Thankful Thursday

Funny thing... last night I woke up thinking... oh no, I missed Thursday again! Then I realized that it WAS Thursday morning, not night. Hahaha.


Wow... so much to be thankful for!

I'm thankful for my daughter, and the joy she brings me each time I see her. She's learning new things. Her eyes look so intelligent to me, and it makes me smile each time she smiles. Oh, she's almost rolling onto her tummy now! She was soooo close yesturday!

I'm thankful for our video camera we got for Christmas in 2007. I have it out so I can capture those moments for my husband to see later on. He's working so much that he misses out on a lot of what our daughter is doing.

I'm thankful that I don't need a job outside the home... I can stay home with my baby and raise her and watch her grow instead of having her at daycare for someone else to raise. Not that daycare is bad... I just prefer having her to myself... I'm selfish that way (smile).

I'm thankful for Flying. My sink is shiny, my meals are finally being planned (why did it take so long for me to do that... all I needed to do is write it down that I need to do it every monday, and now I do it... so silly), I'm getting rid of stuff I no longer want or need (why do we hold onto these things? I never look at them, just hide them on myself... why?), and so I feel better about my house... and myself.

I'm thankful for crackers. Yes... crackers. When I'm hungry and baby girl needs me, crackers are easy to grab and munch... so are carrots, celery, cheese... I could go on.

Anyway, baby girl needs me yet again... so I'll cut this short. I'm thankful for her vocal capabilities... no monitor is needed in this two story house!!! (smile)

More Pictures

Here are some more pics of my baby girl at 4 months... wow... has it been that long already?

Spread the Love

My friend Lacey from Don't Make Drugs just passed two awards to me! Thanks, Lacey!

Here is The Premios Dardo Award. The rules are to link back to the person who sent it to you, and then pass it along to 15 people by commenting on their blogs to tell them about it, and put their links on your post.



Here is the Honest Scrap award where you are to link to the person who gave you the award, post 10 honest things about yourself, and then send the award along to another 5 people.

I think what I'm gonna do instead is give both awards to 10 lucky people. Less work for me, haha.

Ok... so for the honest 'scrap'...

1. I have a weakness, and it's called peanut butter. I'll put it on almost anything... almost. I love peanut butter on celery, peanut butter with toast, I'll put it on crackers, bananas, oh, and peanut butter and pickle sandwiches are sooo good (sounds so weird, I know). I put it in all sorts of baking. I sure hope my kids don't ever get allergic to nuts... ever! And don't even try to show me reese and not let me have some! That has gotta be the best combo of anything ever!

2. I've never dyed my hair. I don't know why.

3. I had a poodle perm back in fifth grade. Blech. I had all sorts of nick names from that one.

4. I used to collect boxes. Why? I still don't know. I'd wrap a gift in a box, and after my sibling would open it, I'd ask if I could have the box back instead of it hitting the trash. I still have lots of boxes, but most of the time I recycle them now... by sending them to recycling rather than recycling them myself.

5. I had one craving while I was pregnant... for Pizza Hut's ceasar salad and breadsticks. And we were in town, and hubby wouldn't let me get them. Why? Ask him. I still don't know.

6. My sister and I loved making funny commercials years ago. It was such fun. We did corn flakes, a local furniture store, Mc Donalds... it was hilarious. Unfortunetly the VCR was set on slow play instead of extended play one day when I wanted to tape an old movie on tv, and it completely taped over EVERYTHING.

7. When I was in engineering and living in the city, I would sometimes just have crackers and cheese for supper... apparently I was paying for suppers too, but the woman was never home, so I just made what I had that was quick.

8. I'm addicted to Mario and Zelda games.

9. I am fascinated by old buildings. Love them!

10. I kept a pair of glasses for over 7 years... yup, 7. Got them in grade 12, and only replaced them about 2 years ago... or less. And my eyes went from needing a bit stronger to needing less strength in those years. So my newer glasses are less strong!

Anyway, that's my bit! What a lot of scrap, haha.

Ok, I'm going to sort of copy Lacey in this and give both awards to 10 people.

Shelby at Apron Strings and Angst

Dana at The Homesteading Housewife

'Mommy' at Mommy Confessions

Mama Farmer at The Farmer Files

Lena at Small Inspirations

Mel at Fruits of the Spirit

Tara at Feels Like Home

Rhonda at One Step Forward

Crystal at Pearls and Peridots

Café Chick at Tales of a Café Chick

Enjoy, and I look forward to reading your 10 'scrap' (smile).

#61: Put 5 More Photos Up

Yippee! This has been ready for ages, I just hadn't gotten around to putting up the four frames I bought months ago until today. Anyway, I had nothing on my walls before, so I figured it was high time I get something up!

My sister bought me this for Christmas, and I thought it was gorgeous. I have it by our phone, and put some pics of our baby girl into it.

The floor standing frame I've had up since last year, but the wall frame I got in the USA and have put up a while back... only I had it where the previous picture is now. My hubby and I moved it the other day so I could have the organiser near the phone instead. These all hold pics of the farm.

And now for my pride and joy... what we put up today. I've had these frames ready to go up for ages (bought them end of May, 2008), except the small ones didn't have any mounting hardware on the back... so I had to come up with a way to do so. The regular ones with nails... the nails were too long. So... I used tacks. Works perfectly. Oh, and those mirrors are from Ikea. I've had them for ages, just have been using them on tables instead of on the wall. Love them in this situation. Now I can say we have a photo of anyone who comes over.... ha ha ha. Wanna know what I love best about this? Total cost of frames, printing pictures, buying the matts, and the Ikea mirrors... about $20. Tee hee. I love Liquidation World (you can swipe some good deals on frames there)!

We got two other frames from a friend... unfortunetly I didn't take a pic... but they have photos in them too. They don't have mounting hardware... or a means to put any on them, so they will have to stay on the wall unit for now, until I get some nice dark bookcases on our main floor. One of them has a family picture of us three. Sigh. <3

Oh, I also finished a couple of other 101 things. #17, play a new game... we played a bluffing game at my parents house (there's another game we played with friends... I think it's called "What"?). I also finished #25, put money into savings each month for 4 months. We would have been done that one, except that in September we used the money toward a stroller/carseat combo and glider instead... so I had to start again, lol. Gonna keep that one up though!

Thankful Thursday

I know this is a day late... I had this all typed up Wednesday already and just didn't get on my blog to post it at all yesturday. Oops. Anyway... here it is.

1 Samuel 16:7 - "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Many of us bear a variety of physical scars… things that seemingly ‘mar’ our outward appearance. I want to focus on these scars today in my Thankful Thursday post.

I have a few scars that I bear… some small, some… not so small. There is one on my face… or two… that I got from chicken pox. Why be thankful for those scars? Well… I remember watching how my mom lovingly cared for my sister when she had chicken pox, and I know she did the same for me. Nothing like a big dose of love to make a scar not seem so bad. I also remember the oven mitts… so we ‘wouldn’t scratch’… well, they obviously didn’t work for me since I did scratch, hence the scars… (smile).

I have a scar on my chest that I got from my cat, Fluffy, when I was 12. She hardly used her claws at all, and while holding her I went to the back of our yard where my dad had buried our family dog of 11 years. I sniffled, and my kitty freaked. Why am I thankful for this scar? Because it reminds me of the wonderful pets I was blessed with growing up, and the times I spent with them, more specifically Fluffy… I still miss that cat. She was a good friend.

I have a scar on my hand that I got from the lid of a can of pineapple. Yes, I remember… that was Valentine’s Day, many years ago. I wanted to do something special for my parents, and so I got my uncle to take my dad out for coffee while I baked and cooked and decorated to make the dining room look like a restaurant. To make a long story short, the pineapple was for a ‘variety’ dessert tray. I sliced myself after not moving the can out of my way. Mom and dad were there (I would NOT let them in the kitchen…) and they helped me to take care of the cut (and yes, I was stubborn and continued to finish my work… which was practically finished anyway). Anyway, I don’t remember the pain, all I remember is the joy I felt at making my parents feel special (yes, I did something small for my siblings as well, although they were devastated that they couldn’t sit at the fancy table with mom and dad). When I see this scar, I remember that day.

I have another scar on my wrist, this one from a pan that I took out of the oven… my oven mitts weren’t long enough you see. I was making buns, and I burnt myself. I’m thankful for this scar for a variety of reasons… that the burn wasn’t worse than it was, that I can bake because my mom taught me, and for the new oven mitts I have that are much longer… (smile again).

My newest addition to my realm of scar tissue is on my tummy… the oh-so-wonderful array of stretch marks. Honestly, I don’t even mind them. I’m sure you can guess why I am thankful when I see those. I hope to be ‘adding’ to their number eventually…

Anyway, That’s my bit on scars… I honestly believe they make a person more beautiful. After all, each scar tells a story, and many of those stories either developed the person’s character, or give you a bit of insight into their past. Now all we need to do is convince ourselves that our scars make us beautiful, and I don’t think we’ll be trying to cover them up so much.

I recently came across this story once again… I remember reading it as a child, and it’s always stuck in my mind. It kind of goes along with the whole scars thing… although I think it can apply quite well to those emotional scars in our lives as well. Enjoy, and happy Thankful Thursday… even though it’s a day late.

A Beautiful Heart

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley.A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect.There was not a mark or a flaw in it.Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen.The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said,"Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine."The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart.It was beating strongly ... but it was full of scars ...it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in ...but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges.In fact ... in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.The people stared ... how can he say his heart is more beautiful ... they thought?

The young man looked at the old man's heart ... and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine ...mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.""Yes" ... said the old man ... "yours is perfect looking but ...I would never trade with you.You see ... every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love ... I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them ... and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart ... but because the pieces aren't exact ...I have some rough edges ... which I cherish ... because they remind me of the love we shared.

Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away ...and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me.These are the empty gouges ... giving love is taking a chance.Although these gouges are painful ...they stay open ... reminding me of the love I have for these people too ...and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting.So now do you see what true beauty is?"

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks.He walked up to the old man ... reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart ...and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands.The old man took his offering ... placed it in his heart ...and then took a piece from his old scarred heart ...and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart.It fit ... but not perfectly ... as there were some jagged edges.The young man looked at his heart ...not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever ...since love from the old man's heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.

The T.R.A.S.H. Family

A bloggy friend of mine, Lacey, started a new group that I just HAD to join! Another of my bloggy freinds, Becky, is part of this group too, so as you can see, it's a very 'happening' group. It's called T.R.A.S.H. and is for superheros!

If you don't know, T.R.A.S.H. stands for Totally Rad Animal Saving Hero. No, I don't have a cape (unless you count the invisible one hiding in the back of my closet), but capes just get in the way. After all, I'm no matador... although we do have one bull on the farm...

But I digress...

There have been many times where my husband has wondered if I have some kind of magnetic ability where animals are concerned, and he is still in awe at my telling him that he is about to drive over a frog on the highway, or to quickly look out the window in the ditch at the deer/wolf/fox that is watching us... and on the rarest of occasions, bear. Animals seem to love me... I have no idea why... perhaps the eau de T.R.A.S.H. is alluring to them. I could often be seen with a trail of cats following behind me as I walked down my parents driveway, our dogs beside me. Nothing like a string of 6 or so cats to make you wonder... especially with two dogs at the head!

I remember the time my sister found one of our kittens outside in the snow... cold and wet as the neighbors dog seemed to deem him worthy of snackage... but this dog, being playful and not one to actually hurt a kitten, didn't actually snack, just slobbered. Anyway, poor kitty had been left in the snow afterwards and was frozen. I mean it. My sister brought him to me and asked if he was dead, as she had heard him making noise, but now he was silent. The heart was beating. I remembered seeing on tv a guy bringing a baby animal back by rubbing it, so I grabbed a large towel and set to rubbing the poor thing. After awhile, he came to, and meowed piteously. We kept him in the house, I rubbed him for an hour or so until I could feel him shaking and his limbs didn't feel so... limp. He ended up just fine... lost a tow or two, and half his tail, and the tips of his ears, but he was a loveable kitty anyway... even gave me a hug for all my trouble later that year.

Then there was the lost kitten... my cat had a batch and one suddenly went missing. I searched the shed till I found him... somehow lodged himself in one of the shelves and his belly was squished so he couldn't move or meow, and the mommy was rather upset, pacing back and forth till I got him out. He had a scar across his tummy. We named him Lucky.

There have been numerous cats dropped off at our farm, most of them noticed during the night. One little guy was meowing so loud he woke me, so I grabbed my slippers and went outside to search for him. I thought one of our kittens was in trouble, but thankfully it was just this little guy that had been dropped off and was crying for attention, being in a strange place and obviously a house cat (his nails were trimmed). I brought him in for the night, and we went in search of his family from some of the neighbors. Someone fell in love with him and took him in. I was kind of disappointed as I wanted to keep him, but we have so many cats that might not have been too good.

We recently had another cat dropped off here, another housecat to be exact. She was such a sweetie, but unfortunetly was not able to survive on the farm. Caught one of the killer kitty diseases that cats tend to catch when they didn't grow up here. The vet didn't get to give her the shots in time. Poor thing. She was in a tree meowing at us when we came home one evening. Wanted in the house SO badly... but she shed like crazy and I had a new baby. She was a favorite on the farm for the few weeks she was here.

My hubby is a T.R.A.S.H. Man. Our one dog was found in one of our fields among the bales. He took him home (just a puppy... so sweet... blended in with the snow) and he's our White Fang. Then there was the time DH found a cat in the middle of a bale... with his head sticking out. How it survived the ride, I don't know. He dug him out and took him home. Kitty was dizzy for awhile!

I could go on, but really, who has time for that!

Anyway, I figure we must be a T.R.A.S.H. family. My little girl is too young to know much about animals, but being raised on a farm will probably bring forth a love for all things furry and cute! After all... who can resist a fuzzy little kitten?

100 Things

I saw this on Shelby's blog, and decided it looked fun! You are supposed to bold what you've done...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (although, it's not money that satisfies me... I can have a little or a lot and still be satisfied)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Hmmm, only 30...
So, that was fun! :)

#39: 10 New Recipes

So, I've finished another of my 101! #39: Try 10 new recipes. Here is a list of the recipes and the links to them on my cooking blog.

carrot cookies,
salmon,
fruit muffins,
cinnamon biscuit rolls,
Meatless lasagna,
Homemade mac n cheese,
Cheesy chicken pot pie,
Bruschetta chicken,
Pomegranate Banana Bread,
Zesty Potato Soup

I'll probably add more later, but not to this list ;)

Time to FLY

So... here it is... my shiny sink!

Just for you, I've added FlyLady's link on the sidebar...

So, this is my 11th day of FLYing. I'm pretty impressed with my shiny sink, and I've been readjusting my routines to fit my still-relatively-new life as 'mom'. Last week went really well in my kitchen... the pantry and about half the cupboards are organized now (the rest will wait till next time)... I really want to purchase a few organizing helpers for my drawers and pantry doors (for canned goods). But we'll see. I AM thrilled with how clean my lid cabinet is now... I had so many lids for non-existent containers in there. Gone now. Love recycling!

So, this week we are in the Bathroom and Junkroom zone. I don't know about the Junkroom... I have the basement and one spare room (on the main floor) that tend to get stuff just put into them... I don't have a whole lot to do in those rooms... they say to unclutter them in 5-10minutes per day. So, today we worked on the spare room in the basement (I say 'we' because I needed my hubby to help with the furniture HE put down there in the first place... haha). It's all organized now... and it only took 10minutes. At this rate, I'll have all these areas decluttered by the end of this week. As for the bathrooms, the challenge was to clean the cobwebs from the ceiling (which is a pain when you have stipple) and then take down the fan and clean it. We have two fans... one in each bathroom... both filthy. Not anymore though! Whew... I had to clean my floor up after that though. Then, for my 15minute cleaning session I did the tubs... ours and the baby tub. All done!

For in the control journal I decided Monday would be the day I plan the meals for the week. So... I did it! I don't know why it is usually so hard for me to do! It really doesn't take long... and now that it's done it will be so much easier for me to get the supper on the table each evening.

I'm just so happy with how much cleaner this house feels, even though I'm not really doing a whole lot more cleaning (only about 1/2 hour per day, and less on Tuesdays than I used to do). Planning really does have benefits...

End of the Year

Becky at "In the Trenches" had these questions on her blog, and I thought they looked like fun, so here goes...

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Had a baby! Put up trim/baseboards in my house on my own... made an inset shelf in a hole in our wall, designed a railing, started a 101 in 1001 list, started this blog (in January, no less), went to Ocean World in DR... there's probably more but I can't think of everything right now!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't really make resolutions, but I set less than concrete goals (like, drink 6-8 cups of water daily or eat healthier or exercise regularly, or try to maintain a healthy weight while pregnant, or organize new areas of the house... etc). I'm doing a 101 in 1001, so we'll see what I accomplish from that list this year (it's done in feb of 2011). I do want to try to stick with FlyLady this year...

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Me... does that count? Also two close friends... all of us have babies so close in age it's awesome!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope

5. What countries did you visit?
Dominican Republic

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Oh boy... uh... I don't know. I don't feel I lacked anything!

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Hubby's 30th suprise birthday party... he was thrilled! And September 20... my daughter's birth!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Having a baby... a huge thing for me, not only because now I'm a mom, but I had to face 2 of my greatest physical fears in one day... birthing and needles... lots of needles...
I had loads of other things I did, but none of them compare!

9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't know... I know I had a lot of emotional baggage I had to deal with during pregnancy, but I can't think of anything specific...

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had a cold early in pregnancy, one week of morning sickness, and then caught a cold just before giving birth and it came back full force the day my milk came in.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our stroller/carseat combo! Awesome, we are thrilled with it (I love Graco)! And the glider... I LOVE my glider!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My niece had her first birthday, and we celebrated that...

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The Liberal and NDP leaders...

14. Where did most of your money go?
Food and baby stuffs.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Having a baby... boy... lots of these revolve around her don't they? Ok, uh... going on a trip for our 5th anniversary! I was so happy we had saved up enough that we could get away! Going south is fun, although next time I want to go someplace different! I love income tax returns!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
I dunno... can't think of any in particular...

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier... much happier...
b) thinner or fatter? The same.
c) richer or poorer? Richer... in more ways than one!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spent time doing things with hubby

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Work? Well, not really. Less complaining. I need to work on that this year...

20. How did you spend Christmas?
At my folks! It was fun! I love spending time with family!

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yup... she was 7lbs, 3 oz, and is growing like a weed!

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Can't say I have one... not an avid TV watcher. I do enjoy 'So You Think You Can Dance', and reno shows, but nothing in particular.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Not particularly

24. What was the best book you read?
'On Becoming Babywise'... great info!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hmmm... another one I can't think of. I didn't listen to much music this last year (shock!)

26. What did you want and get?
A girl (wink)

27. What did you want and not get?
I really wanted our railing to be done, but it's not. It's started now, though!

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Wall-E was cute... I didn't watch many 'new' movies this year.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25, and I think we just went to our usual Thursday dinners with friends.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I really can't think of anything. My year was fantastic! Well... if I think really hard, it would have been nice to NOT have certain issues with certain people, but I feel like just forgetting about the bad stuffs! (smile)

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Maternity... pink... jeans... I actually wore different shoes than just runners and sandals for the first time this year!

32. What kept you sane?
God, and my hubby. I love him so much!

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Can't say I really 'fancy' any in particular. I don't really follow all that.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Ick... the whole Morgentaler thing... with the Order of Canada...

35. Who did you miss?
My grandpa... I would have loved for him to meet my baby girl.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Oh my, so many new people I've met over blogging, I couldn't just pick one!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
God is always there, always waiting, always patient, and will always help us find what we need right when we need it! His timing is more perfect than ours could ever be!

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I'll have to get back to you on that one...

Thankful Thursday

I'm just gonna do a basic Thankful Thursday post... no linky, sorry.

I'm thankful for my shiny sink (see previous post). I'm super thankful for my husband and daughter. They are such blessings to me! I'm so thankful for the holidays, and even now that they are over, they still bring me much joy! I love gatherings, get togethers, being with people and having a great time!

I'm so thankful for thursday... not only do I get to do a Thankful Thursday post, but each thursday evening we get together with friends in the area for supper! It's so nice to see each other every week, chit chat, and play some games.

I'm thankful for my little girl and all that she is learning. She is growing so fast. She has been finding her feet, her upper body strength has increased as she is able to hold herself up when on her tummy for a lot longer now, and she loves going 'upside down'. I can play with her now, read her books (to her delight... something new to grab), and tempt her with toys and rattles. She loves to laugh at one particular one... don't know why. It's a bug of sorts with balls inside. When I tilt it back and forth she gets a real kick out of it. She's inherited her mom's facination of bugs... go figure (may have something to do with all the 'bugs' in her room, lol).

I'm thankful for all the baby gifts I've been given... I don't have to buy any clothes for our little girl for quite a while!

I'm thankful for the routine I've started through FlyLady... I've been having an easier time getting supper on the table before Chuck gets home... it's great! He's loving it!

I could go on... but I won't... because now it's time for me to head out to that supper I was talking about earlier! So thankful the cake I made is all done! :)

What a Week

This week has been quite interesting! I can hardly believe how much I've managed to get done! I wanted to do more organizing and clean better in our house this year, maybe make some routines to help myself out, and so far, it's great!

Friday I signed up on a website called FlyLady... FLY stands for Finally Loving Yourself. This site is for those of us who are sick of the clutter (or in my case, too perfectionist to do much about it and just sit there 'planning' and not 'doing'), or just needing a routing in keeping our house clean. She sends me messages in my email daily to help me stay on track. The motto of this site is baby steps... she mentions regularly that the house didn't get dirty in a week, it will take more than one day or one week or one month even to clean it/organize it. Her first task is... shine your sink. So, on Friday the second of January, I shined my kitchen sink.

Those who know me know I hate doing dishes... my sink quite frequently has dishes in it... some soaking in water for a day or so already. Most of my house is fairly organized and clean... except that sink, so when I read I was to shine my sink, then read the instructions on doing it... I didn't want to. I did it anyway, and I'm proud to say that my sink has been shiny for a whole week! Every evening before bed I shine it again, and it's so nice to see when I get up in the morning! I've also been doing the daily challenges... this week we were working in the kitchen... what a time to start! My kitchen pantry and fridge and upper shelves are all sparkling clean! I love it!

Anyway... nuff said about that. I can't believe how big my baby girl has grown! I went through all her clothes on Thursday... or was it Friday, I cannot remember, and tossed all her 0-3 month stuff (except a couple of sleepers and onesies) in a box as she's outgrown them all. I then took all hr 3-6 month outfits, hung them in her closet, and had the sleepers and onesies in the dresser. The bottom shelf of the dresser now holds all her 6-12 month things... all of them. She has LOADS of 3-6mo clothes, and not much in the 6-12 mo range. At least by that time we'll be seeing garage sales here again! (smile)

Saturday morning I couldn't go back to bed after feeding my little girl at 7am, so I organized a few things in the living room. The Nintendo stuffs are all organized, all the warranties/guides in the proper binder instead of in the boxes, and since I still want to keep the boxes, I put them all in one spot out of the way. I also went through all the baby/pregnancy/welcome wagon stuffs I had (that I hadn't looked at in months) and trashed/recycled/moved them to where they should go. So happy to be free of that clutter! Oh, we went to the city to do some shopping together (it was DH's weekend off) and they had a sale at Chapters on kids books... so we bought 4 for $10! So happy! I've started reading to DD now, and she has been grabbing at the books (so far, I'm just pulling out the board books... not the paper pages). She's growing so much!

Yeah, I've still been taking lots of pics and vids of her... she's recently discovered her feet... they make great playthings. She constantly kicks down the 'bar' on her wiggle worm play mat, taking down the rattles and toys that are on it too. Then she plays with the sides of it... such a handy little mat. I'll have to post a vid of her playing with it later (she LOVES the rattle/bug... smiles at it all the time).

I found my feet!

Monday I cleaned up all the holiday decorations. They are down now... All of them. And I organized them better too. I even took out the stuff I don't really use to send to the thrift store... why keep it if I don't love it? It just sits and collects dust... or takes up space... or both.



Tuesday was housecleaning day... did a load of dusting. Yikes! I haven't dusted properly since I put up the decorations, and it felt good to get rid of all that dust. Anyone else have the problem of knowing where to put all the new gifts you recieve from Christmas? I finally have places for everything now instead of in the livingroom closet! DD's closet is all nicely organized too! Oh, and a friend of mine sent us a cross stitch which I finally ironed and put up in DD's room... it looks so sweet! I LOVE those fabric panels. I finally took down all the cards in her room too, along with all the Christmas cards, and they are all nicely organized in my 2008 cards binder. I'm SO glad I did all that stuff last summer!




Yesterday and today have been focused on keeping some things clean, continuing my exercising/routines, and farm books. Yeah, it's time for year end yet again. I found another indiscrepancy in the accountant's records... turns out there's a problem with the GST. Hopefully we'll get that fixed... soon...

So, now I'm sitting here with my daughter who is getting bored of the computer screen... I'm smelling the cake I made for the supper we are going to today, and I'm thinking... yes, it's been a good week!


Baby girl just sneezed all over the computer... blech... (still smiling... ok, actually, laughing at her).

I Love My Lips!

Ok, I love this little ditty! I used to have it memorized and would sing it with my bro on the way to the bus in the mornings... anyway, just a fun little song for you all to enjoy!

Name Game

I saw this on Cafe Chick's blog, and not one to turn down an offer, I caved and am doing it myself!

First pet's name and current car
YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: Fluffy Pursuit (sounds like an animal race)

Favourite ice cream flavour, favourite cookie
YOUR GANGSTA NAME: Vanilla Chocolate Chip (love the vanilla and chocolate in one name)

First initial of first name, first three letters of last name
YOUR FLY GUY/GIRL NAME: S-Keh (how would one pronounce that?)

Favourite color, favourite animal
YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: Yellow Tiger

Middle name, city where you were born
YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: May Winnipeg

First 3 letters of last name, first 2 letters of first name
YOUR STAR WARS NAME: Kehsa (Chuck would get a kick outta this)

"The" + 2nd favourite color, favourite drink
SUPERHERO NAME: The Pink Mudslide (I don't really have a favorite drink...)

First names of your grandfathers
NASCAR NAME: John Abraham

Name of favourite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy
STRIPPER NAME: Morning Mist Toffifee

Mother's and father's middle names
WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: Roxanne James

Your 5th grade teacher's last name, a major city starting with that same letter
TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: Sawatzky Saskatoon

Favourite season/holiday, flower
SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: Autumn Daisy

Favourite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + "ie" or "y"
CARTOON NAME: Raspberry Tunicy

What you ate for breakfast, your favourite tree
HIPPIE NAME: Special K Weeping Willow

"The" + favourite hobby/craft, favourite weather element + "Tour"
YOUR ROCK STAR TOUR NAME: The Painting Snow Tour

Ok... so, that's a lot of... strange... names! Try it for yourself! ;)

Reflection

I was just reflecting on the past year... so much has happened. I started my blog in January, I started doing the 101 in 1001 in May, did loads of housework, organizing, and renovations, became a mom when we had little Marin in September who is my pride and joy (yeah... the pictures say enough, *smile*), and went on a spiritual journey through my pregnancy in dealing with fear, regret, disappointment, excitement, and just about every other emotion under the sun.

God has taught me so much this last year. Mostly, to trust in Him. I've mentioned before that I have to be in control in some way... well... goodbye to that! I've had to say goodbye since finding out I would become a mom. There are just some things you can't control, and honestly, those things are often the most fun/encouraging/wonderful. It was only through my weaknesses that I was really able to rejoice in who God is, and what He was doing in my life... what He IS doing in my life!

I've got a long way to go...

A friend of mine has been talking about fear in her blog lately... and I can sympathise. I was ruled by fear for years. Of course, this fear was different in junior high than high school, or university, or marriage, or most recently, pregnancy and motherhood... but it's still fear. It still took over my rational thought... it still did not allow God to work until I was able to hand it over to Him... all of it. And then, the most incredible thing happened... nothing! It was pure peace. Total peace... the knowledge of God in control.

His control is so much better than mine after all!

I can't begin to describe that feeling! You've probably had it... when something that totally consumes you for years suddenly is gone... just gone... you don't even realize it's not there until a situation arises and you notice that you aren't thinking the way you normally would...

That's not to say I still don't have fear... it's just not consuming certain areas of my life anymore.

Now I have new fears... fears I never had before because there was no reason to. However, I already know how to deal with them. I'm looking forward to the day when God takes that completely away as well. I'm loving the power He has given me to tell Satan off!

So, what of this year?

I'm sure God has so much in store for me again this year, just like He had so much for me in 2008, and in 2007... I could go on. I'm looking forward to it. I just know it's gonna be great!

I can't wait to grow! I want to do my best to grow! And now, I want to help my little girl to grow as well! Praise the Lord for the changes He brings into our lives... for the good and the bad, and for how He works through every situation to turn us into the person we are meant to be!

#43: Make 10 Homemade Gifts

Wow... I didn't even realize I had done this one! I haven't made so many gifts in a really long time. I guess having a workshop and a place to store my crafts helps!

So... I've posted a number of the crafts I made already...

Two gifts of foam blocks, one for my niece, one for my daughter...

An embroidered blanket for my FIL

Some bookends for my niece and daughter

And candle holders for my mom and MIL.

I figured I'll post the other items with pictures as well... yes, I do like documenting all the things I make. I didn't start doing this until a few years ago. It's nice to do, especially since most of what I make goes to somebody else. :)

Above is a scrapbooked calendar of pictures of Baby M. I was able to get the photos printed out for a good deal (they had awesome package deals, and I was making Christmas cards anyway, so it all worked out well). I was still working on this one on the 23rd... finished it then, thank goodness. I made this for my dad. Funny story... I made one online to have printed and shipped... it wasn't supposed to cost too much... until they showed me the shipping price. Over $100! I was floored. I scrapped that idea, and the 4 hours I'd already invested into it, out the window. I do like how this one turned out though... it's much more personal!

This gift was from Baby M... wink wink. I made homemade clay (recipe to follow). You have to knead it forever till it's soft enough, but you don't want to knead it too long or it will increase the glycerin levels and... just become plain annoying. Anyway, I cut out the hearts and pressed Marin's feet into them... she thought it was great. I had to redo a few, and as I was bringing the pan back into the room with DH holding her like before, a huge grin spread across her face, and she proceeded to giggle as I pressed her foot into the clay again. Unfortunetly, the clay bubbled in the oven (I forgot to prick it with a fork before baking it... oops) so I used ink and redid the footprints after painting the ornaments. I used a marker for the lettering. It does make quite the nice keepsake.

Bakers Clay

To make clay, boil 3/4 cups water, and add 1/2 cup salt to it. Once cool enough to work with, add 2 cups flour (I ended up adding more water later... so maybe start with 1 cup water to make life easier). Knead till soft enough to work with. Roll out and cut into shapes. Prick with a fork before baking. Bake at 300F for 1 hour. Makes about 3 cups of clay... or 6 large heart shaped ornaments.

Here is a gift for my hubby. Yeah, he's a Star Wars fan. I just scrolled this from wood and painted it, adding hooks... 20 total... using my hands (pine is soft enough for that). Why did I make this? I have a 'tradition' of making him a Star Wars ornament for the tree each Christmas, and now he can display them at other times of the year. Speaking of which, the next pic is the ornament I made him this year. I use sculpey clay, and it's only about an inch or two long. For those who don't know, it's an A-wing ;).

Anyway, I guess that's actually 11 gifts! Woo! I hope to stay so productive this year!! :)

Edit: I just linked up at Gaerte Gang for Homemade Christmas and also to The Snail's Trail: Handmade Holidays 2009! Be sure to head down there and check it out. As a side note, the links below some of the pictures will send you to a mini tutorial of some of the items... if you wish. ;)

Happy New Year

Time to welcome 2009!

Where has 2008 gone? I can hardly believe all that has happened in the last year... although I think I said the same thing last year...

So, anyone making any resolutions? I'm not... I have my 101 in 1001, and that's plenty of 'resolutions' to take place in the next... 2 years? I believe I have 2 years left... and quite the list too! Which reminds me... I've accomplished another of my 101... number 36 and 37... set up a weekly workout routine and follow 2 months and track it (I noticed something... I go up in weight every weekend, and lose it all plus a bit more over the week). I love the Wii fit... got two birds with one stone on that one! Yippee! Anyway...

So I don't have a lot really to write... we've had a great year. Yesturday was great fun. We spent the evening at a friend's house to ring in the New Year... playing games together... we had a fun 'regifting' exchange. For that, you take some items in your house that you don't use anymore or haven't looked at in years... whatever, doesn't matter, and you wrap them and have a gift exchange using those items. It was fun, watching people 'steal' other people's useless items... lol. One person's trash is another's treasure! :)

Anyway, that's all I have really to write about... have a wonderful New Year!