snow pics

The view from the front.

I seriously love the view from our back deck! Gorgeous.
There was a very large snow drift that developed in the back.
The boys had a blast sliding down it. 

 

Brave

This is very much a mom's post. I have family on the brain. I hope to be able to share some thoughts with you over the next few posts on being a mom please join in and leave a comment expressing your own personal thoughts on the subject.

.

I've been thinking recently about how parenting has changed me. I was trained in ECE and taught preschool classes before I had kids of my own and this training was not as helpful as one might think (at least not for me.) I figured I had this parenting thing totally figured out, after all, I spent 2 years studying behavior management and psychology of children under the age of 5 and spent 3 years managing classes of 15 (yes 15!) 3 & 4 year olds with ease. I recall spending most of my time while teaching saying to myself "my kids will never do that!" Haha, those words have come back to haunt me many times. I was very critical and judgemental of parenting styles and choices. When my first born came along and he was colic for the first 6 months and all that learning went out the window, he was the exception to the norm and most of what I learnt did not apply to him. He was also born with a very strong will and I soon found out that this parenting thing was (and is) much harder than I thought. This is the first thing that has changed in me. Eating my words and changing my thoughts. It is not my place to criticize other parents. It seems to me that so many of us are trying to parent everyone else's children! Everyone has opinions on how one should be doing it right. I am guilty of this myself. There is nothing wrong with opinions but we really need to be encouraging and building each other up not tearing each other down. Now, I definitely want to be clear that obviously I'm not referring to situations of abuse or neglect. I'm talking about the smaller things. Some kids are born with a naturally quiet nature and some just aren't. I have seen wonderful parents struggle with challenging situations and I have come to respect the hard work they put into it daily. I have a few people in my life that don't talk about me and how I have chosen to parent. I feel safe sharing my struggles with them and appreciate their input in my life. I have learnt to focus on my own not others. I have learnt to relax.

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Nicole Nordeman sang a song when I saw her last month that speaks about the second thing that has changed in me. Recently my son has been facing a big battle with anxiety.....he is only 9. I wonder how my little one can have such big fears. I can see how he is tormented by overwhelming panic in some situations and it is so hard to watch. He can't make it go away on his own. I am committed to do whatever it takes to help him get better. I am, by nature, a very shy & timid person. I have forced myself out of my comfort zone many times because I know it is good for me. It is funny how you will do just about anything for your kids. It's like a whole new person emerges if anyone messes with one of your babies. When I was teaching I used to wonder why parents were so "passionate" and sometimes unreasonable. Ha! I get it now. I have surprised myself over the past couple of years how I have been able to walk right into my kid's classrooms or to the principal and express my concerns (as reasonable as possible). My kid's have made me face so many of my fears. They make me want to be brave.

.

Brave (Nicole Nordeman)

The gate is wide

The road is paved in moderation

The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in

Welcome to the middle ground

You're safe and sound and

until now it's where I've been

'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything

But it's been love, your love, that cuts the strings

So long status quo

I think I'll just let go

You make me want to be brave

The way it always was

is no longer good enough

You make me want to be brave

I am small

And I speak when I'm spoken to

But I am willing to risk it all

I say your name

Just your name and I'm ready to jump

Even ready to fall....

So long status quo

I think I'll just let go

You make me want to be brave

The way it always was

is no longer good enough

You make me want to be brave.

.

Much of my thoughts have been focused on my family over the past few years. It is fair to say that I am passionate about marriage and family. I feel blessed to be able to be at home and be so involved with my kids. I have much more to share about this choice as it has not always been easy. All you moms out there be blessed and be encouraged!! More to come at a later date........

fun, fun, fun!

The boys cranked the music and Caleb is (at this very moment) teaching Gracie how to break dance........seriously, too funny!

More thoughts to post about my kids later, right now I'm off to dance with the crew and make dinner.

I tried to post some pictures for you all but it is not working right at the moment. Grrr. Oh well, I'm sure you have all seen lots of snow pictures already.

I've been stuck in this place with the kidlets for 4 days now. I decorated for christmas, cleaned the closets, rooms, kitchen, bathroom, etc. I did tons of christmas crafts with the kids, baked a bunch of yummy treats and now I'm not sure what to do with myself......AND I have not enjoyed a Starbucks coffee in as many days. Haha! Maybe tomorrow all will be normal again.

Well, there has not been much to blog about lately but I'm still here. I'm looking forward to putting up the Christmas tree on Sunday......and there might even be snow! I'm not counting on it as the forecast may change and snow is rare around here. I can always hope for it though.

Hmm..........yep, not much else to say. Hopefully something interesting will happen soon. I'm off to jump in the shower.

Alright, I'm off to by a coat with a hood on it! Why I waited 30 some odd years to own a hood and an umbrella is troubling to say the least. Maybe I won't melt now.

Pumpkin patch pics

I'm back baby! I've got a new computer (yay!) and yes my email is back in working order.

I got back last night from Women of Faith......pictures of my weekend can be found on Lee's site. When my dear friend asked if I wanted to go with her I really wasn't sure if I wanted to. It's been years since I've done anything like this and I wondered if I would enjoy it or not (I may have some issues when it comes to churchy stuff) I decide hey....why not! I've been learning lately that God speaks to me in many, many ways......churchy or not. I knew He'd have something there for me and I was right.

My highlights

-The incredible performances of Nicole Nordeman and Avalon. Very powerful. Talk about some serious talent. Nicole's song Hold On stood out for me.

-Walking through downtown Vancouver at 7:30 in the morning searching for a Starbucks. I was surprised by the amount of people living on the streets. We found the coffee shop and upon exiting a little old man was in front of me begging for food. I was more than happy to give him the banana bread I'd just purchased.

- Rooming with my bud in a cheesy east Van hotel. hahaha.

- Being reminded for 10 hours that God loves me just the way I am and that I have not messed up "the plan". ALL things work for good.....I believe it.

- Joy is found in the little things. Don't miss them.

- The little red car that could. We made it there and back in one piece. :)

My computer has gone away for repairs, so I am unable to read my email right now.

Spa Night!

Hey all you ladies out there, I'm hosting a spa party at my place this friday. If you'd like to come out and be pampered please let me know and I'll get the details to you.

woohoo!!

Three years ago we purchased our digital camera and for the past 3 years we have been storing ALL our photos on our computer. A couple weeks ago I decided it was time to get the five hundred or so pics developed. Sooo....I just sent in the last order and am now completely up to date! Yay!! Lee and I have been srapbooking again and I only have 6 years of photos to get into my albums :) I think I'm going to be busy for awhile.

Busy weekend again. Friday night we had a wedding rehearsal for Gary's nephew (we were the candle lighters). Saturday was wedding day, it was a beautiful wedding. Sunday we went to the Apple Barn with Lee and family. It was their busiest day ever. We got ourselves some very large pumpkins and a bag of apples.

I so enjoy mondays. I've managed to get all the laundry done and bake some cookies. Mmm....chocolate chip. Better go grab the last batch out of the oven.

the new pink room...

 

Welcome back frizzy hair season! When I left the house this morning my hair was somewhat flat and straight with a nice healthy shine. I went and put gas in the car and bought some laundry detergent and now I'm dull & frizzy. Sigh.

I'm going to post some pics of Gracie's 2nd birthday and one of her room but I'm having some picture posting issues. I gotta put a call in to my techie girl (hehe). I'm sure I'll have them up shortly.

happy b-day to the littlest in the family

My baby girl is 2 today. I took her to the dollar store this morning to pick out a little something since her party isn't till the weekend. She went straight for a little white satin purse with a flower on it. She put it over her arm and proceeded to walk around like she was the prettiest thing in the store. It was so cute. She also picked out the wrapping paper for the "real" gift I have yet to wrap for her. She picked the one that is covered with rainbows and ponies of course!

Happy birthday sweet pea!!

I just painted my little girl's room pink for her birthday. I love it! Her things have been packed away since we moved in April, I can't wait to open the boxes tomorrow and start decorating. It's finally starting to feel like home around here.

it was a great weekend

My time away with Gary was wonderful. Our room was up on the 20th floor, it took both of us a bit to adjust to the height but once we did the view of the city was spectacular. We are thankful that we had a 24 hour break just for us. I am thankful for a great husband. Sorry Lee, I forgot the camera so there are no pics to post :( We spent saturday shopping, got some new clothes and a birthday present for my little princess (she's turning 2 in a couple days!) I have never really fully appreciated walking slowly and leisurely through stores till now, what a treat! We have decided that this really needs to happen once a year.

The rest of the weekend was full of family and turkey. We did the in-law thing on sunday and my family yesterday. Being surrounded by family is such a wonderful thing. Angela challenged all of us to write down what we are thankful for. Every year I do this and every year I feel more thankful than the last. So here it goes.........

Watching Gary and the boys sitting around the table while working on their car models. I love watching them hanging out together just being boys. I'm thankful for my boys.

Gracie's smile, her eyes, her beauty. She is beautiful.

A home that is ours. It is warm and cozy.

Friends......so many great friends.

My marriage, I'm thankful for a lifetime of love. A love that covers me.

The activity and noise in my home. My house is full.

Quiet times spent with God. Forgiveness, grace and mercy.


There is so much more but I will stop there. Happy Thanksgiving all.

so long overdue

Well, I just booked a night away for my hubby and I. It has been.....hmm......probably 4 or 5 years since we've had a night away just for us. It's only for one night but I'm so excited to just hang out with Gary, he is my favorite person to be with. Thank you Carolyn for agreeing to parent 4 kids for the night, you have no idea how much this means to us!

A very nice surprise

I opened the hydro bill today to discover that I don't owe a single penny this month. In fact, I have a $40 credit. I guess overpaid on the last bill. Nice.

Time for some new clothes :)

ok i'll play

8 things about me......

1. I hate peaches just the thought of them make me gag.

2. I enjoy almost every type of music. I have been to see Celine Dion & Def Lepard (and all types in between)

3. I LOVE to sing

4. My feet are always freezing (even in the summer)

5. Gary and I got engaged 3 months after we met and have been married now for 12 years.

6. I really don't like these games....I gave in to the peer pressure! :)

7. I have a horrible fear of flying - the last time we flew down to Texas I was sick for 3 days from the anxiety.

8. I had a pony when I was a kid. Yes, isn't that every little girl's dream? My pony wasn't very nice.



Now I tag the following people....

Mom
Rachel
Kori
Annette
Lori
Rose (if you're still out there!)

I was reminded again this morning of how blessed I am to have Gary. I know I tend to post quite a bit about how happy/blessed I feel but hey......it's just how I feel (and it's my blog) And you know what?? Gary is a good man (which most of you know but I just needed to say it again)

Thank goodness for the quiet times. As much as I love being with people I also love quiet times. They are few and far between but right now I'm enjoying one of those times. Sometimes plain old silence is beautiful.

some thoughts on God's goodness for today

Have you ever had something happen to you that immediatly brings you to your knees in complete thankfulness? It happened to me this morning. I opened my email and there it was. A friend of mine (someone I know but not all that well) had sent a list of things that came to her mind when she thought of Gary and I. A list of commpliments I supose. It was so encourging that it immediatly brought me to my knees.

It has been an interesting week for me. Some amazing highs and some horrible lows. I struggle with the same old thing, you know self worth...low self-esteem...rejection etc. We were privileged this week to have a great group of people into our home saturday night. We ate, visited and sang together. We talked about many things but one thought spoke to me. Learning to just say thank you when given a compliment. Seems simple but it can be so hard to do. If any of you are like me in any way then you probably find that most of the time seeing any good in ourselves is almost impossible. We tend to offset compliments with a negative reply. In my case I find I say thank you but inside I'm thinking "ya whatever". So I'm putting that question out there for you. How do you respond to a compliment? Can we learn to take the positive and believe it? Do we have enough faith in God to believe how much He loves us ? I know I want to get to that place.... strong and confident in who God made me. I was so stunned by God's response to me this morning through my friend. He heard me struggling in my heart this week over what I could possibly have to offer to the church and to others. He answered it in the form of a list of compliments.

And so my friend I'm just saying thank you.

Get this......

I'm actually enjoying doing the laundry today! Wierd.

Time for a change! Now I just need to figure out how to add my links again and a new picture......hmm.

Ok, ok..... I have a couple minutes right now, baby is sleeping.

Jen, to rest you curious mind, I had a wonderful day yesterday doing things for me. I had some uplifting visits with good friends and a great kick-off to the ladies group I'm leading this year. It was just one of those days when you stop, breathe, relax and enjoy the small things. It felt great......and to top it all off I came home last night to a clean house! Yesterday was also filled with it's share of struggles (as is everyday!) but God was faithful to help me find a way through them.

And for all those curious as to what's been kicking around in my brain lately here it goes. I was listening to the radio a few days back while driving ALL the way back home and the lady that was speaking quoted a verse that spoke to me. All I can remember is that she said it was in proverbs but I'm not sure where. The verse went something like this.....A wise woman builds her house , a foolish woman tears it down. I'm not sure why it spoke so deeply to me but it reminded me that there are so many ways we can tear down our homes, our families.....through actions, words and attitudes. I desire to be a strong, godly woman who builds her home & her family and I have found myself over the past couple of days paying attention my attitudes and words. My constant prayer being that God will help me to re-build where there has been destruction. It sure gave me pause to think earlier this week. Funny how a simple verse can speak volumes sometimes.

Seriously too tired to post....but I made a promise to a friend to post something! There is more in my head but it will have to wait till tomorrow when I'm awake. Today was a good day....best I've had in a long time. Goodnight!

Still here.....still alive, just super busy!!

Ok, so here's a quick update for all you who still check in on me.

Our holiday was enjoyable and relaxing, it was a much needed break from all the reno work going on at our place. The kids fished and fished and fished...........and then fished some more. No catches this year, well Mikail had one but it escaped when he got it up to the dock. He wants a fly rod for christmas this year. I loved being with my family, the cabin we stayed in was so cozy! When we pulled out of Johnson lake heading for home there was a bear right in front of the van! The kids thought that was pretty cool, it was super close and just kinda stood there looking at us.

As for the reno work, I was just saying to Gary the other day that I feel like ants getting ready for winter......working from sun up till sun down. We've been working like crazy to get all the exterior work done before the rain hits. The place is coming together, slowly. I started painting and hanging pictures (finally!!). I've been doing "a wall a day" 'cause that's all I can get done while Gracie naps.

Hopefully I'll get around to putting up some pictures soon. I just realized today that I need to get my butt in gear and get my kids ready for back to school.......man, summer flew by this year.

Ok....back to work.

"The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

Psalm 96

Oh sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory amoung the nations

His wonders amoung all peoples.

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised!

Busy, busy.....so busy. It feels like I'm on the go all the time! I guess the 3 kidlets keep me on my toes. I'm really looking forward to the end of school and the beginning of summer break, I think we all need a much more relaxed schedule for a couple months. My plan for summer? Sleeping in, drinking my coffee for as long as I want before getting dressed, loading up the van and hitting the beach with the kids. We are going on holidays at the end of July (so excited about that!) we've rented a little cabin on a lake just past Kamloops for a week. Fun!

Been thinking today about how good God is. So good. He restores what the enemy steals. He has restored me & my family. I am so thankful. I am thankful to be busy running my kids around. I'm thankful for the noise that fills my home (trust me it's lound with 2 energetic boys & a little princess) I have so many wonderful friends who care for me. I'm sooo thankful for Gary. I am loved. God is good.

It's a good day to sing.......think I'll go turn some music on. Later!

Vancouver Island pics

The family on the beach in Courtenay

Caleb's beach fort

Mikail searching for crabs

Caleb swimmin' at the hotel

Me & my girl at Gary's niece's reception

fun on the ferry!

Very windy - it was very warm though

Gettin some air!

and we're off....

We are heading out friday morning to the Island for the weekend. Gary's niece is getting married so we are going up to Courtenay for a quick weekend trip. I'm hoping to get some nice weather so we can hit the beach at some point. I should be doing laundry....but I'm bloggin' instead. I've posted some new pictures of the kids below (except for Mikail, that kid avoids the camera like the plague) Anyhow........be back next week.

More Gracie pictures (& Caleb below)

Gracie's alway wearing my shoes around the house, this time she wanted my
neclace too.

Caleb gettin a little muddy the other day

 

Liz's Birthday Dinner

Here's a picture of us (mom, me and Liz) heading out for dinner at the Copper Room in Harrison Saturday night to celebrate Liz's birthday. It's too bad Carolyn had to work :(

Happy Birthday Liz!

Grace

Smile!

Watching Dora (her favorite!)

Shhh.....baby sleeping

Finally, some pictures!

The view from the back bedroom

The boys playing street hockey (almost every night!)

Gary's new garage !!

Our new master bedroom(there will be a deck off the sliding door) & in the corner window there will be a big corner, jetted tub....yes we spoiled ourselves!

Caleb helping (who gave the kid an axe!! ?)

Taking down the blackberries

The view from my front yard (the park is across the street)

The view from our back deck right off the master bedroom

Hey all!

I have a bunch of pics on my camera but I am still searching for the cord to put them on my computer....it's in a box...somewhere. Soon as I find it I'll post them. This morning Mikail played piano at assembly, and he did well! :) His class dressed up as hippies....they sang, danced and showcased some of the talent in the class (thus the piano playing). It was great.

Life is slowly settling in over here way out in the country. I actually am loving this new community we moved into. I wasn't sure before we moved how I would handle how "close" everyone is. We just need to plant a few tall shrubs to have a few less windows looking into our yard and it should be fine. It's like living at summer camp, at least that's the best way I can think of how to describe the community feel. The boys come home from school and are outside playing till dinner, they have made good friends already and are always busy playing street hockey or soccer in the field. Boys being boys.

This weekend is ladies retreat and I'm actually going! (missed last year cause I was home with baby) I'm looking forward to not chasing a toddler around for a day. :) I've been asked to share my testimony, I'm a little nervous as I haven't publicly shared what Gary and I went through a couple years back but I know that the time has come to push myself out of the comfort zone a bit. I must be faithful to share what God has done for me & for my family. Anyhow, Gracie is screaming for me so I must end this now. More later!

I just picked up Caleb from a birthday party. When we got in the car I asked him if he had fun, his reply.............. " I haven't had this much fun since I was 4!" (he's 7 now)

We're here

Just a quick note to let you all know that the move went well. We are somewhat unpacked and the new garage and addition will be started within the next 2 weeks. The yard was a mess when we moved in so I've been busy tackling the gardens.

Anyhow....i'll try to get some pics asap.

so much happening

Where do I begin.

First of all this year has been the WORST flu year ever in our home. I am exhausted from the never ending cycle of colds, ear infections and kids throwing up all over the house. They have pretty much been passing stuff around since Christmas. This is the first week that both the boys have returned to school. Gracie is just on the tail end of the stomach flu. I am ready for this to be done now. I have been kinda a lousy friend lately but with 3 kids and hubby down, it pretty much takes up all my time. Just reality I guess.

So on April 28th we are moving. This has been the biggest thing on my mind. After many years of renting we are finally able to get back into the market. We spent a few weeks looking around and finally found something we can afford and are able to fix up a bit. This is a very good financial decision for us as our monthly payments will be going down considerably. I have begun to pack our 7 years of accumulated stuff. Feeling a little overwhelmed. I have to admit that I am having a hard time leaving this place. After 7 years this place really began to feel like it was ours and there are so many memories here. But life goes on.....things change......and change isn't a bad thing. I am eager to get in the new place and start the reno's.

Just to add to all the chaos, Mikail is going in for tonsil surgery on April 13th and will be home for a couple weeks after that. Hopefully I will be able to tend to him and pack the house and run around after Gracie (who, by the way, is still NOT walking.......silly girl). I'm sure we will all survive April, Haha.

Well back to packing.......mom, I'll be over in a few days with boxes to store! :)

SHE FINALLY TOOK HER FIRST STEPS THIS MORNING!!!!

3 whole steps!

Some new pictures

Gracie feeding her baby in the highchair I played with as a little girl.

Mikail, Caleb & Grace

Just 'cause she's so cute!

Face of Time

I can remember when I was afraid like you
Not so long ago
Confusion ruled my life wondering what to do
Not so long ago
These are resting waves from a memory
In a hiding place in my mind
But the sweetest taste is a history
When suffering wears the face of time
The pain hurt way too much the water was so cold
Not so long ago
That’s when light rescued me from darkness I was free
Not so long ago

In the place of suffering
There’s a God worth worshipping
On these wings of worship we will ride.

© 2004 Jason Upton & Key of David Ministries.

Those of you who read my blog regularly (when I write regularly, haha!) have probably noticed that I like to post songs by Jason Upton. I have found that so much of what he writes about has proven to be very healing in my life. This one in paticular spoke to me a couple years ago while going through a confusing, difficult time. This morning I found myself singing it again and I thought of some of my friends experiencing challenging times in their faith right now. This is for you and me.

He did it!

I never would have done it when I was 8, I was far too shy. Mikail walked up in front of the whole school during assembly, took the microphone and started singing. Way to go!

Hi everyone! I wanted to post a quick note to let you all know that I'm still here. The past 3 weeks have been crazy, Gary had the flu (twice) and the boys each ended up missing a week of school because of this silly bug. I've been busy tending to all the sickies in my house and to top it off (of course) I woke up today feeling sick and ended up spending most of the day in bed. Grrr. Hopefully we will all be healthy soon.

On a more positive note, Mikail is leading O Canada in front of the whole school tomorrow. I'm so excited watch him!! He is not to thrilled about having to do it but I think it's great that he is going for it. I'm so proud of him :)

Blue Sky!!

The sunshine is beautiful today. I've got all the blinds and curtains wide open and the house is filled with sunshine. I LOVE it. I certainly appreciate the light and warmth more now that the 30 some odd days of rain have stopped (for today). Yesterday I drove Mikail out to the throat specialist in Chilliwack and as I was driving I couldn't help but be captivated by the surrounding mountains they were gorgeous. Incredibly white in the sunlight. We live in such a beautiful place though most of the time it is covered by clouds and rain but when it clears it is stunning. I am thankful for this place. Isn't creation beautiful?

Anyone else totally lost at the Superstore???

The past 15 years! Ack!

Alrighty then....15 years......this will have to be a summary. I can hardly believe it's been that long since highschool! I'm totally feeling old right now. This post is for Rachel, Sinead and Kori (and whoever else may be interested.) While I was blog surfing a couple weeks back I happened upon some friends from highschool. Jen, if you are reading this go check out Rachel's site, I've added her blog to my links. Ok, back to the summary.

After highschool I attended Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, I lived in the dorms for 2 1/2 years which was a very fun experience. I don't remember getting much school work done, however I did become pretty darn good at playing pool, somehow I came out a couple years later with my certificate in Early Childhood Education and a Biblical Studies diploma.

I met Gary at the end of my time at CBC. We met at Roaring 20's while I was attending Northview Community Church. We were engaged 3 months after we met and married 8 months later on August 6, 1994. We moved to Mission and I taught preschool for a couple of years.

On May 1, 1997 our first son Mikail Isaac was born. What an experience, adjusting to parenthood and all, we did survive the sleepless nights which was a total shock to our system. By the time Mikail was 1 we had moved to Chilliwack and on May 9, 1999 our second son Caleb James was born. I didn't know what I was going to do with 2 boys since I came from a family of 3 girls and my mom came from a family of 3 girls. We were kind of like generations of girls, I hadn't even really ever thought I'd have boys, only girls. None of us (my mom and sisters that is) really knew what to do with boys, we definitely were not prepared for all this energy, but Gary assures me that the craziness that is in our home is very normal. Shortly after Caleb was born we moved back to Mission. When Caleb was 2 I went back to teaching preschool and soon had an opportunity to create and run a Fine Arts Preschool program. I had a great time creating the program and teaching it for a couple of years. On October 12, 2004 our daughter Grace Abigail was born. Yes....a girl! She was born the day after Thanksgiving. It has been so cool after years of 'boy stuff' to be able to enjoy all the girly things with her. She wore nothing but pink for the first few months till I finally branched out to purple, and red and maybe a bit of yellow. She was a wonderful surprise to Gary, I and the boys. Our family is complete.

Right now the boys are in grade 3 (8 years old) & grade 1 (6 years old.) Grace is 15 months. Gary and I celebrated 11 years of marriage this past August. We attend church here in Mission at New Heights Communtiy Church. We were part of the team that planted this church 9 or 10 years ago (forgot how long it's been but I'm sure someone will remind me.)

So, there's the summary. Now you'll need to do one for me Rachel!

Gracie

She is growing so fast! 15 months old.

The song I can't stop singing today.....

The King's way

There is a road
That leads to peace
That leads to life
But few will follow
We're at the crossroad
Which way will we go

There is not today a more holy way
Than the steps that lead me to the cross
Where my will can't be the priority
And these crowns I've gained
I count as lost
When I hear the spirit say
That this is the true King's way.

~Jason Upton~

Wow, it's been awhile since I wrote!

Christmas was good, well, besides all of us having the flu! Poor Gracie was sick Christmas Eve and Christmas day. It took me over a week to recover, I'm just now starting to feel like myself again. I took down all the lights and decorations today.......it looks so bare. I've also been cleaning like crazy.

Gary and I got out on New Years (first time in 8 years). We decided to go see Narnia (very good movie) and then visit with some close friends. It was a wonderful evening.

Not much else new around here besides the boys returning to school tomorrow. I'd post some Christmas pics but I was too sick to take any and Gary forgot. I'm hoping Carolyn or Liz got some. Oh...Gracie stood on her own today :) Bring on the walking!!