Taking the long way

This morning I was looking forward to a great morning hanging out with some girls at the church.  Being that it was dreadfully cold, I took the van...even though we literally live around the corner.  I'm not the wimp...Benjamin is.  Cold and wind are not his favorites!  So off we went.  Being that we are so close it took less than a minute to drive there making us a little early.  So I decided to drive around the block...a long block it ended up being.  It was blowing so much that my entire side of the street had blown in with snow and it was blowing so much that I couldn't see it had blown in...and before I knew it I had dug a nice deep hole in which my front left tire sat and the right side was still wedged in snow after digging with my hands and feet.  Now what to do? 

So I ran to the only house that had vehicles outside and they very kindly came out to try and tow me out.  But they couldn't find a way to hook onto our van.  They were so wonderful to help me out...and coincidentally they owned our house before the previous owners.  So again I was at a loss and had to call for a tow...which they were saying would be 2 hours wait!  By this time I was so dreadfully cold from first trying to dig myself out and then laying in the snow trying to find a place to hook up for a tow.  So I decided I would somehow walk Benjamin home (with him wailing the entire way I'm sure!) and then walk back to get the tow.  Thankfully, some wonderful new friends came and helped me out and found a way to pull me out!  Thanks Marv!  So I finally made it to the church...freezing!  Ben was happy as could be because he got to watch Sesame Street on the itouch for an extended period of time.  I'm now unfrozen...and happy to be in the warmth!

Enjoying the now

I've been thinking a lot lately about being content in the moment instead of always "looking forward" to things to come.  I heard a quote yesterday..."be happy where you are on your way to where you are going". This is something I really need to work on...and maybe that's because for the first time since I met Brad we don't have any big change pending.  It's been quite the ride...a ride with it's definite ups and downs...dating, marriage, arranging to travel to California for a year, taking contracts in California, changing our plans from 1 year of travel nursing to 3 months because we found out we were going to have Benjamin, ending up driving to California and only staying 1 week, Benjamin being born, some illnesses along the way, pregnant with Levi, Levi's born and moving to Langham...those are the big changes.  And suddenly here we are with no big changes looming over us...and that is a good thing but it makes me a little frightened about what could come (no more babies please!).  So my goal is to enjoy today, especially with Levi, because his baby days are diminishing quickly and even though I'm in some ways grateful for that, I was to enjoy them too.  And Benjamin will be two in less than a month...crazy!

No more roughing it

Today, on a cold -30 day, we became "luxury" campers.  I have never been so excited for camping season to begin!!  We decided that it would be impossible to tent with two toddlers this summer, so we bought our first trailer.  It's not very big because we have to pull it with the van, but definitely bigger than a 4 person tent.  Last year we attempted to tent with Benjamin and what a disaster it was...he was up early early in the morning and so was the rest of the campground too because of him.  So this year will be a lot less stressful!  If anyone has any good suggestions for camping in Saskatchewan let us know...we have a few months of almost free time this summer because Brad is taking paternity leave for 2 months and I'm just back to work for 1 day a week.  It's going to be a wonderful summer!!  And I won't be pregnant...so that will make summer a lot more bearable too.

6 months...how I love you!

I have been wondering in the past month or so why my left arm is always sore...now I've figured it out...it's been this 18lb. child I've been carrying around day in and day out!  But 6 months has hit and what a change in this child of ours!  He's learning to play and is entertaining himself!  And surprisingly, my arm no longer is sore.  I knew this day would hopefully come at some point, and I am so grateful it's come.  It's crazy how he has changed in the past week...grabbing toys himself, figuring out how to jump in the jolly jumper, almost sitting on his own...pretty exciting stuff (at least to his parents).  I just love this age!

Back to work

Quite awhile ago I decided that I would go back to work for 4 hours a week starting now in February.  At the time, the decision was made because many days I just needed a break...2 boys under age two is a lot of work sometimes!  But now things seem to be a lot better, so as February approached I was less interested about going to work.  Yet part of me still wanted this part of life back again even if just 4 hours a week.  So Brad and I both went to work yesterday morning...sure took us back to the old days when we did that every day.  We had our traditional Tim Horton's stop on the way to work...and I really needed that coffee!  6am is early these days to get up.  It was really really hard to leave Levi behind, even though I know that my mom is fully capable of taking care of the boys.  But Levi is my baby...my last baby.  The 4 hours went quickly...it was a busy morning forcing me to get right back into the swing of things.  And now I'm okay with being back at work...it was nice to be a "nurse" again!  And I realized this was the first time since June 2008 that I wasn't pregnant at work...and I got to give chemotherapy again...so nice to not be pregnant!! 

Reflection of goodness

The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow.  Then I called on the name of the Lord: "Lord, save me!"  The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.  The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me.  Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.  For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.I trusted in the Lord when I said, "I am greatly afflicted"...What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?

This passage from Psalms 116 really hit me this morning.  Lately, I've been truly acknowledging God's great goodness to me.  I have been so incredibly blessed by the goodness that God has given me.  If you would have asked me 12 years ago where my life would be now, there is no way I would have predicted this!!  I'm mostly just happy to be alive.  But the blessings of a incredible husband, two beautiful boys and such a wonderful life...this is only by God's goodness to me!  Now the question to me is: "What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?"

Handing down the traits

When my sister and I were little we loved music!  We would use whatever kind of resembled a microphone (vacuum hose, skipping ropes) and sing our hearts out...often recording ourselves on cassette, which is quite humorous to listen to now.  And the car was our favorite place to sing...we never shut up, we must have driven our parents nuts!  And now the irritation I may have caused my parents has come back to haunt me.  Benjamin loves music...and even though he doesn't say too much yet, he sings in his own little language...so cute. Yet so irritating, especially when he gets in a singing mood in the van and you can't escape him.  We have taught him the difference between quiet and loud, but usually now he just finds it funny to go between the two.  He got a xylophone for Christmas and just loves it!  He loves to entertain his audience...even adding volume and speed changes in...quite impressive (at least to his parents).  It's hard to get a good video of him though because the camera is too distracting.