that fits me.  This is Beautiful Mess here...not strait and tidy typing lines. Now I am using the font 'Handwriting - Dakota'  so if you can't see it on here you gotta download it to your computer for an authentic experience lol
Anyway thats my random moment for you today. Your welcome.

Copper - A Formal Introduction...

This is Copper :)  He arrived in our lives yesterday although we have been searching and waiting for him for a little while now.
It started as a conversation - Ed wanted a dog. I reminded him of Selah. He still wanted a dog - Selah even, but I needed a dog we could raise to trust. I wanted the right dog and I wanted to start off right.  SO this time I read a book - "How to Raise the Perfect Dog" by Ceasar Millan.  It gives a body hope.
And the search began - the right breed - the right breeder...the right puppy.


I am so glad that I found all three!! Heidi and her family were one of my favourites but they were all the way in Alberta.  I thought it was worth a shot to see if they were willing to meet us in Calgary or Banff (somewhere more central) and to my surprise she said she had a friend coming out this easter weekend.  Her friend ended up coming right past us and so the pick up/drop off couldn't have been more simple.


This kids are happily learning how to train Copper along with me and its going well. Eliana is  very calm with the puppy and good at encouraging him.  Gabe is doing his best to be a puppy and hasn't quite got the hang of Copper's name yet so for the time being he is Popper.




And Copper??  He is such a sweetie.  I have been doing my best to follow the dog whisperers advice and we are just about through 24 hrs with a pup that has had no accidents yet and is getting used to his collar and leash.  Last night he buried his nose in his 'momma scent' blanket and had a surprisingly mild night.  He did whimper a bit that was it.
Our cat Pepper does keep looking at me like "what have you done...." but all in all we are off to a great start!

How I Plan to Win....

This morning WWIII erupted in my house..of course over something small and relatively inconsequential...But this momma had enough.

It all came down to one little girl (who is completely capable of cleaning her room quickly and effectively when Daddy asks her) absolutely refusing to clean her room when her Momma asked.

A couple of hours later, after reminding and prodding and all other sorts of coercion, I laid down the ultimate ultimatum.

"Clean up this room now or I will take whatever toys are left on the floor out of here!"

To which Eliana responded, "Ok - I don't need any toys."

Shoot...now what.

I sent her to time out while I came up with a plan and this is the result.

Notice the room is clean? Yup I did that...I know I didn't 'win' this time but let me let you in on my plan....

*Step one - clean room while little girl is on a time out.

*Step two - purge all non-essential type toys (big blue bag on its way to the thrift store)

*Step three - saran wrap ALL other toys into the toy box under strict instructions that there will be all sorts of trouble for the person who dares to cross the not quite invisible barrier of cleanliness.

*Step four - New rule in home - All Eliana's toys are mine. Yup mine (I now have quite the collection of polly pockets)

*Step five - Eliana doesn't know this yet but as she completes various cleaning tasks she will be able to earn her toys back.

I'll let ya know how it goes.

I Heart Faces - Shadows

I heart faces this week is Shadows and immediately I thought of this photo of my cousin.  This was taken at the tea after my grandmothers funeral and we were all sitting around sharing stories and the moment.  Natalie was sitting in front of the window and some of the only light in the room and so I started clickin away. I immediately liked the dramatic shadows and her expression.

Go check out more shadows over at I heart faces

Of Life and Death and the Bit in the Middle...

You know that feeling right...the one right in your gut that spreads its lethargic tentacles through every vein in your body. That makes you feel small and somehow out of place.


I get this feeling when I feel deep loss...or start to recognize an impending loss.  When we stand face to face with death we recognize, if even only subconsciously, that we can not control all that much when it comes to life and death. It will come for us all one day and the inevitability can make you feel incredibly powerless and small. In this place it is hard to let someone go, to release them with our hearts into a place of so much insecurity and doubt. It is from this place though I have found so much comfort and clarity and surprising peace in the moment.  For  I have been reminded of the hope we carry (or can carry!) because of Jesus.


¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Romans 5:1


I love how the message states the same set of verses.


 ^1-2By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.


Doesn't that just breath hope and life into your heart? It sure  does for me.


This past week I had to say goodbye to one of the most influential women in my life - my grandmother.  When I was little she was one of my caregivers and her house was our safe haven when life was chaotic and unpredictable. She instilled in us all a deep appreciation for family and the joy it is to extend hospitality. I think she could make just about anything from scratch and I have more than one blanket in my house that she lovingly made for us.  I could go on and on but maybe this might sum it up - she was one of "those ladies" - the ones that others look at and want to be like. She was such a gift in our life.
And that hope I was talking about? Is SO important, especially now. I am so thankful that I have hope that my Grandma is at peace, resting in the beauty of God's glory....probably planting a garden...lol

I Heart Faces - Favourite Face of March

No time this week for any special edits but I still wanted to get in on this weeks i heart faces. Thought this little bean was just too cute.