Make Me Smile Monday

Dear S,

I was so proud of you yesterday. We celebrated your 10th birthday and I was taken back in time to when I first held you in my arms. Your dad and I were both 21 years old (younger than we'd imagined we would be starting our family), scared that we weren't up to the challenge, amazed that you were ours, astounded at the miracle of you: this very real and complete person in the tiniest little package we had ever seen. We became parents sooner than we'd planned, but you came at just the right time! We were so happy and excited to be parents and felt so incredibly blessed!

You taught us a lot about patience and selflessness. Especially in those first few months when you cooed and smiled and slept all day and screamed and cried (almost) all night long.

I remember getting home from the hospital and just gazing at you as you slept in your bassinet my heart full of love. I knew looking at you then that you would grow and I would discover who you were: your talents, your interests, your personality. That all of those things were in you already and that your dad and I had the privilege of getting to know who that was. We could hardly wait. And the last 10 years have not let us down.

You are responsible and independent. You are kind and nurturing. You are deliberate and thoughtful. You are smart and athletic. You are musical and creative. You are brave and are not afraid to try new things. You have a strong determination that sometimes can escalate to stubborn. (Which I say comes from your dad. Haha!) You make mistakes and learn from them. You get frustrated sometimes (which I believe shows your independence) and you have taken great strides in learning how to express your frustrations in a healthy and productive way. You always think for yourself (a quality I love and want to encourage). You are wonderful and I love the person you are!

I was so proud of you yesterday. You opened the presents from your brother, your sister and your dad and I and you were so gracious. It especially warmed my heart to see your response to J's gift idea which was entirely his own. He bought you a Princess Peach zooming race car so you could race his Mario and Luigi cars and you acknowledged his thoughtfulness and you were thankful to him for that. And because you recognized his thoughtfulness it made his gift to you very special and I could tell you were really excited about it! You kindly thanked your sister for her gift to you as well and were genuinely excited about it. It made my heart so happy.

These things to me are a sign that you are growing up and learning to put other people's feelings first. And the beautiful thing about that is how happy it made you and how loved I could see it made you feel. Please never lose that. Instead, nurture it and watch it grow. It will ensure you go through life with a very happy heart.

I can't wait for the next 10 years of getting to know you. I love you with all of my heart!

Make Me Smile Monday

On friday it was R's birthday. She turned 7. Aside from the regular (for our family) celebrations, I had an extra little surprise for her. Last year I borrowed this idea from "Trey and Lucy" (which of course I came across on Pinterest) for all the kids on their respective birthdays and they loved it. I did it on their own personal bedroom door during the night and they woke up to it in the morning.

I forgot how much they loved it until I was driving the kids home from school and R and S both mentioned they were surprised I hadn't done it again. So, feeling a bit like I'd dropped the ball on this one I immediately began trying to figure out what I could do instead.

And I figured it out! While R and J were downstairs playing at the kitchen table S and I went upstairs and I blew up between 25-30 balloons and put them on the floor. I quietly let Jason know that S would be calling R up to her room and that he should come upstairs when she did. I got J to come upstairs with me while S went down to get her sister. J and I closed her bedroom door and piled all the balloons close to the door. When she opened the door J, S and I yelled "Surprise!" and balloons went flying everywhere. There was a lot of smiles and giggles and balloons flying everywhere. She was completely surprised and it was definitely a hit! It took about 10 minutes to pull off and she will likely always remember walking into a room filled with balloons when she turned 7. It was even worth the disgusting taste so many balloons left behind. ;)

Make Me Smile Monday

Last year the kids watched Elf with Jason and I for the first time. They thought it was hilarious and talked about it for days. I heard about Buddy's giant burp for days from my little man. So last weekend when we were walking home from the Santa Claus parade and Jason and I asked what movie the kids wanted to watch when we got home it was not a surprise to hear a quick and unanimous "Elf!". So, Elf it was! It's such a fun movie. As you may already know, our children have always known Santa isn't real, but we have fun as a family using our imaginations and making him a part of our celebrations anyways. This movie is one of my personal favourites and it's fun to share that with them. Besides, there's nothing like the sound of my children laughing and of course it's a lot of fun to snuggle up with some hot chocolate and laugh together.

This past week, I found it pretty cute to discover J thinks it's called "the Elf". :) What is it about kids and the way they talk? The way they word or pronounce certain things can crack you up or melt your heart. One of the simple joys of life!

I hope you too are having fun making memories with your family this holiday season!

Make Me Smile Monday

Children are very easily entertained. They are so full of life and quick to make a game out of everything. This morning as I was helping J (my 4 year old) make his bed I was reminded of that.

When S (my firstborn) was only a year or two I discovered something. Whenever I would be making a bed, she would think it was the greatest thing ever to crawl underneath the sheet or blanket as it's up in the air (everybody makes their beds that way, right?) and "hide" under sheet or blanket. It quickly turned into a game where I would smooth the blankets all around her and pretend I couldn't figure out what the big lump was. (I have a feeling this is a pretty common occurance among parents with young children.)  She would giggle and squirm until I would throw the blanket back and gasp, "That's not a lump! That's my S!!!".

And of course both R and J loved this game as well. This morning it occured to me that both my girls have outgrown this, and it won't be long before my son does as well. By now he knows he's not really fooling me. He's aware that I know he's the lump but he's still young enough to pretend that I don't. So for the time being I'm going to take those extra few minutes whenever I can and enjoy the golden sound of his laughter, the joy on his face over one of life's simple pleasures.

Make Me Smile Monday

I'm looking for a line dancing instructor for a kids summer program I'm planning. There's a lady here in town who does this but I haven't been able to track her down. So, after doing a quick google search I dicovered there's a seniors group that meets every Monday morning to line dance. When I made the call I was immediately invited to go this morning and talk to the group myself. :)

So, today J and I went over to one of our town's rec centres to meet the lovely lady D I spoke with on the phone just yesterday. Dancing had already begun and there were a few people standing in the front entrance chatting amongst themselves. They greeted us warmly and asked if we were coming to dance with them. They talked to J and asked for his name and admired his Curious George shirt. D saw us come in from the other side of the room and she came over right away to greet us. She brought me up to the front and passed me the mic so I could make the invitation myself. 

After the invitation went out they went back to dancing. There were probably about 25 people there probably ranging from mid 50's to early 70's. They were dancing, smiling, laughing and full of life. But as I was sitting there watching I was thinking this is what life is all about...connecting with people, embracing the things we love and actually living!

Maybe I'm alone in this, but how incredible is that? And I don't just mean the dancing but the open, warm and all-inclusive way they welcomed us in. Because when I think about it, I'm not sure I would've had gotten the same welcome had the demographic been 20 to 30 years younger. And I can't help but wonder why that is? It was probably the single most inviting place I've ever walked into in my entire life.

I hope that at the end of my life people look back and say that I embraced it. That I didn't shy away from doing the things I loved because of fear or insecurity. I hope people say that I pushed myself beyond my natural comfort zone over and over again until it was miles bigger than it was when I began! I hope that people will say I was warm and inviting, and I always had a smile on my face. As adults, life can be busy and our responsibilities can sometimes distract us from lifes simple pleasures. I don't want to wait until I'm close to retirement to have be seen as a warm, inviting, brave individual. Besides, the danger is great that if I wait until then I might not be able to make the transition.

And for all of you, I hope that you take the time to do the things you enjoy regularly, that you connect with family and friends often and that your beautiful smile and sincere laughter are a part of your everyday life!

Make Me Smile Monday

My little man J turns 4 in just under a week, which is hard to believe. It's funny because he's 1 1/2 years older than S (our firstborn) was when we bought our first house 7 years ago. I remember how big Jason and I felt like she had grown. I can only imagine what it will be like to look back on this stage in another, say, ten years.

The other day when he was playing with his sisters I heard him call "Mother Gothel" (from the movie Tangled) "Mother Gobble", which for some reason I just think is the cutest thing ever. He has a very clear understanding that Mother Gothel is bad and likes to say that "she doesn't know best...she knows worst". (In response to the song Mother Gothel's character sings called "Mother Knows Best".)

He also likes to tell us that "Sidwey Wosby from the Pittsburgh Pengwens" is his favourite. And just recently I noticed that despite the fact he can say Nana and Ba, for some reason he can't seem to tie them together and say Banana. It always comes out Wana or Bawana. :)

I've always enjoyed the cute way my children say things as their learning to talk and marvel at the way their vocabularies clean up and those mispronounced words eventually disappear completely. But this time around there also seems to be this realization that he's my "baby" and once he loses all of his toddler vernacular I won't ever get to experience this with another child again. So I guess you could say I've been feeling a bit nostalgic lately. Feeling overwhelmingly blessed to have three healthy children with healthy speech development (something I never want to take for granted).

Right now the cute way J pronounces things is just that, it's cute. But one day the way he used to pronounce things will be a cherished memory. And if we're fortunate enough we may just just get the chance one day when he's a teenager to share those stories with his friends so he can pretend to be embarassed while secretly loving the attention. ;)

Make Me Smile Monday

Every once in a while I make breakfast for dinner. It's not the healthiest meal, but I make sure to sneak some fresh fruit in there and we don't do it too often. So last night the girls and I made breakfast for dinner together. Home fries, homemade waffles, bacon and fruit salad.

The amazing thing is they didn't just "help", they seriously were helping me cook! I'm sure you know what I mean. The "helping" stage. You do everything (read/measure/pour/stir) and then work at helping them help you. That too is a very fun stage and I really enjoyed it. But I'm also enjoying this new stage.

S made waffles. She mixed up the batter and even learned how to use the waffle iron (with an oven mitt and me standing just a few feet away giving step by step instructions). And R washed all the grapes, strawberries and even peeled and cut the bananas. And then of course gave everything a good stir.

I'm not exactly sure why cooking is so much more enjoyable when they're helping. But it really is. I don't mind cooking, and I enjoy the pay off of putting time into making a good meal, but I don't usually find it fun. But with my two little helpers I seriously love cooking! We talk and laugh all the while I'm gradually introducing them to cooking skills. I also find they have a bit of an air about them. An "I am so grown up and I am cooking with mommy" kind of air. It's really sweet.

I didn't think to take any pictures of the girl’s handy work but I'm sure that over the years cooking together will be an opportunity for many great conversations, much laughter and the building of many warm, fuzzy memories!

Make Me Smile Monday

OK, so today's Make Me Smile Monday is a bit different than usual. And will likely leave you thinking I'm "as giddy as a school girl"...which maybe I kind of am! ;)

Last night the most exciting thing happened! Jen from Iheart Organizing (one of my favourite blogs which I've been following for quite a while) stopped by to check out June's Clean and Tidy and left a comment!!! :) (I shared the link with her the other day because the project I shared was an idea I got from her.)

If you're not familiar with her blog, you should really check it out. She's incredibly gifted at organizing and decorating her home (she's a young mother of three which I completely relate to) and is a very upbeat and positive person.

Anyways, I think it's really sweet that she took the time to not only check it out but let me know! And I'm still smiling about it! :)

Make Me Smile Monday :)

What can I say? I love the family I married into! <3

Here's a little glimpse into why...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTSO49MrfCs&feature=player_detailpage

Make Me Smile Monday

A weekend filled with: friends, family, good conversation, laughter, swimming, 'smores, board games, tubing, wake boarding, 4 wheeling, 6 wheeling, frog catching, sand castles. starry nights, camp fires, fresh air, crashing waves, good food and breathtakingly scenic views. What more could a girl ask for? ;)

Make Me Smile Monday

I love family photoshoots with my favourite photographer Jodi Taylor. Jodi has been taking pictures for our family from the very begining. She took our engagement and wedding pictures, pictures of S when she was about six months old and she has been doing our family pictures ever since. There are other photographers in the area we could go to, but (besides the fact that she's simply amazing!) there's something special about having our friend take our pictures, espcially she's been taking them from the beginning. We love you Jodi, thanks for capturing these moments for us! :)    

We've now also done this twice with Jason's extended family and I'm looking forward to having this done with my side of the family sometime as well!

Make Me Smile Monday

We went to a family reunion this weekend. We drove up to my great uncle and aunts cottage and camped out for two nights.  My great grandma and grandpa used to own the property and we used to go up for visits. Now their six children and all of their children and grandchildren meet there every other summer. I have many memories specifically involving the lake. Fishing (when I was younger), paddle boating, catching frogs and swimming. Even leeches. Despite the fact it's not a very far drive to get there, the area it's in has a genuinely Northern Onatrio feel to it. It's a very familiar feeling. I love the beauty of the lakes and trees in Northern Ontario and I will forever have a special love for this property itself. Not that I can really do it justice (especially with my limited photgraphy skills, but I tried to capture the beauty I'm captivated by everyt time I go there. The last three picture are my favourites and photo credit goes to my cousin...you know who you are! :)

Make Me Smile Monday

There's just something I love about living in a home that's filled with the sound of the piano on a daily basis. Every day Jason plays piano. He plays to prepare songs for when he's leading worship at church and he plays just for fun. Regardless of what he plays, I love the sound! There's something about it that seems to fill the house with warmth. When he's playing he might have a child trying to crawl on his lap or climb up beside him on the piano bench. They'll sing with him while they play, set the table or they'll stand beside him and sing. Sometimes they dance. I especially love when he plays while I'm preparing meals, because the piano is right near the kitchen and I can sing my heart out (doing my best to harmonize - haha!) while I cook.



circa 2008/2009



Make Me Smile Monday

What else can I say? This picture makes me smile. :) I'm so in love with this man!!!

(photo courtesy of Jodi Taylor) 

Make Me Smile Monday :)

I promised a while back that I was going to start shaking things up a bit on Monday's with some guest posts. I'm so very excited to say that that my beautiful friend Krisjana has written today's Make Me Smile Monday. I met Sjana when I was 17, and it was as though we'd known each other for years. We've been friends ever since. Sjana and her husband Jed just celebrated thier 11 year wedding anniversary a little over a week ago. Sjana and Jed are one of those couples that are just made for each other. Together they have 5 beautiful children. (Be sure to check out Sjana's blog here: http://pitterpatterletsgetatter.blogspot.com/ )  

So without further ado...

I’m very honoured to have been asked to participate in a ‘Make Me Smile Monday’.  Brenna is one of my very dearest friends, a true Proverbs 27:17 friend to me.

Friday night we were having a party/fire in our backyard

At one point while sitting outside, we felt droplets of rain. Looking up into the sky there were dark grey clouds overhead but coming behind them were the fluffy white ones in a blue sky.

Well, the rain increased and it chased most of us into the house for a few minutes. When it cleared up we headed back out. I heard one of the kids say, “I wonder if there’s a rainbow!” I thought, “It rained for five minutes it’s unlikely we would see a rainbow.

Guess what? Up in the sky in the direction that the rain cloud had come from was a very faint rainbow. Yes, I was surprised. Pleasantly so but still surprised.

I’ve thought about it a bit since and have discovered that what I was lacking was expectation. In my skepticism I could have missed out by failing to even look up.

Children have such great faith and great expectation. If you don’t know this yet, talk to a child someday soon.

They expected to see a rainbow and there was one. I didn’t expect to see it and was surprised.

There it shone.

Reminding me of a promise.

Maybe next time I will have greater expectations, like those of a child.

Because rainbows always make me smile.

Sjana.

   

Make Me Smile Monday :)

On friday our youngest of three (and brother to two older sisters) turned 3. At the same time my incredibe sister was giving birth a couple of hours away. So on Saturday Jason and I packed our kids in the van and travelled down to meet baby A and give our congratulations. Jason did the honours of driving two and a half hours both ways through the rain, for which I'm incredibly grateful! ;) Despite the bad driving weather, it was a great trip and I'm glad we all went together. I have to say she's absolutely beautiful! Look at that perfect little baby nose, and those tiny little fingers. I love her already!!!

The picture is a little blurry, because she was resting in an incubator when we went to meet her so they could monitor her breathing. She was born very quickly and that didn't give her quite enough time to clear her lungs and as a result her breathing was quicker than they would have liked. By the time we saw her late Saturday afternoon her breathing was almost where they wanted it and for that I'm thanking God! Here she is...my beautiful little niece!!!

Make Me Smile Monday

Today is my sister A's birthday. She's 7 years younger than me and we have no other siblings in between us to bridge the gap, but it's never really been necessary. She may not realize it (though I hope she does), but I've always been filled with an incredible (sometimes fiercely protective) love for my sister.

I remember the night my mom went into labour, waking up in the middle of the night my teeth chattering and knees knocking from the cold (we're talking Northern Ontario in March) as I climbed into the car to be taken to my grandparents house. I remember hearing that there had been some complications with her delivery and birth and that both mom and A had been through a rough time. I also remember my dad (typically a man of few words) carefully explaining to me and my brother what she had been through, that we might notice she had bloodshot eyes but that her eyes would get better (as would she) and everything would be ok. I remember the relief of knowing she would be ok and the joy of meeting her for the first time.

My sister has always been a very strong, independent person. Growing up she was often mistaken for being older than she really was (partly because she was tall and partly I think because she had two much older siblings) and seemed to fall into that role quite easily. She was always very responsible as a child and I think she felt older than she really was (much like a firstborn child tends to). She's always had a drive to do things on her own and has incredible back bone and determination.

She has also always been a very loving and tender hearted person. She's not quite as demonstrative as I am (I'm not very good at hiding what I'm feeling or thinking), but she feels very deeply. Some people you get to know very quickly because they "let it all hang out", but A's someone you're wise to take the time to really get to know. If you're patient you'll discover great depth and compassion there.

The wonderful thing about these two beautiful qualities of hers is how she's learning to use them as a new mom. I've watched her grow since the time I first heard she was pregnant and I know I will continue to see her grow. Making choices with the good of her children (baby number 2 is now on his or her way) and herself in mind caring for them with love and compassion and sticking to what she knows is best for them with that amazing determination of hers.

A, since I know you'll be reading this, what I'm trying to say, what I hope you know (not only today but everyday) is that I think you are so incredibly amazing and I love you so very much! You are so very important to me, Jason and our children and we are always here for you! Whenever you feel like you need a break we're here to help you find one!

You are irreplacable. No one else could ever play the role you do in our lives. You are one of the most important people in my life and you are one of my dearest friends. Happy Birthday!   

Make Me Smile Monday

I love to dance - at home that is! I love to dance around home when no ones watching. When I was younger I took jazz lessons for a few years and was on multiple dance teams as a part of my youth group. The thought of dancing at a wedding reception or Jack and Jill always sounds like so much fun, and at any given time I could imagine myself letting loose and getting out on the dance floor without a care in the world - but - I can never seem to muster up the courage to actually do it. Plenty of people simply have a drink to remedy this problem, but since I don't drink and don't think this would be a good reason to start this is obviously not the solution for me. ;)

When Jason's sister (who happens to be one of my dearest friends) got married they had the best dance reception ever! It began with the bride and groom followed by the father/daughter and mother/son dances. Then the bridal party joined the bride and groom for another dance. After this the guests were invited to join in on the celebration - and join in they did!

The thing you have to know about Jason's sister is that not only does she love to dance but she is someone who know's how to get out there and just have fun. This is something I really admire about her. What made it even better, was when the Jason's entire family (aunts, uncles, cousins - everyone - without the help of any liquid courage) made their way out onto the dance floor and all did the same! It was enough to even get ME out on the dance floor. It was so much fun seeing four generations out there letting loose, having so much fun!   

To me it comes back to this idea of confidence, which I've come to the conclusion is a bit of a practiced art. I've talked to a lot of people who I consider to be very confident, people who know how to get out there and do the things they want to do. What always amazes me is that it doesn't mean they're never afraid, or that they don't ever get nervous it's just that they decide to do it anyways and give it all they've got. And the result (from everything I've gathered) is that they simply have fun and are glad they did. As someone who hasn't made this a habit, I find it very encouraging, the thought that if I keep pushing myself over time it will get easier to do and the rewards will only get better with time!

Make Me Smile Monday

Our little man J has recently discovered clip-on ties. He has a buddy at church who's the same age as him who wears them and because of that he decided he wanted one, too. So a couple weeks ago he was given a few ties. One from Nana and Poppa and two from his aunt. This Sunday at church he proudly wore one of his new ties (for the second week in a row). He sat with us before the service enthusiastically pointing out to Jason one of the men from church who was also wearing a tie.

What makes it extra special is where his "new" ties came from. The one that was passed on from Nana used to be worn by two of his uncles, and the other two Jason wore when he was a little boy as well as J's cousin R who's 6 (and one of J's heroes). I love the significance of items like this that have been passed down from generation to generation. J likes to stretch up his arm as far as it can reach and tell us that one day he will be be a big man like daddy. The other day he even told Jason that one day he, his daddy and his poppa would all be men at the same time. I think he sees this as a way for him to connect with being a man in his own way now.    

In a world where masculinity can sometimes be equated with negative things, I love seeing my little guy find healthy ways to make the connection. I'm so incredibly grateful that J has so many great role models in his life! You know who you are and I just want to thank you for it!   

Make Me Smile Monday

A little background: our little guy J loves to play some Wii and one of his favourite games is sword fighting. When you win your opponent falls into the water and magically reappears dripping wet, looking defeated. It's a fun game and I like this kid-friendly version where the kids can see the opponent hasn't even been "pretend" hurt. J thinks it's really funny to see them fall and when we first got it he would talk about it all the time and even reenact it for us.

We go to a small church where everyone knows each other and we all know the pastor, including J. Primarily the two enjoy talking sports. So, yesterday at church we had a baptism service. The kids were brought up with their Sunday School classes to watch. S and R both have an understanding as to what baptism represents. (If you're curious - just ask!) J, however hadn't ever been told anything about it before. Needless to say when a 2 year old boy who doesn't know anything about baptism, finds himself watching for the first time he's watching with his own little 2 year old perspective.

I loved his very innocent reaction. He told Jason with a big smile and excitement in his voice: "Pastor Fred knock dem down in water!!!"