February Foto Fun Day 4: Changes to Come

The following notice was in our church bulletin this past Sunday, and that's when I knew, whether I am ready or not, changes are ahead.....

See that year '2011'? Yeah, that means I have a child that I need to register for Senior Kindergarten for this coming September. Come September my youngest will be in Kindergarten 2 full days one week and 3 full days the following week.

I had thought of prolonging this change from happening by keeping my baby home an extra year. Really, if he was born two days later he would be staying home one more year! Being so young AND being a boy were two big factors in making our decision.

However, in the last months he has proven to me that he is so ready academically. He knows most of the letters, recognizes the numbers 1-10 and can count in to the 20s. The other day I caught him sounding out the word 'puppet'. He is just ready for the challenges of what school will bring him. He is very eager to learn and wants to learn more and more.

As for the maturity part? Yeah, well, he's a boy. They apparently don't mature until they marry anyway, so I might as well send him as I do not plan on having him home every day all day until/if he gets married :)

To get me used to the change ahead, Lincoln did start a little preschool program a few weeks ago. He goes every Tuesday and Thursday, from 9-12, to Mrs. Post's home (Keziah's previous kindergarten teacher) with 3 other children from our church.

 

He loves it!! And it's just a few hours, so it is a good balance of keeping him busy and spending time at home with me.

I do get somewhat excited about September with him going to school a few days a week. I know he'll soak it all up and have fun, and it'll leave me more opportunity to supply teach at the school where both my kiddies will be, which I do already a bit.

Yet on the other hand, I am trying hard not to panic as I see this part of my life behind me....the part where I always have someone home with me. What in the world am I going to do on the days they are both gone? I know I mentioned teaching, but unless we have very sick teachers next year, I know I won't be teaching every day that he is gone to school. So, then what?!

Deep breath. I have noticed that there is no shortage of people around that need an extra hand, or shoulder, or a listening ear. I am busy with that now already so I look forward to being able to do more of this.

When I start to worry about what the changes ahead will mean for me, it is good that I am reminded to trust in the Lord. He has planned my life the last almost 38 years, He has next year planned for me as well. That is so comforting, knowing He is at the helm of my life.

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. " Jeremiah 29: 11

Day 4: What I do for a Living

February Foto Fun Day 3: Books

Ah, books. How I looooooove books. I don't remember ever *not* liking to read. I remember being read to and reading on my own as a child. My favourites were Little House on the Prairie, Ramona books and the Mandie Books. I have already bought the Little House on the Prairie set for Keziah, hoping to start reading them to her next year; but I have yet to find any Mandie books. I look every time when I hit the second hand stores, as well as Kijiji, but so far, nothing. If you have some and are selling them - let me know!! :)

I read through all my childhood, teenage years and now adulthood. I feel very restless when I don't have a book to read, even if it's not a good one.

So, what do I read now as an adult? Well there is one thing for sure: you will never, ever, ever find me reading a fantasy book. Ever. I despise those books. I have only read one Harry Potter book (because I had to for college). I haven't gone near any of the Lord of the Rings, or the Hunger Games. I haven't even read The Hobbit. gasp. I know. I just think they are so, well, stupid (?). Don't worry, I am used to people looking at me like I am crazy when I mention this......oh well. Will you still be my friend?! :)

Oh, and I tend to stay far away from Christian fiction. Gag (most of them anyway).

The books I *do* enjoy reading are documentary type books, non-fiction and fiction. I love reading books about culture and different countries that open my eyes to "what's out there". But no matter how much I love a book, I will never, ever, ever read it again, unlike a few of my friends. I just do not understand why you would read a book again when you know the ending.

Anyway, picture. That is what this is supposed to be isn't it? Pictures not essays?!

When I am not reading this one for the 75 671st time,

or when I am not doing Keziah's "Snuggle Up and Read" books from school,

I am reading my own books. Right now, my nose is in one of these books throughout the day:

And these books are calling me also, as well as the 9 books I have on hold at the library.

My favourite books to read to the kids are these ones. They are absolutely hilarious!!

And my favourite book to read to them about their adoptions is this:

Some of the more recent books I have read that stick in my mind because I loved them so much are:

• Life of Pi
• Me Before You
• A Mountain Between Us
• Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
• A Walk Across the Sun
• A Light Between Oceans
• The Forgotten Garden
• The Lost Wife
• These is My Words (1st of 3)
• Language of Flowers
• Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away
• Letters to My Daughters

Just a few for you in case you are looking for something to read. 

So do you have any good suggestions for me? Keep in mind: no fantasy or christian fiction (unless it is not cheesy.....) Happy reading!!

Day 4 is next: Changes to Come

February Foto Challenge Day 2: Clouds

Well, as I write this it is absolutely pouring rain outside. "They" are calling for 25-35 mm of rain. Rain comes from clouds so of course today would have been an easy challenge to achieve. It was. Except rain clouds in the middle of winter are pretty grey. Thankfully though, before the rain clouds crowded the sky, we had snippets of some sun and cloud. These clouds weren't as brightly coloured as last night's, but so be it.

 

But I can't just leave it at this. While the challenge is to take a picture of a particular subject/topic of *that* day, I am already going to cheat. I know, not even two days into my challenge and I am already changing the rules. It's just that I know I do have some amazing pictures of clouds from a severe storm we received two summers ago, and I just can't help but share those pictures.

 

 

It was a sight I had never seen before. The clouds were truly rolling across the sky. On one side of our backyard, it was blue sky but you can see the darkness taking over. The sky looked like it was boiling water. It left us speechless, scared and speechless. Oh and it left us with some amazing pictures. Isn't our God powerful, creative and majestic?!

So there you have it, Day Two: Clouds

Day Three: Books

February Foto Fun

January is behind us - all 31 days of it. I usually find January one of the longest months ever and not just because there are 31 days. January can be long due to the fact that it is in the middle of winter, usually filled with lots of wind chills, frozen nostrils and more darkness than light.

This January was easy on us. We did receive a bit of snow and while the temperatures dipped here and there, it really wasn't too bad. No minus 30 wind chills. Phew.

Now we are at the start of February, and we all know what comes next! March!!! March means Spring! Yay!! But before we get ahead of ourselves, we do have 29 days to enjoy before we can smell Spring.

To help us get through one more month of pure Winter, I thought I'd make up a Photo Challenge for myself. Maybe it'll challenge you as well to get that camera out and snap some shots around the house. There are tonnes of different monthly photo challenges, where you are given a challenge a day. I didn't find one that I liked, so I took some ideas from here and there and made up my own.

Here is the following I have decided to challenge myself and my camera:

1. Commitment
2. Clouds
3. Books
4. Changes to Come
5. What I do for a Living
6. Kids in PJs
7. Childhood Memory
8. Eyes
9. Something Old
10. Myself with 10 Things
11. Favourite Colour
12. A Good Habit
13. A Bad Habit
14. Love
15. Something New
16. A Favourite Saying
17. Sunset
18. Best Friend
19. Exercise Routine
20. Frozen
21. Something Red
22. Something I can't Live Without
23. Something I want
24. Tell a Story with One Photo
25. Music
26. Jewelry
27. Animal
28. Self Portrait
29. Gratitude

There. By telling you all this means I am committed. So my first photo:

Wow. Quite the exciting picture, eh?! Don't worry, I promise more exciting ones are to come :) But here is proof of my commitment to taking off the camera cap every day to take a daily picture of what is required. If it's been awhile for you, I encourage you to use your camera as well, just to snap a picture here and there of the goings on around you. They are always fun to look back on.

See you tomorrow with my "Clouds" picture. I am hoping that tomorrow's clouds will be just as glorious as today's clouds during the sunset.

Monster Jam!!!

Part of Lincoln's birthday present was to take him to the Monster Jam show. When we told him, he was pretty excited. Keziah? Not so much. Well, to be more exact......not at all. I debated staying behind with her while the boys went, but I just couldn't. I love, love, LOVE this type of stuff and so I was not willing to pass up on an opportunity to watch the Monster Trucks. We told Kez that she was going, whether she liked it or not and then she will never have to go again if she doesn't want to.

Well, guess who loved it??!?!

She was very disgusted with Grave Digger and Zombie - wouldn't even watch them as they did their runs and tricks - as the trucks were covered in paintings of skeletons, blood etc. She has absolutely zero tolerance for that kind of stuff and thinks it is completely unnecessary to have that I couldn't agree with her more :)

Thankfully there were lots of others to watch and cheer for! Our favourites were the bus, Scooby-Do and Northern Nightmare.

But before we got to the actual show, we had to find parking and supper. We passed up on $40 parking and relied on our strong healthy legs to carry us from the $10 parking to the Rogers Center.

We munched on some yummy pizza, saw the CN Tower and then in we went!

 

This boy loved it too.....but showed it very differently. Knowing him, I should have known he would not be jumping up and down, cheering and getting all excited. Nope, he took it all in stride.....loving the pay loaders that had to rescue the trucks just as much as the trucks! The only clue that he was loving it so much was the fact that he sat like this the whole time - on the edge of his seat!

At one point, he did stand and use his Monster Truck hat to copy every move each Monster Truck was doing as they did their tricks. It was so cute to watch. If they jumped up, his hat went up. If they did donuts, his hat did donuts. :)

 

But on to the trucks.....it was a great show. Lots of down time and it is too bad that so many of them "broke" during the freestyle part (which ended the show earlier than we would have liked), but it still left the kids playing Monster Trucks since they got home. Here are some of the better pictures I was able to get:

 

 

Oops!!

 

Question for you: what do you think......did the truck below fall on its side or was it able to stay upright?

 

 

 

 

Hmmm, see anything wrong with Grave Digger?!

It was a late night, but a fun night for the kids. They loved it! And Keziah was very thankful that we made her go :)

A Glimpse

The following video has been swirling around "out there" the last couple of days, and I thought I would share it here in case you haven't seen it. I have talked before about the adoption of our children and the day they were placed into our arms by their loving birth parents. I have often stated that there were no words in the dictionary to describe the feelings for that moment. This video captures it well.

Hardly (if any) words are spoken in the video, yet so much is being said as the tears fall. If those tears could talk, each tear drop would say things like this:

• tears of thankfulness for the birth parents, for their gift
• tears of gratitude to God, for your gracious plan
• tears expressing our pleas to the Lord to be with our child's hurting first parents
• tears of respect for our children's birth parents for recognizing life, choosing adoption over abortion
• tears of shock - is this really our child? To keep??
• tears of surreal-ness: this can't really be happening - I am going to wake up soon
• tears of joy in how our child was created by a perfect and faithful Father
• tears of awe in how tiny a human can be!
• tears for the fears of the unknown ahead
• tears of happiness. Oh, the happiness
• tears of excitement of the future
• tears from all the years of wishing, wanting, desiring, hurting, disappointments, ups, downs, hopes and fears

Tears as opposed to words. Watch the video. It could very well have been Nathan and I sitting in those chairs.  But before you do,

Get a Kleenex

We are forever humbled by God's plan in ours and our children's lives. We continue to pray for our children's birth parents. And we pray hard that people who find themselves unable to care for their baby will choose adoption over abortion. Please pray with us about this.

Birthday Celebrations

As mentioned before, we were in Ottawa for a few days back at the end of December. That meant Lincoln's birthday was celebrated there. He was pretty excited to be in a hotel for his birthday!

About a month and a half before his special day, he put some of his toys on the table and said, "Mom, can you give these toys to me for my birfday?"

What kid does that?! Wants his own toys back as a present for his birthday? Not thinking he was too serious, I gave him a bag to put the stuff in and then I forgot about it. Later that day I remembered what he had asked, so I looked around for the bag. I couldn't find the toys he had selected or the bag anywhere near the other toys. Where did he put it??

I went into our office and into the closet, the closet where I keep gifts and sure enough, this is what I found:

This kid melts my heart! He was so serious about it all, really wanting them as a present. I didn't think he would be able to wait 6 weeks to get them back but he surprised me. About 3 weeks before his birthday, he was restless and groaning, saying, "I wish it was my birfday." I asked him why and he said it was because then he would get his toys back. I told him he could just get them and play with them, but he looked at me funny and said, "But mom! It's not my birfday!!". So he did not get them. What a kid.

So, we took them with to Ottawa to give to him on his birthday. We did get him some other things as well (we aren't that mean!), but the pictures will tell you his reaction to receiving back his toys. We hid his presents around the hotel room:

He had packed his mini hockey stick away for us to give him as well.....happy to have it back!

 "Yay!! Thank you, mom, for my dinosaur!! I missed it!!"

 

A tool cat from daddy! He LOVED this present and tells everyone this is what he got for his birthday.

 

 "What is this?! I don't like it, mom. I only like cars, trucks, animals and dinosaurs. I do not like this."

The night before, we went out to a store where he could pick out a piece of cake. I wasn't about to transport a cake/cupcakes all the way up to Ottawa. Lincoln was just as thrilled with this idea!

And of course, we had to eat the cake for breakfast. Don't you get to eat whatever you want whenever you want on your birthday?! But first, we sang......much to his delight. Not.

 

 

Once the cake was inhaled eaten, we packed up and he spent the rest of the day in the car as we drove back home. He was treated to McDonald's on the way home, but other than that, the celebrations were pretty much done.

And now we have a 4 year old. Crazy how time flies. But we are so thankful for the 4 years we have had with this blue-eyed blessing.