Hi!!

Where have you been the last month or so?!

I know, I know. It's been awhile, eh? Maybe you aren't even checking this blog anymore. But if you are - hi! :o) I always said to myself that if I quit blogging, I'd let my reader(s) know instead of leaving them 'hanging'. So seeing as I am saying "hi", I guess this means I am not quitting.

But yes, it's been over a month since my last post. To blog has been on my mind a bit, but I truly have not felt like it at all. I think a big part of it is two-fold.

The first part of not feeling like it is because I have been too busy enjoying my moments with my family. It is really, really, really hitting me that in a month and a bit, my baby girl is going to be in school full-time. Every.single.day. I can't think of this. My heart can't take it. I am going to miss her so much. I hope and pray my heart gets a little stronger in the next weeks, or September I am going to be an absolute wreck.

The other part of not feeling like blogging is that I am becoming more and more aware that my kids are getting older. Meaning, would they appreciate it that I share so much about them? After all, it is *their* lives, too, and I am not so sure they will like it that I share things about them to people "out there". I question this - whether it is my right to share things about them, seeing as they are getting older and it is really their life. When they were little, this didn't bother me, but now it has been taking up some mental space, and could be the very reason why I may make the decision to stop blogging. I will continue to pray about this - and I will certainly let you know when/if I write my last post.

On to some pictures of our goings-on. It's been a Canada Day celebrating, ice-creaming, camping (1 trip done, 1 more to go this summer!), swimming in the pool, play-dating, beaching, painting (rainy days), hair cutting, baby-holding, kind of summer. And we are enjoying every minute of it!!

 

 

 

 

 (no, Keziah is not having a time-out away from the fire in the above picture. That is where she likes to sit for the fire, or else "it's too hot". As you can see below, despite sitting in the back row, she is enjoying it!! :o)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This blog will most likely be quiet again for the next while, as we will be busy celebrating a 6th birthday (gasp!!!), camping and just savouring our days together as a family. I hope and pray you are doing well, finding God in the quiet and/or busy moments. He is there, ever-present. Such a comfort and gives so much peace. May His grace fill you and may you then share that grace with those He has placed on your path.

This and That

It has certainly become a busy time in the Helder home lately. I have been teaching a fair bit in the last weeks, filling in for a few teachers, which means getting both kids and I out the door before 7:30. The business is keeping my beloved hubby busy as well. Our nights are filled with meetings and so that doesn't leave a whole lot of time to blog.

But despite our busyness, the camera is always ready to capture the latest and greatest of our happenings :o). Let's go back a few weeks.....

Every time Nathan and I lay our heads down to sleep, we look up to a newly decorated sign, thanks to our personal interior decorator. We are very thankful for painter's tape!

Fishing has kept these two busy! Who knew you could catch an electric eel in a little creek?! :)

 

 

Somebody thought that to park beside the road was a good idea. In the Spring time. Oops. While it was a dream come true for Lincoln (a tractor!! Pulling a truck out!!), it was not for his dad. A few days later, I overhear Lincoln playing with his cars/trucks, saying "And the truck is out of the mud!! It's a miracle!! God did a miracle!!". His dear sister promptly told him that God doesn't do *those* kinds of miracles :o))

These three had fun finding a worm. They even named him, which I had to write down on a paper per their instructions.

 

Someone decided to print his name with not much help at all. He has never done this before. The only letter we have done so far is the "L". This kid knows way more and knows how to do way more than he gives off. Stinker.

Someone else stopped sucking her thumb cold turkey. We never pushed it before this time as she was going through so many surgeries and procedures. But now that those are mostly behind us, we talked about it (with the dentist) and that night, she hid her blanket in her dollhouse and has not sucked her thumb again (she only sucked it with her blanket). It has been over a month now. We are so proud of this girl's determination!!

 

Keziah is now done school! Her first year has come and gone, including a little graduation. She gave her teacher a platter of cookies with a note: Thank you for turning me into a smart cookie. (Thank you, Pinterest!!)

 

 

Being done school means lots of time for these two to be together again. Here they have a stool outside on the front step, waiting for Chippy (our outdoor resident chipmunk) to come and visit with them. In the meantime, secrets, stories and laughs are being shared.  I am so thankful for my zoom on my camera ;)

 

 

 

Not only is there more time for those two to be together, there is more time for her to find and come up with treasures. This is a rock with a dead fly sitting on my counter. It's been sitting there all day with a very eager girl checking it every so often, to see if it's finally turning into a fossil. Oh, how I love my girl and her imagination!! 

 

Ah, yes, life is busy, but never too busy to spend time with our two blessings. We are enjoying life so much!

 

 

Despite life being busy at times, we do our best to make sure the two of us also spend time together. Almost 17 years married, and he still gives me an irregular heartbeat!! 

I hope you are all doing well, enjoying each and every day God allows.

A Day of Play!

It was Play Day for Keziah today - a day where the student body is split up into teams, and then as teams, they are challenged all day with various activities. Points are handed out and then counted at the end of the day, with teams placing in order according to points accumulated. It is truly a neat day to observe, as you see the older ones become such great leaders, helping the younger ones out. Today was no exception. Every team and leader did amazing.

This was Keziah's first Play Day, and I'll be honest, I was not sure how she would do. Two factors that I thought would play a part in her not enjoying the day are:

1. She does NOT like to be hot. At all. As soon as she feels hot, there is no reasoning with this girl.
2. She can feel overwhelmed very quickly, especially if she is not sure what is expected of her and/or people are yelling (cheering) all around her.

Well, this girl did absolutely fabulous! I feel bad to say I was amazed in how well she handled the whole day, but I am! I have taught many kindergartners, and often by lunch on Play Day, they are completely toast, in tears and don't want to participate anymore.

Although Keziah can quickly become teary when those two factors mentioned above happen, not once did I see a tear! She played hard all day. And she enjoyed herself - which was the best!

Here are some of the activities she enjoyed:
Spider Web - each team member had to get through the "web" without touching it at all. Once a spot was used, it could not be used again. Here Keziah is being "fed" through the web with success!

 

Not sure what this activity was called, but once again, it meant teamwork!

Mini Golf:

High jump

50 Metre Dash

Soccer Baseball - here she is, standing in the field. She was told where to stand, and that is where she stood. She did not move, even when a ball came near her. I love this age - they listen so literally! :o)

Our school is blessed with such caring teachers, always making sure the little ones know what to do.

Running the bases!

Great kick for Soccer Baseball!!

Obstacle Course - being coached by one of her teammates:

Baseball Throw - again, being coached....

One of Keziah's cheerleaders:

Running Long Jump:

Water Game - while other little ones did not like this game, Keziah loved it! She was lucky - this was the last activity for her, at the end of the day when it was nice and warm out.

While watching the kids play, we noticed a Sun Dog - a full circle rainbow around the sun. So cool!!

Cheering is hard work! Definitely deserved a freezie :o)

Keziah's team ended up in 4th place out of 10 teams. Good job, team!!

Hearts Filled With Thankfulness

Last night, Keziah participated in her very first school concert, themed Thankfulness! She was pretty excited, having practiced many songs in the last weeks at school. I was pretty excited because for the first time, I could watch as a parent - not as a teacher! For once, my own child was up there, singing with the masses. These firsts for me as a parent never gets old.

 

Before we left for the church, she found a little flower that she wanted in her hair....

Keziah wasn't too nervous - not that I noticed or she said anyway. And she LOVES to sing. She did well, and it was neat to see her with her little class and school.

 

 

And here is a little video of her singing....it's shaky (and blurry at first), but it's the best I could do, sitting so far away. My little zoom on my camera could only work so well....

Keziah - song with actions

It was the last concert for our school, a school that has been known as Covenant Christian School for more than 25 years. In fact, it's the school that *I* went to as a kid! However, it is a small school. And with another small school about 20 minutes away, we have come to the point where amalgamating the two schools is the wisest option (a decision that has taken years to make!). Come September, the combined schools will be known as Grace Christian School, with a student population of about 175 (give or take) students. We look forward to this new phase! Well, looking forward to the positives and advantages that come with a larger school......not so much of her going to Gr. 1. Waaaaaaa!!!!