Owner Building a Home - Day 39 - Sheeting and Pouring

Today promised to be hot before the sun even rose and it was.  Really hot.  Not as bad as tomorrow but hot enough to sweat in about .0076 seconds.  Oh, and the joy of sweating is only eclipsed by the joy of cutting something and having all the sawdust glued to you for the rest of the day.  Lovely.

Anyhow, heat aside, today we continued working on the roof.  Just a reminder, the roof is actually on the ground so it is super easy to do the work that is normally done waaaaaay up in the air.  I will gladly pay for a large crane to come and move the roof into place if it means I can keep my feet on the ground.  Mr.E helped me continue to add all the bracing required to keep all the trusses in the exact right spot.  I think we have most of the bracing complete.  While we were doing that, Mr.W and Jay were ensuring both gable ends were plumb and were sheeting the back side of the roof.  Once again, when you are working on the ground, it is quick and easy work.  Tomorrow morning Jay will go and nail all the sheeting solid as it was just tacked in place today.

Then in the afternoon the concrete trucks arrived so we could pour the garage floor.  Now, let me remind you that it was hot today.  It hit 31C with a humidex of 36C.  And when it is that hot, concrete likes to set up super quickly so it requires some fast work to ensure the garage floor has the right amount of concrete all over and is smooth and not drying all ugly.  Or disastrous.  But I think we avoided catastrophe thanks to Mr.W's quick work and Jay and Mr.E just doing what he said.  I stood around forcing them to drink water so they didn't collapse and eventually I started trowelling the area between the really cool floor drain Mr.W made and the opening of the garage.  Mr.W said to make it pretty - I just thought about icing a cake.  That's sort of what it is like - at least my take on it.  When you are pressed for time and the heat is ridiculous and the entire floor rests on your abilities, stress levels can rise and frustration can set in quickly.  Mr.W handled himself so well and did a fantastic job.  He told us all what to do and we did it and the garage floor is now complete.

After the pour was complete, Mr.W hung around for a few hours to babysit the concrete and continue to smooth it all out.  We took off to celebrate Jay's birthday with a little bit of ice cold A&W in those icy glass mugs.  It is exactly what a day like today called for.  Oh, and slurpees.  But those we had just as the concrete trucks arrived.  Today was definitely a slurpee day.

Some days you look back and you aren't sure you can see what you did.  Some days you can see a lot.  Today is one of those days where obvious progress was made.  The roof is half sheeted and the garage floor is poured.  Now the kids can't wait to pull out the scooters and race around on the pad.

And mostly for our records and so the plumber knows (pay attention, dad!) last night, from about 7-midnight, Jay was at the site with a gentleman showing him where to dig the line to trench the well water to the house.  It took a while and he was very tired when he stumbled in but the water line is now in.  He closed the trench up this morning.

Tomorrow is the hottest day of the week, forecasted to hit 36C (97F).  We are taking the day off, mostly because other things have worked themselves into the schedule.  That is just fine with us.  We will jump right back in on Thursday.

My Birthday Princess & Clothes for 18 Inch Dolls

This past week we celebrated (minus daddy who was dealing with a major catastrophe at work but with Nana) the 4th birthday of my princess Ali!  What a little bundle of sweetness she is (with a whole bunch of attitude thrown in!).  Ali is my snuggler.  She LOVES to snuggle and cannot get enough.  If she is upset, snuggle with her and her baby, read her a book and she relaxes immediately.  She loves music and dance and is absorbed with watching herself in the mirror!  It is hilarious to watch her watch herself sing and dance!  She is the least adventurous of the bunch preferring to stay close to mom and dad.  She is a momma's girl, that is for sure!  She has learned lately the art of crossing her arms when upset and pouting a big pout.  Though it is very cute, it is certainly not appropriate.  She wants so much to be a big girl but is still a little girl at heart.  She loves to be a helper and will often accompany me (at least for a little while) to do just about anything - baking, weeding, laundry, etc.  She is my fashionista, being particularily opionated about her clothes, my clothes and the clothes of her dolls.  I will often hear her say she likes my shirt but doesn't like my pants or some such thing.  At the core of her heart, she wants to know that she is beautiful.  She is sensitive girl who is learning how to respond to a "no" with something other than crying, a sure sign she is learning to handle her emotions.  I see a lot of myself in her so, with that in mind, I try to assure her that, yes, she is beautiful, yes, I do love her, and, yes, I love to spend time with her.  She has asked numerous times when she will be a mom and I can see her thriving at just that someday far off in the future - taking on the awesome responsibility of being a wife and a mother.  I look forward to seeing her continue to grow in confidence and the assurance that she truly is a princess, daughter of a King.  Happy Birthday, my sweet Ali, I sure do love you!

When I asked what she wanted for her birthday, she said a baby.  Now, you must realize this girl has many babies.  With 3 girls in the house, the last thing we really need is another baby doll - we have plenty!  So, I thought maybe some clothes for Kara, her 18 inch doll she received at Christmas, would be a good idea.  So, I got sewing!  Oh, what a lot of fun that was.  I stayed up way too late way too many nights but I am thrilled with the results.  With the numerous patterns I have accumulated (some free, some bought) I can tell I will be sewing again soon.  Especially since older sister RJ is exceedingly jealous of the new clothes Kara received.  Her girl Candy needs some, too!  I told her to wait for Christmas!  Without any further ado, here is what I made, using only fabric and notions I already had (except for a couple of zippers I found at the thrift store)!

This is Ali's favorite dress for Kara!  It is called the Katie dress and the free pattern can be found here. 

Ali does not like this dress at all!  Remember, she is opionated when it comes to fashion!  I am trying not to be offended!   The pattern is found here.



Another really cute dress!   I love the polka dots!  Free pattern is from here.



This is my favorite outfit so far on Kara!  Ali is learning to like it!  I think the fabric is perfect for this style of tunic, especially with the slight shimmer it has.  I love the ruffles and the turned up cuffs.  It can be made shorter or without the ruffles so I will have to try that eventually.  Also, the jeans have front and back pockets!  So stinkin' cute!!  Tunic pattern is here and jeans pattern is here.

Lest you think all I did was sew clothes, I also crocheted Ali a hat and a headband, both of which she loves.  With that girl, you just never know!  Whatever the case, I had a blast making all those clothes and I look forward to the next 3 complete outfits I get to make for Christmas!  As for now, I am heading to bed!

Linking up to these parties:

This Week . . .

1.  The patterns I won in a blog giveaway arrived and what fun it was to peruse the box full!  24 brand new women's clothing patterns all in my size!  Some I will probably not use, like the hospital scrubs, but some I am really excited about - numerous skirt patterns, a cute Asian-inspired top (I love Asian tops!), some coats, lots of dresses, too many to mention!  Now to figure out which one to pick first!

2.  I paid $12.44 for a $199.99 light fixture!  For the longest time, I have pictured a light in my head.  Not sure if I saw one somewhere on-line or on TV but I had this vision of a light fixture in my head that would be perfect for the powder room in the new house.  I wanted something rectangular, with a sheer black shade and lots of crystal drops.  I have looked in many big box stores over and over but never found exactly what I wanted.  I found others that would work okay but not the EXACT one.  Then, the other week, I wandered through Canadian Tire when I saw it!  The exact fixture I wanted.  I was ecstatic!  When I got close enough to see the price was $200, I said out loud, "No way!  I refuse to pay $200 for a light fixture.  I will wait for it to come on sale."  So, wait I did.  Then, yesterday, I looked in the flyer and my light was on sale.  40% off.  That brought it to, with taxes, $134.39 (regular $223.99).  Then, to sweeten the matter even more, I have been stocking up my Canadian Tire money for such a moment sometime in the future when I would find that perfect item for the new house.  I didn't know what it was but I have been saving for quite a while.  (For those of you unaware of what Canadian Tire money is, it is a reward system earning you money based on your purchases.  Jay figured out that Canadian Tire has one of the better points systems out there.)  Well, that moment had come.  I had $121.95 in Canadian Tire money bringing the total price of the light fixture to $12.44!  Woo hoo!  That is patience and persistence paying off!

3.  The 3 oldest kids have been attending a 5 day camp (well, they only found out about it on Wednesday so for them it is a 3 day camp) at a friend's house.  They are singing songs, learning Bible verses, spending time in prayer and learning how to tell others about Jesus.  I firmly believe that it is the parent's responsibility to teach their children about the Lord and about life, not leaving it up to the Sunday School teachers or DVBS leaders or whatever.  And I do.  I take that aspect of life seriously.  But when they have the opportunity to spend 1 hour with others that are confirming what we are teaching, teaching in the same spirit and manner, then I encourage them to go and learn.  And we talk all about it when they get home.

4.  I made 19 half pint jars of Raspberry Red Pepper Jelly, thanks to the recipe from here.  I picked the raspberries from the plants here on my yard and bought the remaining ingredients from the store.  Maybe someday in the future I will grow all the peppers, too, but that didn't happen this year.  I love the gorgeous red color and the taste is a wonderful sweet/spicy combination that would be perfect with crackers and cream cheese.  Just a small reminder - don't walk away from your stove for any reason when you are trying to bring your fruit to a boil.  It will most likely boil over the moment you step back into the room but just before you are actually able to stop it.  Not that I have any experience with that! :)

5.  Harvest has started.  This is a wonderful time of the year full of busy schedules and running here and there.  Every day involves numerous trips back and forth from one field or another dropping off a couple kids and picking up a couple more while delivering food to their hard-working dad.  I know that MIL would gladly feed her son but I see it as my joy and my privilege to bring my husband supper, even if it means packing up all the kids and sitting and waiting at the end of the field for him to arrive.  There is something to be said for being a part of the harvest.  We truly see how the Lord is the only one who can give the increase - all we can do is plant.  The rain and the sun come from the Lord, the plants grow only at his command, and we are honored to be able to reap a harvest of plenty. 

6.  I bought a few more crochet patterns and sewing patterns on Etsy.  A certain little lady turns 4 next week so I best get busy making some gifts.  I guess that is what sitting and waiting at the field is good for - crocheting!  I will be sure to show you what I make next week.  Anything fun happen for you this past week?

Happy Birthday, My Love

This past Sunday a very important event occurred here at our home - my dearly loved husband reached the ripe age of 35!!  I, for one, am exceedingly blessed that he was brought into this world 35 years ago.  He has changed not only my life but many others because of his presence here on this earth!  If I would use words to characterize him, I would say he is steady.  Stable.  Predictable.  Loving.  Giving.  A servant.  Hard-working.  Efficient.  A saver.  A hands-on kind of dad.  A thoughtful husband.  Content with very little. A Godly man.  I love to watch him play with the kids, the way they climb all over him and run to him when he comes home.  If they haven't seen him in a few hours, they greet him as though he was gone for a week.  Every night when he comes home, they are exceedingly overjoyed that daddy is home.  He has stolen their hearts!  He is the kind of husband that will fold laundry when I have gone out grocery shopping and would rather clean the kitchen then watch TV knowing that a clean kitchen makes me happy.  He is constantly thinking about how he can serve and rarely takes thought of himself.  He shows me he loves me each and every day through little things like writing me notes or phone calls in the middle of the day or big things like making supper when I have been sewing all day.  He is a precious man and I am so blessed that he chose to marry me.  So, yes, I am thrilled that Jason was born and that the Lord brought him into my life.  I sure hope we can celebrate many, many, many more birthdays together.  I love you, dear!

Since we had just gotten home from being gone for about a week, Jay was quite happy to keep the celebration low key.  We didn't even have cake!  But, I insisted we go golfing together and he loved that!  I even improved over the Father's Day attempt.  He was a little miffed that I went golfing on Father's Day and he didn't so taking him golfing for his birthday was to make up for it.  :)  Plus, Jay's version of golfing success is whether or not we come home with more golf balls then we started with - he is always looking for them in the bush!  However, with that standard, we failed miserably as we both lost more than we found!  Oh, well!  We still had lots of fun and maybe we can go again later this summer!  After all, we still have two more Buy 1, Get 1 coupons to use!



One Very Fine Lady

This past weekend I had the pleasure of helping my grandmother celebrate her 96th birthday! Can you imagine? 96 years! She was born in 1915 as the second oldest (oldest daughter) of 15 children. From the time she was young, she was always a very hard worker and helped to take care of the rest of her family. She is a very resourceful and crafty lady, still sewing her own clothes and baking her own buns to this day. I have many fond memories of my grandmother. It was her encouragement to use her sewing machine that cultivated a love of creating with fabric and thread. She always had scrap fabric by the machine and was never concerned about what we did with it or how we sewed. We learned by trial and error because of her generosity and patience. Shortly after she married at 20, she learned she would never have her own children. 20 long years later, she adopted my newborn mom and a couple of years later, adopted my mom's sister. She is a godly woman who loves her family dearly and gives and gives and gives. She is generous and patient and a woman of prayer. I love her dearly and enjoy being with her. I don't go to see her often but really should - she cannot possibly have that many more years left and I would love to listen to more of her stories. So, happy birthday, Grandma! I love you!

PS: If family history has anything to do with it, Jay and I could be married for a very long time! His grandfather died at 94, I believe, and he has 2 great-uncles that are in their 90s - one just turned 97. My great-grandmother on my dad's side of the family lived to be 104. My grandmother just turned 96. Maybe Jay and I will live to be married for 70+ years - that would be so awesome! Then again, we both know that the Lord gives life and the Lord takes away - family history really doesn't make that much of a difference! ☺

Happy Birthday, My Dear Son!

It is so hard to believe my mothering journey started 8 years ago today! When Jay and I were first married (or probably before) we talked about waiting 5 years to have kids. After 3 years, I was just itching to be a mom! Now, you must know that being a mom was my biggest dream - it was everything I aspired to be! So waiting three years was a long time! :) I didn't want to force Jay into anything that he wasn't ready for so, though I told him I was ready at that point, I didn't force the issue. Then, bless his kind and sweet and gracious spirit, a little while later he told me I didn't need to renew my birthcontrol pills - his way of saying we could start to try having a baby. And, to top it off, he didn't even make me finish the unopened package I already paid for, a big surprise for my very money-conscious hubby! Anyhow, shortly after we were pregnant! I had suspicions I was with child so I bought a home pregnancy test and used it in the bathroom of the mall! Classy, isn't it! When I saw the two lines indicating my dreams had come true, I couldn't stop smiling! I went to my inlaws house (that's where Jay was) and he came out to the car to see me. I told him "1 means 'no', 2 means 'yes'." He had no clue what I was talking about. I said it again and then held up the stick! He clued in fairly quickly and was just thrilled with the idea! He knew that his first reaction would be remembered by me so he made sure it was positive! So, that was the beginning of the mothering journey for me. 8ish months later, I delivered our son into the hands of my husband in the warmth and coziness of our bedroom. Besides his initial cry, my dear son was sooooo quiet. He was absolutely content to be held by his daddy while the midwives finished up with me. He had the largest brown eyes and such a quiet spirit. I remember him really crying for the first time that night (he was born in the morning) and I was confused as to who was crying - until I remembered I was a mom and that was my son!

When I held him in my arms for the first time, I had this overwhelming sense that this . . . THIS was what I was created for. This was my purpose! It was a fulfillment of my dreams and it was even better than I could have imagined. I still, 8 years later, wonder when the reality of being a mom will sink in. I am surprised and overwhelmed over and over at the blessing of these children and it all started with my not-so-little-anymore son, Pepe! He has such a gentle spirit (he is still boy and can roughhouse like one!), loves his siblings and shows great tenderness towards them, is responsible, smart, a huge helper, a fantastic reader, is loving and has a love for Jesus that is wonderful to see. He is methodical in his choices, taking much time to think things through, he is hesitant in new surroundings, checking it all out to make sure it is safe. He has such a special place in my heart (as do each of his siblings) and I cannot imagine this family without him.

Pepe, I love you, my sweet 8-year old son, and I am humbled that the Lord allowed me to be your mother. I look forward to the next 8 years and many, many more beyond that! Happy Birthday, son!

Happy Birthday Little Lady!

5 years ago today I remember asking Jay if the child I had just birthed was a boy or a girl. He said he thought it was a girl but he wanted to double check just to make sure - he didn't want to get my hopes up! Well, all girl she is and I am blessed beyond measure to have RJ in our lives! She is this beautiful bundle of energy, wrapped up in more confidence and determination than I know what to do with at times! She is the oldest daughter and as such displays oldest child characteristics in spite of being third in line. She is complex - sensitive but bold, "tomboyish" yet girly-girl!


She will accomplish things before her years as she blazes her own trail, never completely content to follow. She thrives on being with her friends or her siblings, feeling kind of lost on her own. I am so blessed to have her in my life as she brings so much beauty into my days. I look forward to all the great things the Lord will do in and through her as she continues to learn about Him, love Him and follow Him. RJ, I love you, my sweet 5 year-old girl and I am so humbled to be your mom! I look forward to many years of watching you grow and change, becoming the woman of God I know you will be. Happy 5th Birthday, sweetheart!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

Today, my baby girl turned two years old! WOW!! It is so hard to think that just 2 years ago I saw this little bundle of joy and energy for the very first time!

She was by far my busiest baby in the womb and she has shown no different out of the womb! No one has given us more smiles than she has, talks more than she has, given more hugs than she has! She is my little sunshine because she lights up a room when she comes in. She has such a special relationship with her older brother AJ and I love how the two of them interact. She loves to be among the crowd and quickly feels lonely without her siblings around. She is helpful, adventurous, loving, spunky, smiley and an absolute delight to have in our family.

I have mixed emotions about this day. Jay and I are talking about having more children once we are in the new house but I have no guarantees that we actually will. So, I look upon her with a bittersweet happiness - my littlest baby is growing up and as of right now there are no more babies around. In the past, when we celebrated a 2 year birthday, there has always been a 6 month old baby in my arms.

In spite that bitter sweetness, I am overwhelmed with joy at this beautiful little child, with delight at watching her grow and learn, with curiosity to see all that the Lord has in store for her in the future but mostly with humility that God has entrusted her to us for now. Happy Birthday, sweet little Ari! My life is better because of you!

Happy Birthday, My Love!

Yesterday we celebrated the 34th birthday of the love of my life, my constant and steady love, my dearest husband, Jason! I am so thankful the Lord chose to make him and that He chose to bring him into my life! Jason is the steady and constant one in this crazy family. (You may not know it but I am the emotional up and down energetic one! When we were engaged, my mom said he was the piece of wood that I would bounce up and down on!) Some of the things that I love so much about him:

• the way he can be content with so little


• the way he can walk up to a complete stranger, engage them in a conversation and make them feel like they are important


• the way he makes me feel beautiful no matter how ugly I feel


• his gorgeous smile


• the way he makes us laugh


• the way he loves our kids and plays with them


• the way he loves me

I could go on and on but . . . well, you get the point! I asked him if he wanted to go out or have me make one of his favorite meals - he opted to stay in so I made curried chicken, something he loves! And, for dessert, I made this beauty - White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake. Jay loves fruit and white chocolate and cheesecake so this was the perfect combination. (Recipe at end of post).

Finally, though it was Jay's birthday, he bought me a gift. Okay, so I might have indicated in a very subtle way that I would really like this but the fact is that he bought it! It will look splendid in the new house but we are enjoying it just the same here. The kids have spent hours on it and when they allow it, I enjoy it too! And, no, this picture is not of my house (though I really do like that zebra rug!).

WHITE CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

5/8 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup ground almonds

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz, 300mL) sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 squares white chocolate, melted

1 cup strawberry puree

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Combine crumbs, ground almonds and melted butter and press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Set aside.
2. With mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, add vanilla; mix well. Add melted white chocolate and mix again. Divide the batter equally in two separate bowls. Stir the strawberry puree in one of them. Pour a little amount of the white chocolate batter over prepared crust, followed by the strawberry batter. Keep repeating this step till both batters are finished. With table knife or metal spatula, gently swirl strawberry batter through white chocolate batter to marble.
3. Wrap the pan with foil paper and bake in a water bath for 1 hour 20 minutes or until set. Turn off oven. Cool in oven with door ajar. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Chantelle's notes:

* The original recipe had some of the measurements as cups and some as grams. I made the appropriate conversions where necessary.

* I made my own strawberry puree by taking fresh strawberries and pureeing them in a blender, adding a little water for ease of mixing, then straining out the seeds. I also added a couple of drops of strawberry extract to up the strawberry flavor. Next time I would add a couple drops of red food coloring to up the pink color.

* The original recipe called for 100 grams of white chocolate. I upped that to 6 squares (1 box) as indicated in the recipe.

* I never wrap my pans in foil or bake them in a water bath. My cheesecakes still turn out wonderfully. It is your choice.

Annual Hotel Weekend - 2010

Every year mom-and-dad in-law take all of us kids and grandkids to a hotel for the weekend. The hotel location is not consistent. We have spent time in Steinbach, in Winnipeg and, last year, in Grand Forks, ND at the casino. A little over a week ago, we went to Winkler. I know, great family destination location. Really, the things that are important are a pool and waterslides for the kids and a continental breakfast for the rest of us. The choice of hotels are based on those criteria plus cost-per-night -- kind of important when you book 5 rooms for 2 nights. So, this year it was the Days Inn in Winkler. Because we are a family of 7, most hotel rooms do not accomodate us. We were fortunate to get a 2 room suite that had room for all of us. Jay and I had our own room, complete with TV and a queen bed (the room was not much bigger than the bed though) and the rest of the suite was another queen bed, a sofa-bed, a small kitchenette and the bathroom. We left the soft-bed as a sofa and set up 2 playpens so there was plenty of room for us. I loved having the fridge and microwave plus cupboards for all our snacks. We had more food than usual as we were celebrating RJ's 4th birthday while there. The big party was yesterday but she knew which day was her birthday and birthdays are VERY important to her so a celebration, with cake and candles, needed to happen.

The weekend is mainly spent in the pool. Well, that is what the kids intend. My intentions were to watch as much HGTV and TLC as possible while crocheting. As you can see, the two don't really go hand-in-hand. After we arrived Friday afternoon, into the pool we went. AJ, my youngest son, never goes in the pool. He hangs out in the hot tub. We figure it is because he actually has no body fat and gets cold way too easily. However, just before we left the room, he did tell us that we would go down the slide by himself because he was now 5. I was gonna believe him when I saw it. When we got to the pool he actually. Went. In. The. Pool! AJ has NEVER gone in the water. He would swim in the hot tub and avoid the pool like the plague. He went in the water. I was shocked. And very pleased. The water was warmer than other pools so that may have been the clincher. Or the fact that he was 5, as he said.

Pepe, our oldest, is a little fish in the water, as is RJ. Both love the water and the slides and have no fear of either. As this was baby girl Ari's first time in the water, we wondered how she would do! Typical of her personality, she loved it, splashing and kicking!

Little side story. Last year, we went to the casino outside Grand Forks and there is a huge water park there. I was 7 months pregnant with Ari at the time. All the other kids had life jackets on. AJ was in the hot tub, as usual, as was Ali. RJ was cruising around with some of her cousins. At one point, I couldn't see her anywhere. That water park has so many structures in it that it is hard to see around all the corners and into every part of the pool. I handed off Ali and went to search for RJ. When I saw her, I had to try hard not to panic. She was floating, on her back, in the deep part of the pool. She knew she was in trouble and was trying to grab onto whoever was close to her but everyone tried to avoid her. The lifeguard was pretty unobservant as well. "Don't panic. Don't panic" That is what I kept telling myself as I scooped her up in my arms and breathed a huge, "O, thank you Lord for keeping her safe!" We had a good talk and she never went to that part of the pool again. That was a stressful weekend! This past weekend was so much better - you could see the whole pool all the time. Water parks are not good for us at this stage of the game.

So, anyway, there was lots of swimming, lots of eating and a bit of TV (not enough, in my opinion. And, with only a few hours on the weekend, you really don't get to see a bunch of shows. But, the bit I did see was good! I know, I know, we could just get cable here but then I would never get anything done and it would take just that much longer to get our next house! I know my priorities!!), a touch of crocheting and small bit of sleep. These weekends are never relaxing for us as the mom and dad but it is so memorable for the kids that we look forward to it each and every year. Thank so much, mom and dad!!

Celebrate Life

September 2, 2009

So many times these days I hear people complaining. About their age. About getting older. Grumbling that another birthday has come and gone. Wishing they could just stay "young". Now, if you know me at all, I truly believe that being young is far more about your attitude than it is about your age. And my attitude towards birthdays?? I love them! And I am not just talking about the kids' birthdays. I love MY birthday! Well, and Jay's, but especially mine! I act like a big kid waiting for my birthday to finally come then smile a silly smile all day. I mean, think about it! The world was graced with my presence 33 years ago (see, I just admitted my age and I have no problems with you knowing just how old or young I actually am!) - how could I not celebrate??! ☺ As I was driving home from lunch out with a wonderful friend I was thanking God. For making me. For sustaining my life. For keeping me from taking it when I was younger and thinking there was nothing worth living for. For blessing me over and over and over again. Have these years been easy? No, not always. Obviously, when I was younger I hated my life and cried more tears than I care to remember. Over silly things (tomato soup???), over important things, over big and little things. I think I cried more than I smiled. Or maybe I smiled a lot just to hide the tears. Whatever the case, I was sad. A lot. But God sustained me. Kept me in the palm of His hand. And eventually brought joy to my life. More joy than I thought possible. I married an amazing man that I love more than anything. God has blessed me with 5 unbelievable children. I am so overwhelmingly blessed. So, I take this opportunity, this birth day, to say thank you. Thank you, Lord, for knowing me in my mother's womb. For seeing all my faults, my "issues", for seeing all the good and not-so-good things I would do and deciding to give me life anyway! Thank you, mom and dad, for taking care of me. For giving me life and love and faith. Happy Birthday to me!

September 4, 2009

5 years ago I was given the best (belated) birthday present ever in the gift of my son, AJ! He is fire and passion, laughter and silliness, spunk and gentleness all rolled into one! His party is on Sunday but as his birthday is today, he got to choose his supper meal. Waffles (I have never put candles in waffles before but it worked!)! After he opened his present first thing this morning he came to me and told me that the present was the best present ever. Exactly what he wanted! The fun part about having a 5 year-old is that they already have a very defined personality. Strong likes and dislikes. Shopping becomes a bit easier. His present has sat on my closet shelf for months already in anticipation of this day. What was this "best present"? 2 coil-bound sketch pads (large and small), tracing paper, sketching pencils, a kids book on drawing and a Usborne book on machines! Perfect for my tractor-loving artist! And as I watch him draw a tractor carrying a load of bales I cannot help but marvel at this complex child God has put into my life! There is no one in this family that is able to elicit smiles like he can. And no one who can elicit tears as easily either! From the time people laid eyes on him 5 years ago, they said he would be trouble. And they were right! Though I don't really like to say trouble. More like spunk. Fire. Passion. And a whole lot of laughter! Son, I love you so much! I am thankful God put you into our family. And I cannot wait to see what else God will teach me through you! May you grow up to be an amazing man of God, a prayer-warrior, an example to his parents of faith and love, compassion and strength! Happy Birthday, little man!

Now I say - celebrate! Celebrate life!

Growing Up

This week has been crazy busy with babies, birthdays, DVBS, crafting and lots of other fun and exciting things! However, that has meant zero time to sit and write about it. So, here I am to fill you in on just a few of the latest happenings.

This week, on August 10, my middle daughter, Ali, turned 2! It is so hard to believe that time has gone by that quickly! She is growing up and though it is exciting, it makes me a little sad! She is a complex child, that one, the only daddy's girl in the bunch and my little brown-eyed cutie. To celebrate birthdays in this household, both sets of families are invited to help us party! Since both sides of the family are so close by, that means about 30 people crammed into our house! It is full, cozy, and a whole lot of fun! The kids especially love it and wouldn't think of having any birthday without the cousins!

I have never been a cake fan so making cakes is just not my thing. In the past, to compensate for the lack of a cake, I have served ice cream sundaes! They always are a hit! This year, however, I took the plunge and made cake! Okay, so this isn't your typical cake - as a matter of fact, I think they are waaaayyyy better - CAKE POPS!! Thanks to Bakerella and this post http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2008/01/dont-lick-bite.html I decided to make these lovelies for the party! Don't they look so fun?!! What girl wouldn't love these?

They really are quite easy to make - and, as usual, I had all the helpers I needed, plus a few extra! Here is Ali making her own pop

and Ali eating that same pop!!

Although I can quite happily live without cake (cheesecake is quite another story!), others need to be satisfied so, although the pops were fun, cupcakes were added to complete the cake experience! Plus, you cannot stick 2 candles into a cake pop - after all, what is a birthday without candles!!

So, my sweet little 2 year old, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I love you for who you are and who God is making you to be. I am so glad He brought you into our lives!

Not only did we celebrate the 2 year birthday of Ali, our little baby celebrated her own milestone this week on August 12, reaching the wonderful age of 6 months! If time was moving fast for Ali, it is moving even faster for Ari (is that possible!!). Was it only 6 months ago this little ray of sunshine entered our lives? Ari is a sweetheart through and through with a smile big enough to light up the room and generous enough to share with everyone! As the last of our 5 children (at least that is our plan - God may have His own [and usually does!!]), we couldn't have asked for a better personality - so laidback and easy-going, happy and easy to content, she is the perfect way to finish our family! We couldn't imagine our life without her (or any one of the others, for that matter!!). Ari, I am so glad God made you so full of joy! Share that joy with everyone you meet and, in doing so, share the amazing love of our heavenly Father. I love you, little one!