Short and Sweet Vacation

My sister and her hubby live in South Dakota.  It's kind of in the hub of all the tourist attractions of the area.  We have had a lot of fun with this.  Almost every time we go out there, we try and see something.  This particular picture was taken at Devil's Tower in Wyoming.  The boys are all old enough that we could take the 1.5 mile hike around the base of the tower.  They sure had a good time!  They were running all over rocks and boulders while the adults stayed on the path.  It's really hard to tire them out:)  The problem with this for Wes is that the elevation is so high that he has trouble with his breathing and heart rate so we have to be a bit careful.  We had such a fun time exploring and visiting.  The 2 days were just too short!  We also visited the Air and Space Museum as well as Flag Mountain.
The boys really enjoyed the different types of planes and history at the museum.  Flag mountain was super steep and I almost freaked out.  The boys thrived!!  Aahh!!

I Love the Scripture

Here's why:  This past week Curtis had his tonsillectomy and I was busy.  Running to get him freezies, popsicles, ice cream, slurpees etc....you get the point all the while trying to keep this sugared kid calm so the bleeding doesn't start!  Needless to say, there was hardly any spare time, and so my Bible collected some dust.  By the end of the week I was feeling dry!  I knew I only had a few moments and so I quickly tried to memorize a verse from Psalm 143:8.  It says,"In the morning I will seek your word for my soul rests in you. Show me the way I should go for I have put my trust in you."  At Women of Faith this past weekend, I was challenged to memorize this verse.  As I was reading this verse over and over, it really came to life!  I love how I am asking God to take me where He wants me to go rather than me having Him tag along!

Recent Happenings...

Isn't it funny how life has a way of getting away on you.  Here I am blogging after 5 months and it feels like much longer.  Here's a quick update on the last few months.  I have been working, a lot.  In fact for awhile I was working 3 part time jobs and so the parenting was left up to Wes.  It was an experience.  I think it was good for me.  I will likely never take Wes for granted as far as how hard he works for our family.  Currently I am working one permanent part time job and another one only as a substitute.  I am enjoying this pace a lot more.

This year my oldest son hit Junior High.  WOW!  I am getting old...aahh!  Even still, I am really enjoying the different dynamics that brings.  We have sporting events to attend and a lot of new topics to discuss.  I love having the spiritual discussions with my kids.  Youth is definitely the starter of these conversations.  Sam said, how come the youth leader always tries to stump us with questions?  I am thrilled at that.  I am also hoping that this makes my son realize that he has to walk his own walk of faith.  That transition is one I pray happens with all my kids!  I do not want them to have a stagnant faith.

As you notice, the picture on the top is us practicing volleyball with Sam.  The picture is dark because i had to use my kids camera!  Mine is broken!  It happened in the last month somewhere.  I used it in summer and hauled it out last week just to find it won't take pictures anymore.  It's a battery issue but I do realize it is 6 years old and probably feels exhausted:)  I will have to buy a new one shortly.  There are just so many to choose from that I have no idea what to buy.  I know that my next camera needs to snap pictures faster than this one.  I guess most cameras will have been improved since 6 years ago so maybe I won't have to look specifically for that feature.

Updates on the Kids...

Sam:  He's matured a whole lot these past few months.  His understanding of life is getting bigger and long-term consequences seem to be a bit more real.  He broke a jar of banana peppers yesterday (in the fridge).  I was fortunate to have to leave at that time so Dad got to clean it up:)  He is enjoying school and is really looking forward to earning money together with his younger brother by mowing lawns for others. 

Lucas: Well he is definitely a Grade 4 student.  He is starting to challenge the Bible because a Science book wouldn't lie would it???  I have a love/hate relationship with this age group.  I love it because they are becoming quite a bit more independent but are also quite obnoxious and in your face.  For example:  If I am ever talking to anyone about anything, he always buts in and corrects me or just adds his own version of the story.  Now that I am not a first time Mom, I realize that with correction, this too shall pass.  I am so excited!  Academically, Lucas shines!  He is a great speller and fantastic at numbers.  He is super excited to be switching schools this next year.

Curtis:  Well he's actually been a little annoying lately.  I think maybe it's a part of growing up or just that he's strong-willed.  He has been challenging everything I say and always waits till I tell him what his punishment will be before he listens.  Sometimes I have to deliver!  Other than that, he is reading where he needs to be, finally!!  He is learning about 15 spelling words per week and doing fairly well at that.  Curtis' favorite part about school is friends.  He is a social butterfly and has tons of friends!  My favorite part about Curtis is how much he loves to play.  He went into his room the other and says, "oh boy, I haven't played with this or this or this in a long time.  Mom are we home tomorrow that I can just play with these things?" 

1,2,3...

Well the census is fast approaching again!  It seems like we just filled out those papers.  This year I will take a different approach to this.  I got myself a job counting people:)  There is some class time involved so I can learn what I am supposed to do.  I am excited to get some more experience to put down on my resume!  As to what this job entails I have yet to find out.  I guess that will make the month of May super busy!  Thankfully my hubby is very good at taking care of things while I am occupied elsewhere. 
I am thrilled to be doing something new and will be anticipating a nice pay check with which I hope to put away for either vacationing or camping or both! 

How time flies...

Oh the wonderful joy of spring is here!!!  I don't know if I've ever been this excited about it.  This past winter was so long and with so much snow, that I could hardly bear it.  I know we choose to live here and I should be grateful for all the things that don't happen here...such as earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes...but none the less now that spring is here I am rejoicing!
I met a lady a Wal-Mart the other when I was shopping for new rubber boots and I guess she could tell that I was debating about getting the tall ones or the shorter ones.  She looks and me and and says, "it doesn't matter which kind you get they will always be an inch too short!"  I had a good chuckle at that one.  "Booter" is the term my kids use when the the water comes over the top.  You would not believe how very proud they are when they don't get one!
Life has a way of speeding up for me in spring.  I am looking forward to working a bit more again.  I will be spring cleaning at the college again.  This keeps me busy for most of the summer.  The kids and Wes are so anxious to go camping.  It is not my favorite pastime partly because of all the work involved but also I don't enjoy fishing at all.  I need to find a hobby that can take up the time that they like to fish. (a portable hobby)  I have thought that it would be a great time for me to scrapbook but I am thinking that the humidity would not be great for the pics and they would probably blow away!
We (ladies group) are 3 weeks from being done our Beth Moore Bible study.  It has been a great experience for me personally.  I find that the Word has become my treasure once again.

So here we are, 2 months into the  house being up for sale and nothing:(  We've had 6-7 showings all to no avail.  I think I am okay with it actually.  I'm okay for now anyway.  Someday I would love to move to a home that is slightly larger to accommodate for family friendly events as well as hosting church events.  Until then, contentment is what I choose.

I have been extremely busy this month with work and I am thoroughly enjoying it!  I feel productive and like I am contributing financially.  Spring break is just around the corner, and I am so looking forward to being able to sleep in and catch up on some household things that are falling behind as well as catch up with the kids.  (Playing games, having people over, cooking for fun and baking for fun!) 

Today I also got an interview for helping in the Canadian census.  I am really excited about it because it gives me a chance to gain experience in what I have never done before.  The chance to earn a little extra money is also intriguing me!  I am hoping that this can get put away for a vacation in the fall or next winter.

I realized the other day that I had not taken a picture since Christmas and was a little appalled at myself.  These kids are growing up right before my very eyes and I am not taking in the memories with my camera. So there will be no new pics on the blog for a little while as I am hoping to catchup with this during spring break as well!

Hoping it's not all for Nothing...

Today we have our 3rd showing and the 4th is in the morning!  I am feeling at little overwhelmed at keeping the house in order at all times.  I am thankful these 2 showings are so close together because it then it feels like there's less to do in between!  Part of me is excited to move on and yet some of me has reservations...like how will this change our lives financially or is this move going to be the right one for our family?  Our kids are now very excited at the thought of moving...it only took them 2 months or so.  I guess from their perspective, this house is all they know in their lives.  I am noticing that I have an uneasy stomach most days due to the stress of it all.  God has really been a big part of this journey.  First of all, He loves us unconditionally no matter where we are in life and He knows what's best for us.  We are totally ok with whatever comes of all this! 

Here's some scripture that I have encouraged my kids to read this past week:  Psalm 133:1-3
"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forever more."
Mostly I wanted them to understand the blessing of unity according to scripture but also that the scriptures talk to brothers (likely brothers in Christ) but that they can have that blessing in their own lives!

Field trip to the Mint and the Legislature...

On Friday when it was about -36 degrees Celsius, I went along with a very bumpy bus ride to a grade 4 field trip.  It was a blast!  I was dressed for the weather but somehow my face still burned at the end of the day.  The mint was actually sort of a boring thing to look at but our tour guide was incredibly intriguing!  That guy totally made the entire visit a blast.  I don't have much interest in how things are made but thanks to Lucas who remembers the details and could fill Wes in at the end of the day!  We had lunch at the legislature building.  I don't think I have been there before and so the building was really interesting .  We had the tour which was also very well done and learned many facts about the building.  Did you know in fact that the project manager at the time of construction actually stole materials from the building supplies to build his own home?  He was arrested before completion but needless to say there is an apartment building 3 blocks away, named after this Thomas Kelly guy.  It's called Kelly apartments.  He was sentenced to 2 years in prison and restitution of $1 million.  He ended up only paying back $30 000 and serving his sentence.  This story was really the highlight for all the students.  Of course the story of the golden boy was quite incredible too.  Did you know that he weighs 3000 lbs?  He was fixed up in 2002 due to the anticipation of a visit from the queen!
This field trip is one of my favorites that I've been to in a while.  (My fave of all time was the Royal Winnipeg Ballet!) 

Did You Know...

that with anticipation comes the ever dreaded stress?  I don't know if I really like the combination of emotions that I've been having.  We have decided to try and sell our home.  I look forward to things yet to come but am very afraid of what might not happen...like for instance if the house doesn't sell.  I don't know why it makes me feel so anxious.  I suppose having lived here for 10 years plus could do that to me!  When we were thinking about this decision we kept in mind a few things; the mortgage, living within our means, and expanding without becoming greedy. I find myself living in a very materialistic world as you may have noticed by watching a few commercials or listening to people talk, but being conformed to the world isn't exactly my idea of joy!
We have put all of this into God's hands and we will choose to be joyful regardless of the outcome.  We have checked out a house that we would love to live in but it already has an offer on it.  The contractor told us he could build us one like that in the summer if we were interested.  I am praying that I can have peace instead of worry and joy instead of fear!