All posts in Bits Of My Personality

Looking for Seeds and Not Just the Weeds

by admin on August 18, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Life Keeps Changing, Mama Heart Mushings with 2 Comments
(My boy having a good look at the camp scenery and also his first taste of real freedom from Mom and Dad!)

It was good for Big Girl that I let her experience a week away at camp first, she is the oldest after all but I am glad that Big Boy has also gotten to have his first week away this year. He could hardly sleep the night before sports camp and was the perfect helper in the morning. He practically loaded all his stuff and his three siblings into the van with out my help. We got there early and so he got first pick of the beds! A big deal in the world of camp!

Almost the moment he was gone I was thinking about what a wonderful boy he is (in a haze of mama mush and heart sick loneliness with one fewer child around). You could say I was seeing him in a rose colored light and could only think of how lovely he is as a helper around the house and what a gentleman he is when we go out together.

While I know none of my children are perfect, and wouldn’t want to place the weight of such a silly notion on there little shoulders, I think it is so healthy for a mommy to think about the qualities growing in their children’s souls. It is important to look for and be thankful for the seeds of love and quality sprouting in their hearts. With kiddo chaos easy to find and troubles ready to spring up like weeds daily it can be really hard to remember each child is a special little gift from God. Instead it becomes all to easy to see them as a herd of animals out to get their parents.

Thank you Jesus for each of my babies and may they grow in you and for you!

TTFN

About Turning 30

by admin on August 17, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing with 2 Comments

I have decided I am thirty.

I got all the ‘ooooh thhhhiiiiirrrrttttyyy!’ comments and the winks and nods with furrowed brows meaning ‘oh I feel for you, mid life crisis coming on perhaps?’ We it is all very cliche and my responses can only be just as cliche. This woman is happy to be through the twenties. I have many reasons for being thankful to have survived those ten years of new married life and new mommy life but I would rather talk about what I have decided about turning thirty.

First off I have decided I am a confident mother and woman. Growing up that is what I thought the 30s where all about! Learning to control your emotions better, getting over your self esteem issues and rock’n what ever it is you do! So I have decided I am confident as me! I am especially confident as the me Christ is molding me into! Well, that is that!

What did you do for your big birthday is always the next comment. Well my husband was very sweet and got me a hand made bracelet in a fav color of mine. He also took me to Michael Buble. I really didn’t need a big party because I feel like I have been partying for a while!This year brought so much expansion to my world and I felt like it was a perfect way to celebrate my thirtieth year reached! Went on a couple ‘me’ trips for the first time in ten years. First ever girl friend trip with my sister Mirelle and then took a train with my brothers family to a best pals wedding and fulfilled a dream of mine, to take the train. These trips helped me remember I am a woman and that does not depreciate how much I adore being a mom. The secret is just in quantity and quality. I believe in keeping the ‘big special stuff‘ small in quantity, so they remains special, and making sure these big experiences are quality.

So I can now say I am an adult right?!

TTFN

My Northern Folk (Mom)

by admin on August 13, 2010 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Holiday Messages, People In My Heart with 1 Comment

Dad has always been a rock in my life. He is so strong and loving… My mother to was strong…I am so thankful for the feminine strength and love I always knew in my mother.

(I would not say she is shy but I felt like I had to sneak a lot of pictures of Mom. She was a big reason why our holiday was so lovely so I had to get some proof that she was there.)

Mom always works so hard to make us comfortable and yet is true to her self, her style, her life. You go to her house and you will know what being a northerner is all about. She has a beautifully kept yard, full of her flowers and her and Dad’s gardens. Many of our meals came straight from their garden. Potatoes and veggies barely emerged from the soil and where immediately cleaned, prepared and eaten (oh yum). They work so hard at mowing it all, keeping the trees from taking over and more. Her house is so homey. Warm and welcoming, it speaks the truth that real people live there. She is a meticulous house keeper and lovely cook. We had many a lovely and practical meal during our stay and there was pie, made with HER berries, to enjoy. The night we arrived we where given a piece with some tea and milk to help us relax after our long journey! What a perfect way to be welcomed!

I think more then ever I felt an appreciation for my Mom’s confident and content personality. She is a good example to me on how to be content where you are and with what you have. She works hard and enjoys her world a great deal. You can tell she loves so many things about her home. Her green house makes her beam with pride. Dad made it with mostly used stuff from around the acreage but that doesn’t matter to her at all! It is suited so well to her needs, made by her man and so it is wonderful. She could probably wander around her yard endlessly puttering and be totally happy. When her house needs work you can tell she enjoys fixing and working on it, and isn’t over come with jobs at hand. She loves her man, her home, her world, her Lord and I love that about her!

(We where together so much longer then our usual trips so the kids and their grand folks got to know one another so much better. Nanny loves to swim as much as I, so going to the beach day after day with her was perfect. We took turns watching on the kids while the other floated around in the beautiful water.)
(Thank you for baking with Little Woman, for letting her help you with the kitchen tasks. She really needs that and I am so glad you got to see so much of the real her, super chatty and all! So often when I look at my Little Woman I think of my mom!!)

Hats off to all you do and all the love you share through your good work ethic Mom. We appreciate you so much!

TTFN

My Northern Folk (Dad)

by admin on August 13, 2010 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Holiday Messages, People In My Heart with 1 Comment

Through years of my Mom’s wise instruction I learned to enjoy little things and grew in understanding about how important it is to find contentment in life. Apparently enjoying the little things came from my Dad as well. He is retired now so we got to spend much of the holiday goofing off with him, while Mom was a work. I enjoyed seeing how much fun he gained from doing the littlest things with the kids and I. He had a blast taking us out for McD’s (only my Dad could convince me to eat at THAT place, he he he). The day we drove all the way to town to get the perfect hot dog for a barbecue lunch topped off with many glasses of chocolate milk he was the instigator and we all loved it. Shopping with him was great fun. I love how Dad enjoys life and doesn’t have to take everything serious. After all, not everything is serious! He was totally game when I insisted we all try out the turquoise and pink chairs that I fell in love with at Canadian Tire and he never shys away from a joke or a goofy game with the kids. He is still the hilarious Dad I grew up with! When everyone was rolling their eyes at his latest punny joke I couldn’t help but roll with laughter! I ask you, how can you not laugh when a man is laughing so full of joy at his own joke?

A spur of the moment tea time, put on by Dad, was a pinnacle memory on our trip. Before I knew it Dad had made up a bunch of iddy bitty peanut butter and berry squares of toast, a big pot of tea and a sweetly set table for out tea. It was all followed up with creamsicle ice cream so you must know my kids gained new respect for their grandpa that afternoon.

Spot on Dad, spot on!

We love you so much and greatly appreciated this holiday and all the time we spent with you! You sure know how to make an ordinary day an extraordinary one!

TTFN

Northern Snap Shots (PART ONE The Family Acerage)

by admin on August 11, 2010 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Holiday Messages, Little Things, People In My Heart with 3 Comments

In the land of lakes, trees and bedrock we spent our time following our noses. Everyone seems to go at a slower pace where my folks are from and it took an adjustment for me but it was exactly what I needed. This was a slow week of doing what ever we felt like at the time.The first morning there was a perfect illustration of how my week went. Baby Boy slept in and so I did as well. I awoke very late and realised the house was very quiet. In my pajamas I walked out to the kitchen and although I could hear chatter and giggles I could find no one around. I went to the big bay window in my parents living room and glancing out at the garden I saw a bit of white amidst Nanny’s berry bushes. Then I noticed some little blond heads and heard my Dad talking with Little Woman. All three of the oldest where out with their grandparents picking berries for their breakfast. They where still in their pjs. It was a quiet, fresh morning and I remember sighing and thinking ‘this will be a break after all’.

Some snap shots of my folks yard (mostly a reflection of all their hard work).

A farm built with sweat and love. Carved amidst the bedrock, wrestled out of the forest and settled with expectation (expectation of years of hard work and years of memories). A place for all of the children and grandchildren to go and relax, feel blessed and most of all feel that northern blood well up inside;) This is my first home!

TTFN

Patience and A Trip North

by admin on August 10, 2010 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Four Little Eggs In My Nest with 1 Comment
(Just me and my four babies on a big northern adventure!)

If parenting isn’t the perfect opportunity to learn more patience then I don’t know what is. I feel like I am always choosing to be patient or to wig out but every now and then there is a chance to step into an obvious opportunity to practice patience. It looks big and can either be a disaster or a victory. Heading north to my folks for a week with out my man was such an opportunity. Four kids, one mommy. Now I am no fool so I went at this challenge with some help. I had a plan and I wasn’t afraid to stack the odds more in my favor (as apposed to anarchy’s favor). My beast van (I call it that because it is large) was newly equipped with a DVD player. I had a cooler full of snacks and each child had a lap table to color on, books and a back pack of toys.

Even so… patience was required and I decided early on I was going to have to just pace myself, slow down and embrace kid speed. Good thing I was realistic! A six hour road trip turned into almost a nine hour one.

The kids found every reason possible, and invented some too I am sure, to pull the van over. We had potty breaks, snack breaks, emotional break downs… put a new movie in breaks, restart said movie breaks, I don’t like movie and have changed my mind breaks… On one such occasion my oldest was standing next to the van with me. This stop was hard for me, we had barely started driving after the last one and where only minutes from a city and could have stop some where nicer once there. She looked at me and with a big smile said ‘Traveling is exciting!’ Shucks, that makes it worth while! She is having a good time, they all are… so I should too… so I did.

We stopped a few times just to let the kids run. I invented some relay games and got them running so many laps they where more then happy to get back in the van. We ate our fill of cheese strings, peanuts, yogurt tubes and triple chocolate chip cookies. They watched and I listened to a couple movies and I even got to listen to some of my favorite road tunes: TFK, Toby Mac, Jill Barber and Mikey Bubbles (Guess who that is!? My man gave him that nickname) among others.It was all worth it. When we arrived at my parents acreage in the valley, surrounded by trees and bedrock I wasn’t even over whelmed. We where excited and in good spirits. All of us where thinking about beach days and lazy afternoons, fresh air and adventure.Everyone cautions you about asking for more patience but the fact is you are a happier person once you accept the gift it holds.

TTFN

Nothing! The Best Kind of Summer Plans In My Book!

by admin on July 26, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing, Mama Heart Mushings with 1 Comment

I’ve decided I need to live some where else. I need shorter winters! Longer summers! Not hotter summers, just longer!

Summers are too short here (especially when it turns into a rainy season like this year) and I put to much pressure on myself to live life to the full! I feel like I should get it all done because I can do so little come winter… and I miss the kinda summer days I actually love… lazy days at the lake, lazy park days, lazy days puttering in my yard.

(Our last trip to the lake… ahhhh wish I was there again already!)

Forget the house! That messy house will wait for me and will be all I get to look at and work at all winter! For me, puttering at home, in my yard is the best! I could work on my yard with great joy all day and then play hard with the kids afterwards as a sweet and true reward. Forget big suppers. Come summer I forget that I even kinda like to cook…Eating a lazy supper of raw veggies and yet another sandwich is the perfect conclusion for me.Yesterday my eldest son and I weed whacked part of the back alley lawn BY HAND! We snipped and racked for almost two hours and the monstrous pile was proof of our victory, even thought there is plenty more work back there for another day. He is such great work company. He sets his mind on the task at hand, doesn’t complain or talk my ear off. We just bent our backs and worked side by side till the sweat poured.We went in for a cool drink and then ran through the sprinkler till we where beyond wet. Sitting in the sun I closed my eyes and told myself to remembered this is summer to me…If only I could convince my mind to stop finding things that need to be done and if only being done didn’t mean taking me away from my little house!

TTFN

A Week Of Suppers!

by admin on July 20, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel with 4 Comments

I love menu planning! I now have such a folder full I can just pull them out (grocery lists included) and go at it again! As way of showing a regular, repetitious oh so real, big deal part of my world I thought I would show a week of meals that where successful thanks to my menu set up. Please note I find planning only for the work week is best for me, thus 5 meals! Saturday is always left overs and Sunday is always a simple supper like eggs, pancakes or faspa ( a traditional Mennonite light meal between lunch and supper).

MONDAY

Tex Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole

This BIG FILLING meal is only on the list because of the oodles of cheese and veggies mixed in with the rice… otherwise… I am not one who likes to mix rice in with other food.

TUESDAY

Sweet and Spicy Mac Chili

A rainy day made it the perfect night for this macaroni chili and some home made bread with butter. We sweetened the chili with coconut sugar so my man could enjoy it as well.

WEDNESDAY

Northern Pickerel and Fresh Tzatziki Sauce.

Normally we would have served up this home made tzatziki with salmon but thanks to my Dad we had fresh pickerel!

THURSDAY

Home Fries and Feta Salad

Everyone has a nuts day when the menu doesn’t go according to plan (forgot to take out the meat) well this meal developed on such a day and ended up making everyone happy. Potatoes are a rare treat around here so the kids where tickled to get home made fries with their salad and kippers. My guy was able to handle them by mostly sticking to the sweet potato fries mixed in (less starch).

FRIDAY

Mac and Cheese Pizza

This kid friendly meal was so pretty in prep I have to share a few pictures of it. Although not the biggest hit with mom and dad (we weren’t that impressed with a crust of macaroni and cheese sauce) the kids LOVED IT!

When I make it through another weeks menu and look back I always feel relieved and successful:)

TTFN

Road Trip (anew an Auntie)

by admin on July 14, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, People In My Heart with 1 Comment

Road trip! South on a two hour drive to meet my nephew. He is my first! It has been raining nieces for some time. Needless to say, my oldest boy is thrilled to have some more guys in the family! My two little men have been the only boy cousins till now.

A brand new little bundle was handed to me right away. Photos where snapped and a big grin came effortlessly to my face. There is an instant joy that envelopes a person every time you meet a new life. I held him and he snuggled so sweetly. Before I knew it I was slumped into the couch with him on my chest and we where both completely at peace with the world. Ahhh, another part about new babies I remember so fondly, the way they can just slow you right down and make you want to stair at them endlessly… it is all so very calming.

I don’t think my heart will ever stop loving, longing for babies. Forever embracing the memories of my own precious four helps…

TTFN

To Take The Plunge

by admin on July 6, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, My Year of Right Sacrifice-TIME with 2 Comments

I became a Christian for many reasons. One was this constant feeling, this nudge, that there was more to it all. After having been a Christian for many years now I again feel this nudge that there is more to it all… more to this Christian life I took up in my youth. It is a feeling that I shouldn’t be afraid to grow and mature in the faith and move on from what is now normal or what now comes natural. It wasn’t normal or natural for me to take the initial plunge into Jesus and yet I did it…

The way I live now comes naturally. We are normal middle class north Americans… and yet… I want to fearlessly take another plunge into living for the kingdom of Christ now and not spend all my time working on my kingdom, on forming my identity, on shaping everything around me to reflect bits of me…

All this stuff, all I possess was given to me anyhow! I don’t want to be like the Ezekiel 16 woman and take the gifts, specifically the gift of life and use it for my own selfish gain and walk right into my own destruction.

It doesn’t sound normal… but if you take a look at C.S. Lewis‘s ‘THE THREE PERSONAL GOD’ you might get an idea of what I am chewing on. As Lewis puts it “human souls can be taken into the life of God and yet remain themselves- in fact, be very much more themselves than they were before.” Ah I really enjoy his mind blowing ability with simple explanations.

Bits and pieces here, fragmented thoughts… as I said before, it is a nudge right now… however, I do have the urge to plunge in even with just a driving nudge in my heart! No more prancing and dancing on the shore of the issue:)TTFN

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