Our Christmas Tree

Every year we cut down our own tree. This year there was actually a tiny bit of snow...and it was COLD!!! Here are some pictures. Check out the sign on the first picture...it's Bryan's favorite!

My good friend Sandra sent this to me and I had a good laugh, so I thought I would share it!

PREGNANCY Q & A & more!

Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children is enough.

Q : I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q : What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth.

Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.
A: So what's your question?

Q : My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q: When is the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q : Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word 'alimony' means anything to you.

Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.

Q : Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q : Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.

Are We Dutch or What??

Every year on the night before Dec. 5th our kids line up their shoes in the kitchen before going to bed. Then in the morning they find dutch treats in their shoes. This is an actual dutch tradition, and we think it is fun...even Bryan and I participate, because really, who can resist a chocolate letter?? Here are some pictures of excited kids...and this is what they (we) ate mostly for breakfast (along with a yogurt for good measure)...no oatmeal for us this morning (Grandma Sarnia will be happy to hear that!)

4 Little Ones Hoping For shoes full of Dutch Treats!

Our Keegan

Our Keegan lives life at full force. And I mean FULL FORCE. He is spunky, fun and 6. However, I think he wishes he could be older. And sometimes he acts like he is...actually most of the time he does act older (except when it comes to school work). So many people think he is at least 8...even friends who know our family. That's our Keegan. This week we were faced with another hill to climb with him. On Tuesday, he and Brendan went to play road hockey with the neighbour boy...anyways, Keegan got a high stick in the nose. His nose is now swelled, bruised and broken. We are hoping that he doesn't do any more damage to his face this year...as a matter of fact, we hope he doesn't do any damage next year either.

Bryan's Book Titles

Bryan is thinking of becoming an author, and here are the book titles he came up with...I am not sure that he will become a best selling author.

Book 1: How To Be Less Rude Volume 2
by: Rudyard Kipling
Book 2: So Your Married To The Most Wonderful Man on Earth?
by: U.R. Lucky
Book 3: Your Right, I Don't Think You Could Improve Anymore
by: B.Z. Debest
Book 4: Five Kids, and You Home School?
by: U.R. Crazy (My personal favorite)

(Actually these were included in his Christmas list this year, and the first two he put on my list. Isn't he a brat, but also kinda funny!)

The Symphony

There is a retired conductor who lives in Hamilton, he used to conduct the Toronto Symphony. But now he conducts a full symphony and preforms just for kids. His name is Borris Brott. He is very good. He engages the kids and teaches them all the sections of the symphony. He even teaches them about different instruments, all while the kids listen to beautiful peices written by Beethoven and Motzart etc. He holds concerts for school aged kids about 3-4 times a year. We try and go whenever we can. It is ussually a sold out preformance of 1000 kids. We go with our home school friends. This past Tuesday we went to one of his concerts and the kids enjoyed themselves immensly. However our seats were in the middles of a row of about 60 seats, and wouldn't you have gussed it, one of them had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the preformance. Isn't that always the way with kids, you try and get them to go before the show starts, but it never fails, someone always has to pee so bad and can't hold it any longer. And the concert was only 1 hour long. So in utter desperation of not being able to hold it any longer, our middle son ran to the bathroom during a very beautiful piece of music. Maybe we need to start working on becoming a little more refined and proper in our attempts to be cultured. Kids will always be kids...they make me smile (of course only after the moment has passed).

First Snow

As you already know the first snow of the year is a big deal to us over here. A certain tradition, that we learned from our very good friends, is that every year on the first snow fall, we bake ginger bread cookies. We have done this for 4 years now...and every year the kids remember and we bake the morning away. This year, I totally acted like a home schooling mom and we did our math lesson while baking...I taught the kids all about Canadian measurement and they then enjoyed the fruit of their labour.

"The snow that snowed hard enough to stay", said Keegan excitedly.

Raspberries still growing in the middle of November...weird...
Happy, happy boys, who want more snow...
The purple marshmellow, also known as "little lady"....

Okay before I tell you the story, I know that other parts of Southwestern Ontario have been dumped with snow, and we only got a tiny bit...but I had 3 VERY excited boys yesterday morning. It has slightly snowed off and on for the past couple of weeks and every time flakes fall from the sky, the boys wonder whether there will be enough snow to stay on the ground...and the answer is always no. Well yesterday morning, the ground was covered with the white stuff and when Keegan woke up in the morning and looked out the window and gasped. He then ran back to wake up Josh and Brendan to tell them the good news. So instead of doing school work first thing after breakfast, we ventured out into our green and white winter wonderland, and the excitement for snow has not left our house since. I love it when kids get excited about things adults dread...they are so innocent and cute!

Getting ready for winter!

Bryan took the 3 boys to do papers while my little buddy and I hung out at home. She wanted to wear her boots and hat...funny though, she hates wearing them when we go outside. I thought she looked pretty cute, and had to share the moment. Like the Keegan, Aliah loves dressing up!

Sarnia

This past week we were at my parents house in Sarnia. Bryan was painting for someone who lives in Sarnia, so our whole family crashed my parents house. And we had a very GOOD time!! My parents are beyond what words can even express. They are so helpful, generous and loving...and going home is like a mini vacation for me. We still homeschooled, but my mom served us hand and foot. We got to see Tylie-bean, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Greg and Oma. We did so many things out of the ordinary. We went shopping, raked leaves and to Pizza Hut for lunch one day. We watched some movies, had the kids pictures taken for Christmas and relaxed. I even had a nap one day when Uncle Greg took the big boys to work with him one afternoon. They even earned $2.00, not for working, but for winning a very long quiet contest...Uncle Greg's idea...The short of it is that we had a great time, and I feel very blessed to have such an amazing family!

Fall Leaves

Our sweet boys wanted to desperately rake our neighbours leaves. She is a older lady, her name is Olive. The boys thought it would be nice for Olive if we took care of her leaves. They asked if they could rake her leaves every day for a week...so last Thursday, when we were done our school work, we raked leaves. I feel proud of my sweet, helpful boys...this was an act truly from their own hearts...

I love days like today.

Well, I don't really like how cold it is...but on such a cold day it is so nice to have an indoor day. The day started a bit sour. The boys were naughty, our little lady was very grumpy and I was frustrated. So after everyone, including mommy, had a 10 minute time out we started school. We started with our "fun stuff", we normally do the basics first, Math, Reading, English etc...but today was a different kind of day. Right now we are learning about the Medieval Times and today we were learning all about Knight's. First we read Ephesians 6, all about the armour of God, and the boys were so excited to be Christian knight's. The whole concept of knighthood stuck a learning bone in all 3 boys, not too surprising I know...I mean all the swords and horses and jousting, it's right up their alley. But they loved it. I loved it. And little lady dreamed about it (during her nap)! We read book after book after book. And they completed 3 written activities. We did this for 2 1/2 hours straight. We then took a break for lunch and did all the basics. We had a great learning day. And we all enjoyed being together. I love days when we enjoy each other, because that is what it all about, finding joy!

Who needs toys...

Brendan and Keegan got free hockey tickets to the local hockey game for delivering papers. So tonight the big boys and Daddy are at the game. They were so excited to go. And I am here, with a really great chick flick and the two little ones. It is almost 8pm and they should be in bed, but they are playing so nicely together. They have been playing with my potatoes more almost 45 minutes...simply putting them in the potato bag and taking them out again....doesn't that sound like fun?? I think the fun is that they aren't allowed to play with the potatoes and their mommy isn't stopping them. But really, why would I stop the quiet, harmless play?

Brothers

Let me tell you about Keegan and Josh. They are both sweet. They are both lovely people in our family. They are both really cute. But sometimes they don't really get along with each other. Today they both wanted the same stuffed toy. So they were tug-of-waring for the toy in the drive way. Surprising, Josh won, Keegan lost his grip and landed head first on his bike handle. His bike handle doesn't have a protective rubber coating on it any more. This resulted in a huge cut, a gaping hole really, in the middle of his forhead and a trip to the ER. He ended up with 5 stitches. The doctor also informed me that he would most definetly have a scare. A reminder really, of what can happen when you fight with your brother. Will they learn this lesson, I hope so. When we got home, they both had to apologize to each other. (Oh by the way, Keegan did extrememly well at the hospital. He was a perfect patient and he even thought it was fun. Maybe it is because he got to watch TV and eat Skittles and popsicles.)

A Random Lady

When we go grocery shopping we run into all kinds of faces. Some familiar faces, some smiling faces, some faces that look at us and clearly are saying "You're Crazy, why do you have so many kids????" But every once in a while I have an older person come up to me and say, " I had 4 too...you bring back many memories." Well toady was a different grocery shopping day. When we stopped at the meat counter, the worker said, "I wish I could help you, but clearly I can't, you have a lot of kids." But despite that, today I walked away from Zerhs feeling encouraged and blessed. Today I had a random, young, happy lady come up to me and say, "I have 5 kids...and I love it!" She then proceeded to tell me they were all teenagers now. And then she encouraged me, she said that most people would give her a hard time when they were all younger, and they would tell her she was crazy, and she told me that she wanted to encourage me because she thought it was great that we had 4! Isn't that sweet. I love when random people you don't even know encourage...I hope I can be the same as that lovely lady I met today!

Fall

We love fall!! Especially the beautiful weather we are having. Yesterday we had a busy, but good day. I had a midwife appointment and had to teach french class...so on the way home we decided to pick our own apples. It was such a fun thing to do and it took so little time to do it. All 3 boys are expert apple pickers and we picked 20lbs in 10 minutes. The apples are huge this year, we think it is from all the rain we have been having, and the trees are bursting with red. It is a really beautiful sight! So that's our latest adventure, not too exciting, but very fun!

On Saturday morning I had a few home school friends over for an incredibly yummy breakfast. The idea was for some new and old home schooling moms to get to know each other, ladies who would probably see each other during home schooling events but not know each other... I invited a dear friend who has been home schooling for 16 years, and she was a huge encouragement...here's her blog if you would like to read more:

http://bywisdomahouseisbuilt.blogspot.com/

Like Father, Like Son

Our second son Keegan is more than words can describe. He is very emotional. When he is happy, he is so happy, when he is grumpy, watch out. When he is sweet, he is so cuddly. And when he is himself, he likes to bug who ever is around him. When I dated Bryan, I remember hearing endless stories of him bugging, teasing and calling all his siblings names. When we were first married and pregnant I remember my mother-in-law jokingly say that we were sure to get a boy just like Bryan. And we did, the second time around. Bryan is not as emotional as Keegan, but Keegan can apparently tease just like his good ol' dad used too. And by tease, I mean TEASE! He especially likes to tease Joshie. And Joshie then screams which apparently is a delightful sound to Keegan's ears. (I am smiling while I am writing this, but when I hear that scream, I am not smiling too much) Besides that, sometimes his name calling makes me laugh because I wonder how in the world he thinks up these words. For example he calls Joshie a "Doobie-ouw". So sometimes when we walk through the grocery store and Joshie tells me that Keegan has just called him a Doobie-ouw, I tell Keegan, "Please don't call Josh a Doobie-ouw", we always get the strangest looks from whoever hears the conversation. And he calls Aliah a "Goody-gally" or a "Woody-wally"...and she always smiles at him. He is a funny boy. And I can't imagine our family without him, bugging and all. He brings a lot of life to this house! Well sometimes I imagine life without screaming :o)

Amazed!

Seriously, we had a great time!! While walking home from the church yesterday, the boys asked if you could fish in the river, and I said you could. Then they said, "Auntie, can you take us fishing?" So of course, when Bryan got home, we took them fishing and they even caught some fish. It was really great!! They are truly a joy, as I said yesterday, while walking to the fishing spot they just sang their hearts out for us. It sounded beautiful! And they also all wanted to push the stroller, they have such an innate gentleness towards babies, it is really neat to see. The most amazing thing that I thought of today is how we as a family were so blessed by these kids and how God works out everything for those who love him. God knew our family needed to be inspired and blessed by these kids. In fact, last year in our home school we studied all about Kenya, without knowing that a few months later we would have 3 Kenyan boys stay at our house for 2 nights. Isn't that an amazing provision from God for our home school?? I think it is!! And I am amazed at how this very experience has made me love home schooling even more!

Blessed

Last night we had the privilege of seeing the African Children's Choir perform at our church. They are amazing kids that can dance and dance and dance, and of course sing. What an amazing thing to see. And we also had 3 of the boys from the choir sleep at our house last night and they get to sleep here again tonight. I don't think we have ever had more fun. These children are so happy and thankful and such a joy to be around. And they are funny. We are really enjoying thier company. They love Joshie's white hair, and can't help but touch it and they love babies. Last night at 10pm, one boy called to me from upstairs, "Auntie, the baby is awake." And so I asked if they would like to see her, and they replied, "We already did!" They were standing by her crib. It was really precious. The most amazing thing of the night was reading stories to them and our boys. We read Curious George, and the African boys LOVED hearing the story, they laughed and laughed. And the sweetest thing was when they all snuggled really close next to me. I loved it!! We are blessed beyond words to have these boys stay with us. They are an inspiration and bring such hope. They love life. I can't wait to have them here again tonight. We get to pick them up from the church at 5!

Feeding the Birds

Yesterday we dropped stuff, by stuff I mean crafts and paintings and other handmade items, off at the Ancaster Fair. The boys always get so excited...if the win first, second or third, they get money. And so that is probably why they get so excited. One year Brendan got $23.oo. That's a lot of money to a little guy. So now we wait until the results are in! While dropping stuff off, a nice old man gave the boys some Indian Corn to feed the birds. Joshie was so excited to feed the birds. So today after home school, we sat on the back porch throwing corn into the yard for the birds and Joshie kept saying, "come birdies, it's okay, here's some corn, come birdies". He couldn't understand why they wouldn't come to him...

Joshie and our 8 year old...

We went to our good friends Stephen and Rebecca's on Sat. They have 3 beautiful little boys. And the live on a farm!! Our boys were in their glory. They got to see the cows be milked, ride a 4 wheeler and climb hay bales. They also go to swim in a great pool and have a camp fire. When the kids were having fun on the hay bales, we told Joshie to be careful, and he said, "I'm okay, I'm this big" (with his hand on his head) ...it was so cute.

Brendan also turned 8 on Sat... 8... EIGHT! I can hardly believe it...that is so old. I can't believe that our first little boy is getting so big. He is such a sweet heart. We are so blessed to have him as our boy. We had fun with him as we celebrated, first with his friends on Saturday morning, at the farm on Saturday night and then on Sunday with my family. Lots of celebrating, lots of cake, lots of presents and lots of fun!! He brings our family JOY...because that is how he chooses to be every day...joyful!

The Z Team

Yesterday wasn't such a great day. We did school. We went to the beach. We met our home school group there. Yesterday, my sweet husband helped at the church at night so he didn't meet us at the beach...and the kids and I had a really tough time. It actually wasn't much fun, even though yesterday's post said it was...it wasn't much fun at all. Well I guess it was sorta fun when our sweet baby had a nap...moving on...

Today, was a great day. We still did school. We went to the beach again. We met our home school group there again So not much was different in terms of what we did...BUT...I decided to smile. I decided to try and make the best of a busy situation. And my husband came to the beach for dinner and a short camp fire. Things went smoothly, and the kids had fun, and I had fun, and Bryan had fun. He's great. And we work as a champion team together. What would I ever do without him? Seriously, I have no idea, when I need a break from the kids and the kids need a break from me, along comes Daddy and everything seems much brighter again! I am blessed.

First day back...

I really like home schooling, and today was our first day back. But it did not go as smoothly as I would have hoped. But it wasn't too terrible either. It is good to get back into things and establish routine again...but Keegan wasn't thrilled with hitting the books and Aliah is getting into stuff...so, it wasn't a great morning, but tomorrow is a new day, with a new beginning and we will hope for better times!

On a side note...I did take the kids to the beach this afternoon, because the weather is so awesome, and we had fun. And that is the beauty of home schooling, we can just pack up and go any time of the day...

Smile Buttons

I have been thinking a lot about memories lately. In my bible study and my home school preparation for this coming year, I have been encouraged to remember God's faithfulness in my life and in my family's lives. One fun memory that just came back to me this morning involves my brothers, especially my brother Mike and my mom. Mike has killer cute dimples, and as a little boy, he was so cute. He had really curly hair, beautiful eyes and a super cute smile! I remember my mom always calling his dimples smile buttons...because whenever you pressed them, he would smile. And she would do it to Greg, Dan and I too. I decided to try it out on my kids this morning, and you know what, smile buttons work!! They actually started giggling, and so did I. Awwww, memories!! (Doesn't Aliah have great smile buttons!)

What does the best camping trip ever, calamine lotion and itching all have in common?? Chicken Pox! Brendan has chicken pox, and he has them very bad...they are even in his mouth...poor guy. I feel so bad for him. But he is brave and hardly itches...he is s tough guy. I think all the Popsicles he wants to eat helps a little. Now the wait is on...who will get them next??

Summer Holidays

Sweet summer holidays. I love them. And this year they have been the best! We just got back from camping in Tobermory. It was seriously the best camping trip ever. For the first 3 days Greg, Rachel and Tyler were there...and so were my wonderful parents...and Dan was there too. We had such a great time with them. Going for ice cream, hiking in God's magnificent creation, swimming, going for a girl's dinner out and sitting around a camp fire every single, rainless night!! We also had Bryan's brother Mike come up for 2 nights...and that was also very nice. Then we had a couple days with just our own little, well actually large, family. I LOVE camping and vacationing!! We did splurge on one little camping luxury this year, which actually made the trip most enjoyable...we stayed in a one roomed cabin. We still had to cook outside...walk to the comfort station...live outdoors...get dirty and camp fire smelly...but Aliah could take her naps in the quiet of an almost sound proof cabin...it was worth every penny we spend on it. I have made this camping trip out to sound like the most perfect of trips...and to be honest, it wasn't perfect, but I don't think it could have been any better.

Kisses

I know that some of you may think this shot is extremely gross...and others may think it is extremely cute...I think the latter. And it was a purely accidental shot, she totally did this on her own. She LOVES the puppies. And so do I!

All I want for my birthday is my two front teeth!!

Puppies!

Darcy has had her puppies. We have 6 of them! They are so cute. And we are all very excited. The bopys love the puppies, and can hardly wait until they can hold them. Aliah is fascinated and can watch them for a long time...she really loves dogs... It is so amazing that a mother dog innately knows how to care for her babies. She cleans them, feeds them and keeps them all right beside her. I was able to watch the puppies being born. It was a home school mom's dream! Each puppy is born in their own sack and each has their own placenta...it is really cool to see them being born, but also a little gross. Seeing the birth reminded me of God's incredible design. Darcy was only 5 weeks when she came to our home, so her mother never taught her how to be a mom...but she just knows what to do. And the fact that each puppy is fully formed is a beautiful part of God's creation. We serve a great God and at times like this I find it hard to believe that people think that this whole world was created by chance. Praise God for the blessing of these puppies...because now we can replace our front door and the windows upstairs!! Yay for Darcy!

Boy...I haven't blogged in a while...we must have beautiful weather!!

It is so gorgeous here. This summer has been a bit cooler than normal, and a bit wetter. But it makes for good times in the sun, because it is not too hot...and the gardens are looking beautiful because of all the rain we have had.

Life has been good over here! We have had a lot of celebrations, with birthdays and babies and dedications and graduations and seeing very old, very good friends. We have been BUSY!! But we are loving every moment!

Here is a few new things that our kids have done (in no apparent order) :

1. Aliah took her first step! Yay! But when we clapped and cheered she felt a little unsure and started to cry, and has not attempted that again. She is not one to be the center of attention. She is sweet and quiet and likes to watch things happen around her. Walking will happen soon enough I'm sure!

2. Keegie lost his 2 front teeth...it is SO cute! He can't talk clearly any more because of it, and he looks so, so cute. He still wants a mohawk, but that would look ridiculous now with 2 missing teeth...

3. Brendan is BIG. He is getting old. And he has entered into the silly little boy stage, everything is a joke and he likes to act very silly most of the time...I have noticed that most 7 year old boys act this way, so it isn't because he is home schooled, I was slightly worried...even though I love home schooling!

4. We are on summer break!

5. And Joshie is as cute as ever, and he is suddenly done screaming...and very enjoyable...

More posts to come soon!!

My 2 babies are getting older!!

It has been busy around our house lately...we have hosted a lot of parties and had some really fun celebrations to mark some milestones!! On Monday, Joshie turned 3. 3...where does the time go. He is becoming such a sweet boy. He really enjoys playing with the big boys, but he also still loves to snuggle us and his little stuffed puppy. And his vocabulary is expanding tremendously. The things he says, and the way he says them is just too cute. And today, Aliah is 1!! Exactly at this time last year I gave birth to my very first baby girl. A girl. I can still hardly believe it. A girl, my very own girl. She is sweet, quiet, cuddly and in my humble opinion, the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen. Today I feel slightly emotional, only because the 1 year mark ends a significant baby stage, the baby stage which I have enjoyed immensely, but I also feel blessed. I am still amazed that God would bless me with 4 wonderful children who never cease to amaze me. I am one proud momma!

The Birthday Party and The New Tea Set

Mohawks

Keegan came up to me today and asked me to cut his hair. He told me that he wanted to have a mohawk...he proceeded to tell me that Joshie had one (actually, it was only spiked) and that Aliah has one (that's right, his little sister, she has most of her hair right in the center of her head), and that Joseph Brant ( a Native Canadian that we studied about in the fall) had one...where on earth did this boy come from? But he is not getting a mohawk, that's for sure.

Now this is exciting!!

A few weeks ago I had posted about our morning nature walk in lieu of formal schooling...and during our walk we saw a pair of Canada Geese making a nest...well tonight we went for a family walk/fishing trip down by the river, and we saw the Canadian Goose pair with their goslings...it was so exciting. And Joshie is the one who saw them first. Their babies were so cute, all swimming in a row behind their momma. I was really hoping that we would see the babies, and we did, God is so good!!

SPRING!!

I love spring. We have been busy over here. Busy outside in the yard. And does it ever feel good! The kids are sleeping well at night, must be all the fresh air, and we are getting things done! The biggest thing that was accomplished this week was......Bryan built a sandbox!! It is big! It is sandy! And it keeps 3 boys very busy for hours! I love our sandbox!! Bryan has also started the much awaited trim inside and I was able to do glorious gardening!

Being a mom

I love being a mom. I have learned so much about how to give endlessly, how to love and how to laugh. I learned that sleep is so precious. I learned that time really does fly. And the baby stage is really over before you know it. I learned that cold suppers don't taste all that bad. I learned to appreciate my own mom so much more than I ever did before, I discovered what she gave to us, and how challenging that can be at times...but how it is so much more rewarding than challenging it is. I learned that God's hand carries moms and that he is there to give me strength and joy. The biggest thing that I have learned is that children really are a reward and that my responsibility to them should not be taken lightly. I really love being a mom.

PS I had a wonderful mothers day, I sent time with family, I received some beautiful things from my husband and boys, and my own mom made me breakfast in bed (talk about self-sacrificing as a mom!)

Our Little 5 Year Old

Keegan is 5. He is in Kindergarten. He is active, spunky and lovable. He is very organized and is a little bit of a perfectionist. He chose to not colour pictures until he was 4 1/2 years old (unless, of course, he was forced to colour) and the reason was because before that time he couldn't colour in the lines. He tends to either do something right or he doesn't prefer to do it at all. So in his kindergaten workbooks he is required to read sometimes, but he never does. I just thought he couldn't, and so I didn't want to make him feel bad, and so I didn't force him. But I was surprised to find out that he actually can READ!! Yesterday he read a small book called "Tip", and he did it well and on his own! It is simple and short, but he did it! Way to go Keegan!!

Aliah can stand!!

While at the home school convention my parents watched the boys (who had sooo much fun) and a friend, Dawn, who lives close to the convention center watched Aliah. The boys look forward to the convention because they know that for 2 days they get grandma and grandpa to themselves...and they do so many fun things together, like carpeting our stairs and going to the park, and going to their favorite restaurant, McDonald's (which means we don't have to take them there!!) Alaih had fun too. She went to a good friend who has grown teenaged kids. And Dawn loves babies!!! She loves to snuggle them! And it is a good thing she does because Alaih decided that she would only have a nap if she was being held. But the biggest news of all is that Aliah pulled to a stand at our Dawn's house. Which is exciting. But to refresh your memory, she started crawling at Bryan's parents house, and she started standing at Dawn's house...which means she waits till her momma is out to do big things. (Don't worry I am not at all jealous, but I do think I have a little monkey for a girl) So, who wants to babysit her so she can start walking??

Our week-end...last week-end...

Last week-end was a week-end that I had anticipated for a whole year...what was so special about it?? It was the annual home school convention week-end. And man, was it good! It, as always, is so inspiring, refreshing and exciting. It is so great to feel recharged. It is wonderful to be encouraged with the vision of home schooling. Often people think that it is a choice some parents make because of financial circumstances, and others think it is a trend...but for us it is more than that. Home schooling provided such wonderful experiences for character developing and discipleship. We also love when our kids learn through living books and nature walks. I am not suggesting that all people home school, or that regular school is bad, but for right now, for our little family, we feel extremely blessed to have been called to home schooling. God has shown His faithfulness to us in this decision. And the best part of the week-end, my favorite author Sally Clarkson, was a speaker at the conference, and she was amazing. She has such an incredible vision as a mom and woman of the Lord. She is funny and real and very inspiring. This past week-end was very, very good!!

Tax Time With Kids...

After tucking in and singing with all the kids last night, I came downstairs to find Bryan doing our taxes. He everything spread over the kitchen table...and he also had the play cash register beside him. The play cash register, which belongs to our 2 1/2 year old...has a working calculator on it. So you've guessed it...somehow he couldn't find a real calculator, so he was using Joshie's cash register to do our taxes. Don't you love life!

Aliah can crawl!!

She crawled for her first time at Mom and Dad's while Bryan and I went out for dinner. We came back and Mom was describing the evening and mentioned that Aliah crawled after Josh...she didn't know that Aliah hasn't crawled yet...but sure enough, today she still is practicing her new skill. She is slow, but steady! Our boys were all crawling by 7 months. And they all were walking by 10-11 months, so Aliah is a bit behind her brothers...but I don't mind one bit. And it makes it all a bit more exciting when she finally accomplishes something!! Way to go Aliah! Our little lady is growing up!

A morning walk!

We were doing home school this morning. Brendan and Keegan were right into it. They were concentrating and working hard. But Josh and Aliah...they were not cooperating. So, what is a home school mom suppose to do when the little ones decided that they need mommy more than usual?? We take a break. And since it is SPRING!!!!! We bundled up (in spring fleeces, not winter coats) and went for a walk down the trail. For those of you who don't know, we live very close to the beautiful Grand River, and the nature trails that are beside the river. The trails are picturesque. When you walk down them, you almost feel like you are up north at a camp ground...anyways, I love were we live mostly because of the trails and the river. And God has a way of bringing peace to a young family in his beautiful creation.

Here are the wonderful, God created things the kids saw this morning (and I note: it was a good teaching morning!!)
1. many buds on trees
2. a mallard duck pair
3. a beaver, and his/her dam
4. a canada goose pair
5. a red winged black bird pair
6. sea shells...well "river shells" I guess :o)
7. and Brendan and I saw Keegan and Josh holding hands...a true gift from God!!!

I love spring, our home school and my kids!

It has been rough. We are sick...but we are much better than we were. It was hard. It was tiring. But we are doing good, and we are thankful, it could have been worse. Both of us have been blessed with incredible mothers who helped us out. And we are so thankful, more than words could ever express. The nicest thing about the help we received was it was generously offered without us having to ask for it.

Prov. 31:10, 28
"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies...Her children rise up and called her blessed..."

Brendan, snow drops and woodpeckers...

Brendan is our oldest son. He is a sweetheart. He has the biggest heart and is such a charmer. He always knows when a hug is in order, and he always knows the right words to make any one feel happy. Brendan is sick. Quite sick. Our whole family, well our whole family but Bryan, has come down with a nasty bug that leaves a fever, sore ears, a sore throat and extreme tiredness...but Brendan has topped us all. He has been hit the hardest...and I feel bad for him. But today and yesterday we have actually had spring weather! I mean temperatures above 10 degrees...it is glorious. So this morning when Bryan and Keegan were at church, I took the other kids outside for a short while to soak up some sun. And guess what!! We have flowers in our yard!! Snow drops, they are so pretty! And Brendan saw a woodpecker, pecking away, getting ready to build a nest. So despite sickness, we have sun and flowers and birds!! Things are looking up!

Rain

This morning Joshie said, "Look it's raining," and Brendan responded with, "Good, that means we get to see the grass again!" I guess they are done with all this snow too!! A little while later. Keegan said, "It's finally spring, but it has to rain a little more." Looking at life through the eyes of a child can be really eye opening. What we view as a hassle, they view as good. So rain, rain down on our ground, we need spring and flowers!!

Spring is coming!!

When watching the news a couple of weeks ago, we heard that the last time we had a record snow fall in the greater Toronto area was in 1923...that was a long time ago. And at that time we only needed 17cm of snow to break the record. Wow!! We have had a great, snowy winter, and some towns may have even set records...but now it is almost April, and I am looking forward to spring! And winter is one of my favorite seasons, but I am feeling like we have had enough of it. Here are some signs of spring that we have seen. We saw 2 robins, well Brendan, Keegan and I did. Joshie missed them, and then he asked if I would please help him find some more. So cute! And we have little crocus' and daffodils poking through in our front garden and in the back yard. Brendan and Keegan even dug up a crocus sprout to show me...how nice eh...I told them that it won't grow if we dig it up...and the biggest sign of spring...MUD!!! In our back yard and all over our boys clothes!! Don't you just love spring (and all the extra laundry)!

Teething, ear infections and sweet big brothers...

Well Joshie and Aliah are a bit under the weather. So we headed to the doctor yesterday. The verdict, both have ear infections, Aliah's is in need of antibiotics and Joshie's will go away on his own. That is why I love my doctor. He doesn't prescribe the drugs unless it is absolutely necessary. He is great. So we have had a few sleepless nights, and a fair number of grumpy days. But, I think we are over the hump. On the way home from the doctor, Aliah was crying, in pain, and mommy couldn't help her (I was driving) so the boys all tried to soothe her. It was so sweet sounding. They all have gentle, high pitched, soft voices when they talk to Aliah (at times) and all I could hear from the back of the van was, "It's okay sweetheart"(from Keegan) and "mommy will pick you up, don't worry"(from Joshie) and "Oh you have a sore little ear and you are getting a tooth, oh, it's okay"(from Brendan), and of course, the loud crying from our little lady. But despite the crying and sickness, it was such a nice moment for me, it was nice because I got to see how gentle and kind my boys can be. They are so awesome!!! And our little lady isn't so bad herself!

40 Years

Wow...that is a long time! That is how long my in-laws have been married for as of today! Congratulations, what a reason to celebrate. God has been faithful to them and all their kids. And they have been an incredible example of following God's path for their lives. God has truly given them many good years together. I feel blessed to have such a wonderful set of parent in laws. They are so great!! And I hope they continue to experience God's goodness and blessings for years to come! I love you Mom and Dad!

Joshie

Our little Josh is so cute. He has beautiful blue eyes, and stunning white hair. He looks nothing like the rest of us. He is so dutch looking, so sweet. We have decided that his hair is amazing, so we were going to let it be longer...well today I gave him a little trim. I gave him a trim because the back was too long, and was started to look matted. Well, one little turn of Joshie head, a pair of scissors in my hand, and all of a sudden Josh had a huge chunk of hair missing. So now Joshie's beautiful hair, is so short. I have been known to embellish stories a little...but there is no embellishing going on here. When Joshie looked at himself in the mirror, he cried, I cried, Aliah cried (only because everyone else was). When Brendan and Keegan saw him, they said, "He looks so different, it hardly looks like Josh, he kinda looks like a baby again." OH NO!!! I am so sorry Bry, I did not mean to chop of the beautiful locks of golden hair...regardless of the lack of hair, Joshie is still stunning...

My Mom

Here is a post dedicated to Grandma Sarnia. It was her birthday yesterday and I wanted to wish her a very happy birthday and tell you all why she is so great! My mom is such a great Grandma, even our kids friends loving refer to her as "Grandma Sarnia", and I often hear other kids talking about her, and telling each other that they have met her. Kids love Grandma Sarnia! She is fun, and loves to have a good laugh! She is also kind and generous. And the best, she loves clean kids, and gives the best bubble baths to dirty little boys :o) She's a good old lady!! And I hope she has an awesome year!

Tobogganing

With all this snow we have been having we have been having, we have been able to toboggan a lot!
We have some smaller, but decent sized hills near our house, but yesterday we went to some huge hills with our home school group. The boys had a lot of fun!! I felt a little nervous, considering the hills were covered in ice and the kids actually flew down the hills at record speeds, well okay, maybe not that fast, but they went pretty fast. There was a lot of racing going on. And it was 0 degrees outside, so it wasn't too cold. I love our home school groups. Actually we have 2 groups, and we get together with our Konos group, which is made up of 4 families, every other Friday and we get together with our Social Studies group, which is also made up of 4 different families, the opposite weeks. Our kids love seeing their friends and I love chatting with other home school moms. In both groups we get together for a couple of hours, and all the moms take turns teaching the kids various topics. We also go on a lot of field trips together. I feel blessed to have so many friends and family members who home school!!

She said "MAMA"...and she looked at me!!!

Wow, it's Friday again...

Boy, this week went fast...maybe because we were a family of 7 for the last week with my nephew being here. It was a good week. Fun. Tiring. And a very reflective week. I had a lot of of quiet time with the Lord this week. Rethinking why we do what we do. Trying to make sense of God's will for our lives. And learning the secret of being content. I am so thankful for the encouragement I received from very dear people. And I am thankful for our ever present God. I am so happy. So content. And very excited to one day see the treasures I have stored up!!

~O Mr. Sun~

Thank-you for shining down on me yesterday!! It was so sunny and beautiful yesterday, that it literally brightened up my looooong week. My wonderful husband has been working very hard this week. And he has been working long hours, so I have been pretty much alone. And all the kids are sick, Aliah with a nasty cold, and the boys with the flu. We also have our sweet little nephew over, and he is sweet, quiet and healthy!! He provides our children with a good distraction, and the well enough kids love to play with him. He is so cute, especially because he looks exactly like his Uncle Bryan...But despite the challenges of the week, we have made it through, it is Friday!!! And my man bought me flowers for no reason, other than to say I love you...and I LOVE FLOWERS...they are so cheery, especially when the sun is shining. So all is not well, but it is not all that bad either.

Can I Take It With Me??

This is the question that I have been hearing in our house lately. Can I take it with me?? Where, you may be wondering...well, Brendan and Keegan are in a thing lately where they are thinking about moving out when they are grown and married (which is a very long time away yet!!!). And so they are thinking about what they want to take to their new families house, things that their kids can use some day. I think it is funny...little boys with big dreams and imaginations!!

Snow!!

This winter we have had sooo much snow!!!! And I love it!! The kids have so much fun playing in it and it looks so pretty. Today it was plus 1 degree outside and it was snowing, so it was warm enough for the big boys to play outside for almost 2 hours. They loved it!! And I loved it because it was during nap time, and the 2 little ones were sleeping. I had so much free, quiet time today, I hardly knew what to do with myself...well actually I had plenty of things to keep me busy. We all had fun doing our own things! And the boys got their much needed fresh air!

Oh Man

Sometimes my kids are naughty. Yes it is true, I know, it is hard to believe. Just kidding. Well, when they are naughty at home, in front of Bryan and I, it is easier to handle than if they are naughty at someone else's house. Tonight we had dinner at a new friends house and our kids were wild, disobedient and very hyper. I was embarrassed and sad. I don't expect my children to be perfect, And I also know that my kids are works in progress, but I do want others to enjoy them. When we got home, I decided to do devotions, once the kids were in bed. And I was reminded of a woman named Suzanna Welsey (Charles Welsy's mom) who would sit in the corner of her kitchen and put her apron over her head. And under her apron she would pray out to God. She would probably pray for help, patience and love. And that is what I did tonight. I prayed for patience, love and to not feel shame in my children's actions. And I felt encouraged. So that is all, and I can only hope that my kids won't be so naughty tomorrow and that tomorrow will be a better day. (And hopefully our new friends will have us over again :o)

So Thankful!!

Today was a good day. A very good day. What happened? I tried to be happy trying to get the kids out the door for a somewhat early morning art class. And you know what, the day was so much better than it would have been if I was grumpy. Who would have thought. And the result was a very good day. I had fun with the kids, they were happy and so obedient.

So why am I thankful? I am thankful that I have a hard working husband who works so hard that I am able to stay home every day. And so thankful because I have a van to drive around in whenever I want to. So thankful for happy children. And so thankful for God's little blessing that surprise me so often, like free chicken from a neighbor, and a car seat from a friend (which means I don't have to spend $80 to buy a new one).

I am so happy today, today is a very good day!!

New Life

Newborn babies are the most amazing, beautiful treasures I have seen. They are so tender, so fragile, so dependent. My brother and his wife just had their first baby, a little boy, last Wednesday, and he is so cute!! It is such a wonderful sight to see a brother so tenderly loving his new child. And it is such a nice feeling to help new parents with their newest treasure. I was able to snuggle with him, change his diaper, burp him, kiss him. It was so nice! What a beautiful gift!

~Love~

I love Valentine's Day. I know that a lot of people think it is a money making scheme, and maybe you are right. But you know what, I love that there is a date set aside in a very dreary month for showing the people you care about most that you really appreciate them. And flowers brighten up any room! And special treats bring smiles to every kids face! And a kind note, makes everyone feel really good inside! So show your love!!

Speech Meet

Today I feel so proud of my boy Brendan!!! He placed second in the speech meet. He recited a poem about sea creatures and stood at the front of the room like a pro!! This was very shocking for Bryan and myself. When we signed him up for the speech meet, Brendan was not impressed. He ran up to his room and cried, which is very uncharacteristic of him...and I had to practically drag him to the speech preparation classes. And to encourage him to do his best, my mom told him she would buy him cottage cheese (that's right, cottage cheese, he loves it more than candy, odd, I know...) It was so wonderful to see him stand in the front of all the people and say his poem with confidence and ease. Some of you may wonder why we forced him to do his poem, well, we wanted him to learn that public speaking isn't so bad, and we thought that if we started at a young age, then he would gain confidence. As adults, we all have to speak in front of groups sometimes, and we both find that nerve racking, so that was why we did the speech meet. And the bonus of the whole ordeal...both sets of grandparents were there to watch him get second place (thanks for coming Grandma and Grandpa Sarnia, and Grandma and Grandpa Z, that meant a lot to us!!) Now he gets to advance to the invitational big meet in which he will compete against kids from 6 other schools. Keegan is excited that he gets to go to the "pig meet" (Keegan's words) to watch his big brother!!

Pajama Time!!

Bryan was helping Joshie get his pajama's before bed a couple of nights ago, and so Joshie's feet made it in (he wears one piece jamies still) and then one arm made it in, and then when Bryan tired to get the other arm in Joshie said, "Just wait, I'm picking my nose." Joshie is so funny!! And so rude, where did he ever learn to pick his nose?? He is starting talk so well...I think that this is one of the cutest stages of development. It also means that he is not so frustrated any more, and now he screams less than he used too. Boy, could he ever scream...I am so thankful that we are past that!! He is a joy to have around, not just because he says really funny things, but also because of his glowing white hair, and his sweet little smile, and his cute little face!! I love Joshie!! And Brendan!! And Keegan!! And Aliah!! And, of course, Bryan!!

~Mothering By Heart~

I just finished a bible study last night. A group of about 10 women, and I, studied a book by Sally Clarkson called, "The Ministry of Motherhood". What an amazing study. This author has such a heart for her family, it is so inspiring. The biggest thing that she did throughout the book was look at Christ's example of how He related with His disciples and she applied that idea to how we should deal with our children. So good!! The thought that really struck my heart was the whole idea of grace, and how it is good to extend grace to our kids, and our husbands, not that we let our kids get away with things, or our husbands (hehehe, I'm just kidding), but that we try to look at the big picture and why they might be behaving a certain way. She also encouraged us to build a relationship with our kids, even though life is busy, and can be monotonous, forming a actual friendship with our kids, and showing them Christ's love, is one of the greatest things we can do for them. I am inspired, and I pray that God will help me to be the best wife and mom I can be. I can see the changes in our family already by simply extending the hand of grace and friendship!!

Playing wild dogs.

The conversation heard in the play room today....

Keegan: "Brendan pretend you are pregnant, really big and fat."
Brendan: "Remember, I'm not your wife."
Keegan: "Why not?"

That is not so nice that Keegan thinks pregnant ladies are so big...I think pregnant ladies are beautiful!! And I am pretty sure Brendan doesn't want to be the girl dog because he's a BOY!!! I love our boys big imaginations!

Oatmeal and Oma's

This morning I made a hardy meal of oatmeal...and I told the boys that it was just like pioneer oatmeal...and they were excited to try it. Brendan took a bite, and said, "Hey, wait a second, this tastes just like our oatmeal." Then Keegan said, "Did pioneer kids complain when they had to eat their oatmeal?" Then Brendan said, "Pioneer oatmeal fills me up after just one bite!" Nice try Mr. B. It took just as long for them to eat their "pioneer" oatmeal as regular oatmeal...but at least the conversation was a little more fun!!

Now on to the Oma issue...I love my Oma, and feel so blessed that my kids know her and are able to spend time with her. We both only have one grandparent left, so she is very special. It was really cute this past week, Joshie has a little picture of Oma and he has carried it around every day, and says, "This is my Oma" and she goes wherever he goes...so cute!

Homeschooling...

This is the sweet smile I love from my Keegan...
This is such a beautiful shot because reading took a while to master, and now Mr. B can read so well!! I am so proud of him!!

I love that we home school...we are learning about pioneers...can you tell?? This week we are eating like pioneers (with homemade bread and everything!!), reading about pioneers, and some of us are dressing like pioneers!! It is really fun!

In other news, Aliah can sit by herself... it is so cute, she seems so big now. Man, babies grow up faster the fourth time around! And today she also fell asleep on her own in her crib...this may seem elementary, but Aliah has gotten very accustomed to falling asleep in arms, and today I thought we had better break that habit. At first she didn't like being in her crib at all, and she actually threw a bit of a temper tantrum, but, as soon as she saw me leave the room, she stopped crying and snuggled her blanket and went to sleep. What a good girl!

well that came and went quickly...maybe there will be more peace tomorrow

Peace...

Keegan and Joshua, our two middle children, don't always see eye to eye. They have fine tuned the art of pestering each other at a very deep level. Keegan, our older son, can bug Josh with a look, a quick touch, or any other way possible...Josh can scream at the top of his lungs, whether Keegan is bugging him or not...so as you can imagine, this momma can feel like she is going crazy some days...alas, the reason for my post. There is peace in our home right now...Keegan and Josh are in the bath together, playing nice, very quietly, and actually smiling and laughing...this is a huge deal...could this be the start of a beautiful friendship? Only time will tell...

The Shepherd

"He tends His flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in His arms
and carries them close to His heart;
He gently leads those that have young."
Isaiah 40:11

This is one of my favorite verses at this time in my life. The bible is so full of word pictures of a Shepherd and His flock. It is comforting to know that God is gently leading me right now, and that He loves young children so much, and He holds them in His arms. I find it such a beautiful thought that when one of His sheep has gone astray, He will search for the lost sheep until He can bring it back to the fold. And that in the fold, there are many sheep. The sheep all keep each other warm at night when it is cold. And they huddle together when there is danger. That reminds me of dear friends and family members who stick by me in good times and bad. It also reminds me of all the encouragement I receive from the Lord Himself, and other wonderful believers. I am not struggling right now. But in the business of daily life, when it is hard to even find time to think, in the middle of the joy, and excitement, and busyness, I take strength in knowing that the Good Shepherd is gently leading me and my young ones. Praise the Lord. I am His sheep.

Life at our house is never dull...

You will begin to learn that life is always brimming over at our house. With 3 very energetic, curious boys, we have daily excitement. Today during nap time, a time that I love...Joshie got into Brendan's gum. Brendan is a saver, and so in his pack of 60 pieces of gum, he informed that he has already eaten 13 pieces...so that would mean that he had about 45 pieces left, and I am sure that he shared a few pieces, so there were maybe 30 pieces left. Being 2, Joshie doesn't really get that you only chew gum, it is not a snack that you would swallow...and so,needless to say, he swallowed about 30 pieces of juicy fruit gum...mmm..I was concerned, so I phoned my doctor...my doctor was concerned, so he said phone poison control...I phoned poison control and they weren't concerned...When I gave Joshie's name, they said "Is he 2?"...apparently 90% of their calls are from parents with boys ages 2-3...come to think of it we have called poison control in the past, a number of times, for our 2 older boys when they were 2...anyways, Joshie will survive, he may just have interesting poop, which I am sure Keegan will find fascinating...