Be Taking The Cake

Four years ago, I searched all over our small town for a sun hat. I was pumped when I found this hat until I brought it home.

20130330-201509.jpg

Sexy Neck refused to allow CC to wear this hat. I won’t share all the words expressed about this awesome hat, but ugly was one of them. Our son never wore the hat.

Three years ago, a very good friend Double D, had a baby girl. She was looking for a summer hat so I decided to pass on CC’s never worn hat. (Yes, I had kept it!)

Double D graciously took my generous gift, but again this hat never touched her beautiful little girl’s head. Instead it has become a three year joke where we pass it back and forth in hilarious ways.

Two days ago, Double D took the cake in returning the hat to me. (I had put it in her daughter’s third birthday gift a few weeks ago.)

Can you believe this?

20130330-202054.jpg

20130330-202105.jpg

SHE HID THE HAT IN A CAKE! I had tears in my eyes when she handed me the cake she baked. I felt so grateful. I had tears in my eyes as I cut the cake. Our family was laughing and shaking our head at our brilliant friend.

I guess the hat will be hitting the dress-up box. How can I possibly top this cake?

20130330-202436.jpg

My boys modelling the hat for me.

20130330-202444.jpg

Why doesn’t anyone like my hat? I just think it is darling!

Be A Liebster

liebster blog award, liebster award, liebster blog, blog awards

WOW!  I am humbled!  Chana and Rebecca have nominated me for a Liebster Award.  Their blogs have been inspiring to me.  I appreciate Chana’s encouragement.  I am honoured to answer these questions and to nominate nine other bloggers I read on a regular basis.  Yes, I know it should be eleven! 🙂

Find Chana  at http://littleduckies.wordpress.com  and Rebecca at http://thedissocialmom.wordpress.com/

The Liebster Blog Award is given to new bloggers with less than 200 followers.  The rules are:

1. Tell 11 things about yourself.

2. Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.

3. Nominate 11 bloggers, and post 11 questions for them to answer.

Eleven Facts About Myself:

1.  I am a northern girl, from a redneck, sports-minded, outdoors, pulp mill, sawmill kind of city. It was a good place to grow up.

2. I married my true love by choice at 23 years old.

3. My love is my family, including Sexy Neck and my 3 boys, but my passions are coaching, being active outside, and organizing the heck out of everything.

4. I love Jesus ever since I met him in University.  He is alive!

5. My friends are very important to me and I have and incredibly  great circle of friends who encourage my crazy ideas.

6. I am not afraid of change, but I find change hard.  Hmmm…

7. I don’t eat wheat.

8. I am a teacher who struggles with schooling.

9.  This year, for over a year I have been following Ann Voskamp’s blog and counting 1000 gifts.  Today, I wrote down my 1,200 thing that I am thankful for – It was: “Being outside in the sun with my boys.”

10. I am Canadian, eh!  Can you tell by all my words having extra “u”‘s in them – favourite, neighbourhood, honoured etc.

11. I love the blogging world because of its authenticity and instant communication.  I am honoured to join this world.

Eleven Questions from Chana (little duckies.wordpress.com)

1) The 3 most important things in my life are my relationship with Jesus, my husband and my boys… well that is more than 3! hmmm… how strict are the rules?

2) I decided to start blogging because I love writing, I love sharing and I needed an outlet during a very challenging time.

3) Books or television?  Books, we got rid of television once I realized I had an addiction to reality TV.

4) If someone accused your child of bullying theirs, how would you react?  I would pray hard then teach my child and my child’s friends on what to do with a bully.

5) I love reading books that my book club members recommend, self-help books about money and self-improvement and christian fiction.

6) What do you consider to be the most important factor in a marriage? Quality time, not quantity as we have three wee boys bouncing off the walls.

7) There are many, many older (30+) singles today, as well as a high rate of divorce.  What do you think is the cause? Lack of perseverance – life is a sequence of choices and consequences.

8) Why did you choose your city of residence? Weather, outdoor activities, proximity to relatives.

9) How do you and your spouse handle finances? We follow a budget, talk about most major household purchases (over $200) and we each have our own pot of money that we do whatever we want with.

10) What is your favorite household chore?  washing windows

11) The classic: If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? Pay off our mortgage, buy a new car, donate money to our church and a school in Rwanda, buy my parents a trip or a condo on a golf course, give my nieces and nephews some money for school.

My questions for my Nominees:

1. What website do you check almost every day?

2. Favourite colour to wear?

3. Coffee or tea? Why?

4. What is your favourite season?

5. What are you reading right now ( book or Kobo etc.)?

6. Why blog?

7. Who is the most inspiring person in your life right now?

8.  Do you have a comfort item? If yes, tell us more.

9. Favourite childhood memory?

10. What job did you want to do when you were little?

11.  The classic: What 3 things would you want if you were on a stranded island?

My Nominations:

https://foodiegardeningclub.wordpress.com (My foodie friend’s blog)

http://journeythrugrace.wordpress.com/ (Well said, I can relate!)

http://notsospanish.wordpress.com/ (My cousin who inspired me to blog)

http://enjoylifeforonce.com/ (Love the realness of this blog)

http://rogertharpe.wordpress.com/ (God speaks to me through this blog)

http://tutordoctorofwny.wordpress.com/ (Love this teaching blog)

http://brownpaperbelle.com/  (What a beautiful, inspiring blog)

http://jaydonanddaddy.com/ (He’s a Liebster, but I love Wordless Wednesdays)

http://my3monsters.wordpress.com/ (She has 3 kids too!)

Be Board

Sexy Neck has a whole lot of wood around the outside of the house – in his shop, down the side of the fence, under the addition.  

Today the boys wanted to have a pajama day.  This involved staying home in our pajamas.  There was no sleeping to be done though.  

The boys took two pieces of boards that were lying along the fence and decided to run, jump, climb along them at various angles and speeds.  Strap yourselves in, here we go:

ImageImageImage

With one giant jump from JC, the board broke in half.  This started a whole different type of play.  

Image

In my life as a mother, I am never bored!

Be Snowing in the Kitchen

Today, we were making cheese and ham muffins for lunch.  The big boys pulled over their Stokke’s to the kitchen counter and then started to add all the ingredients into a big bowl.  (Our KitchenAid does all the mixing.)

Baby OC was on the floor sitting on his plasma car and looking in our treat/baking cupboard.  I looked up to see what the big boys were doing when suddenly I heard a giggle from the floor.  When I looked down, I saw  two pounds of spelt floor all over the floor.Image

JC jumped off his Stokke and immediately started yelling “It is snowing! It is snowing!”

Image

Usually I find accidents where there is major clean-up quite frustrating, but today I grabbed the camera and laughed.  Accidents happen and I realize that I can control my reaction to them AND have fun along the way.

Image

Welcome to our chaos.  Snow and snowmen in the kitchen while trying to make lunch. Hahaha.

Be AMAZED!

Hi everyone, Joanna here:

Today, I was wondering what to share about this incredibly humbling week. Roger’s blog post inspired me to share our latest journey with you. We have had many emotions this week as we search for a new house.


Here is the gist of our househunting story:
Last week, we put in an offer on a house. The owners took another offer from another family. Yesterday, our realtor phoned us and told us that the financing didn’t come through for the family with the accepted offer. He asked if we wanted to put in another offer. He proceeded to tell us that we should offer $11,000 less than we did last week.  DRUM ROLL PLEASE…. Today, we found out our offer was accepted. Today, we are rejoicing and have a better understanding that God’s ways our not our ways. He has always helped us find a place to live as we humbly ask for His help. We are extremely grateful and amazingly stunned. Glory to God! I can’t wait to see the mansion in heaven that God has for us like Roger Tharpe blogged about!  Thanks for the inspiration Roger.  

two-peace-faced-lovebird-feng-wei-photographyFor the promises of God to be performed in your life you must love God. He must be the object of your affection and not just a byword used when you’re in trouble. You must make a commitment to put him first and for him to become your God.

For the Bible declares that in all things God works for the good of those who LOVE him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). The key in this verse is love. You must love God for all things to work together for his good.

This verse is for lovers only. You must have a relationship with Jesus. You must confess your sins and repent and receive God’s forgiveness. When you become a lover of God all your works will lead to good. This does not mean you will escape trouble or that you will be perfect, but…

View original post 110 more words

Be A Smoothie Maker

One day our five year old decided he didn’t like bananas anymore, another day it was meat.  Now it is hit or miss if he will eat the meal put in front of him.

Our youngest will eat anything that you put on his plate, as long as it isn’t a vegetable.  The vegetables get thrown on the floor for the dog.  Seriously, baby OC has quite an arm!

Our middle guy, he only eats fruits and veggies, pasta “naaaah”, meat “sometimes”.   He is the easiest to cook for at the moment as I think he is growing and hungry.

The one never fail snack that I can put in front of everyone is a smoothie.  Today it was a can of coconut milk, banana, frozen local blueberries and peaches.  That’s it, that’s all.  And you throw in a cool twisting straw and they are all slurped up! Vit C, D, B and all!

Image

Image

Image

Now I just have to get up the guts to throw some kale in there.  Would they know?

Be Driving By McD’s

Here’s a conversation from the car today as we did a few errands:

JC, our almost six year old yells from the back of the van: “Mom, look! What is that giant M?

Me: “Sorry Hon, I didn’t see it!”

JC: “Mom, it had a giant playhouse in it!

Me: “Oh?

JC: “Mom, I want to go there, it looks cool.

Me: “Hmmmm… I don’t know son. I am going to have to think about it.”

Ok folks, here is my quandary: I have never taken my children to the cultural icon, McDonald’s. I just can’t do it.

After watching Supersize Me many eons ago, I can’t get over what their food did to his body. I don’t trust this food chain for their food nor the cleanliness of their play areas.

Is the unhealthy image of this ‘playhouse’ truth, urban legend or a figment of my imagination?

Me: “Sorry Son, I am going with my gut and keep driving right by that giant M. You will have to decide this one for yourself, when you are old enough. You may even have to wait til you can drive there yourself!” 🙂