My life...children, and cat included...

Spring....

2011-03-15T22:13:00.002-06:00

Ahhhh....spring! The season of new beginnings! I don't think the new year really starts until the snow starts melting and warm breezes start. I love spring! It's the promise of warmer weather, new plants, leaves on trees and green grass.

I find it so appropriate that what I'm about to tell you happened now...in the spring...because it couldn't have possibly happened at a better time.

Today I witnessed a miracle. I watched a man, who hadn't seen or talked to his daughter in 7 years, chat with her online today. I watched him cry until he could hardly see the screen...he was so excited to say hello to his child. I watched him melt when she told him that she loved him and I heard him plan when he would talk to her again.

This man gave up his child 7 years ago because he had no other options available to him. He has struggled with that decision ever since. I helped him find her on facebook a few months ago and we printed out her picture so that he could look at her every day. He didn't make contact at that time because he didn't know if her Mother would allow it.

I've prayed for this day. I prayed that God would make a way for him to see and talk to his daughter again. I believed without a shadow of a doubt that God would make that happen. Today the Mother of this child called my friend and asked for advice on their daughter. In the conversation, facebook was brought up. When I found out about it I pushed him to send her a friend request, which he did. When she came online, he said "hi" and the conversation began.

It warmed my heart to see him so happy. It blessed me to see such honesty between them and to see her say, "I love you" to this man who has thought about her every minute of every day for 7 years.

I can't imagine what it would be like to have to let go of your child like that. I can't imagine the pain and the guilt he has endured since that day. I can only say that of all the things that were said between them (...and a lot was said...they chatted for an hour!), those three words, "I love you" brought a joy to my friend that made him glow.

Thank You God that You still perform miracles. He thought he'd never see her again, but You knew better. Thank You that we are all precious in Your sight and that You love us so much. We are so undeserving, yet You provide for us. What an amazing night!!!

Music!!!!

2010-10-24T15:04:00.003-06:00

That's right my fine friends...there is a studio in the making at my house! Currently it has a set of electronic drums (My most recent purchase thanks to the haggling power of Rick!), two keyboards, a guitar I have on loan from my Dad (I've learned two chords...I'm pretty proud!), and a little amp. Still needed are 2-3 decent sized amps (one for keyboard, one for drums, one for mics), 2 mics and mic stands, a guitar stand or two, a computer specifically for that space and some really awesome recording software. I'm sure it will take a long while to get this together in the way I would like to see it come together, but God will work miracles and it will be done...of that I have no doubt.

Why build this...is that what you're asking? I believe that God created music for multiple reasons. He created music as a way of communicating our love for Him, as a way of expressing ourselves when words aren't enough, as a way of making a statement and getting a point across, as a way to learn something new or be reminded of something we knew all along but hadn't thought of in a while. Music creates thoughts and feelings that maybe we wouldn't have if the music wasn't there. In all of this, music is one of the tools God uses to heal us. I work out my frustration on my piano, I write songs about pain I've been through, lessons I've learned, and joy overflowing and it helps me heal. Music is therapy in every sense of the word. I have a rare opportunity to create a space where people can heal. A place where musicians of every age, race, color and creed from every walk of life can come and find God in their songs...this includes myself and my children! My daughter sings up a storm and my son LOVES the drums and plays whenever he gets a second to do so!

I've always said that I want my home to be a place where people always feel welcome. Where they feel like they are wanted and appreciated for who they are. I want to be able to give back to my community because they've given so much to me...providing space and stage time for me to play my songs and hone my skills as a musician. I want to create a space for musicians to network, play, jam, bounce around ideas and create music for God's glory. It's not a big space, it's very very cozy, but it's warm and welcoming and God is most definitely there! I'm looking forward to seeing new faces, hearing new music, and working with some talented people. I'm looking forward to watching my children play and sing along with people that will come here. God is moving and I can hardly wait to see where this all goes! In the meantime...feel like jamming? Drop me a line! This is God's space and it's meant to be used....so play on fellow musicians! I'm right behind you!

The song that fills my soul...

2010-10-10T19:44:00.002-06:00

A song we did today in Church...it was amazing and God FILLED that place!

Holy Holy Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Highest Praises Honor and Glory
Be unto Your name
Be unto Your name

Lessons Learned...

2010-10-09T12:25:00.003-06:00

I`ve had the absolute pleasure of spending some time with some very special people over the last few weeks. These are people who have taught me how to remain hopeful in hopeless situations, and how to set a goal and stick to it, regardless of how hard it is to achieve that goal.

It all started with a sermon series Pastor Barry started at our church. It`s based on a program called ``Celebrating Recovery``. It made me start thinking about the 12 steps used in AA and how really, that applies to everyone...not just addicts. I started going through the 12 steps myself using Barry`s sermons as a guide. I was praying one day in the middle of doing one of the steps and realized that I would really like to encourage people recovering from addictions...any addictions.

It wasn`t long after that I met Rick. Rick is a recovering addict and addiction counselor, for a local recovery house. He also holds down a job as a cattleman for City Packers and is father to a wonderful little girl. Rick introduced me to the recovery house that he`s involved with and it changed my thinking completely.

Addiction has not been far from me my whole life. Through my childhood I watched my Uncle struggle with alcohol addiction. I married two men who both struggle with their own addictions...and I have a few of my own as well. I`m addicted to smoking currently, and I consider myself a recovering addict from sexual addiction... shocked? ...not many people know that about me. It`s true though. I`ve dealt with issues surrounding sex for a long time. I thought I was worth so little that the only way guys would pay attention was if I let them do things I knew were not appropriate. Sick, isn`t it? I got to the point where I got to like the thrill, the conquest as it were. Who was the next guy going to be...how would I catch him...it was almost like a game. It wasn`t right and it wasn't healthy...in fact it was very very dangerous. Now I look back and wonder what I was thinking. I knew it wasn't what God wanted from me, but at that point in my life, I was too far gone to care. When I married John I put that life aside and I haven't looked back. I found my way back to God and realized that as His child, I am forgiven and washed clean by His blood. I don't have to live that life. To God, I am precious, and that's all that matters.

Anyway, I was introduced to a group of people at this local recovery house. These are people with all kinds of addictions, and they`re not afraid to tell you what they`re struggling against. Many have lived on the streets and in shelters at some point...that`s how low things can get. These are guys that are using every ounce of willpower they have, along with intense faith in God, to claw their way out of the situations they`ve put themselves in. Some will succeed, some will fail, but either way, I feel priviledged to have met them. I realized how judgemental I can be about people struggling. Who`s to say that the person I see on the street corner isn`t a recovering addict trying to get back on his feet like the guys I met at the recovery house?

We all have things we struggle with. You may or may not label them ``addiction``. I think the lesson here is not to judge those who are struggling...instead, take that little bit of time out of your day to offer encouragement. They appreciate it and they really look forward to that human contact when everyone else has given up on them. I am blessed to have family and friends who don`t judge me for the things I struggle with. They pray for me, they love me in spite of my faults, they encourage me to stay strong and keep my eyes on my Jesus...how amazing! So many people don`t have that kind of support. If you get the chance to...buy someone a cup of coffee...ask how their day went. You don`t need to do much...it`s those little things that mean the most and can make the difference between an addict staying an addict, or staying sober.

A New Melody...

2010-10-01T04:19:00.002-06:00

It's been three months since my last post. OI VEY!! I can't believe all the stuff that's happened in that time. Here's an update for you...

John moved out and has his own place in town. The kids see him twice a week and that seems to be working for now. We are on good terms and talk almost every day.

Declan is in grade 4 and doing really well. He's your typical 10 year old...snarky...eating everything in sight...a little crazy...and totally wonderful. I wouldn't trade him for all the tea in China! He often tries to be the man of the house. I keep telling him that all I want is for him to be a kid...but what does a Mom know, right?

Rowan is another story altogether. She's had a really tough time dealing with her Dad leaving. She went through a really tough phase where she was violent to other kids and very angry at home. She's now in counselling and in a fantastic Christian daycare/preschool and doing great! Her manners have come back and there's been way less fighting at school. I'm really proud of her...she's come a long way.

I found a job!!! FINALLY I am working! I started my career as an Insurance Agent for AMA in August. I am in training until October 18th and then I'll be able to sell insurance. The exams and training have been tough but the people are great and I really enjoy the work so far. The money is exactly what I need to stay on budget...God saved the day again!!!!

We have really been blessed with amazing support from all over the place! Our church has helped with school supplies, babysitting and all kinds of other stuff. The pastor at our church is working on starting an adopt a family program where solid Christian families in our church adopt a single parent and kids and do things with them once a month or so. This gives the kids a chance to connect with another family and just have a place to go do fun stuff. I'm really looking forward to that.

Thank you thank you thank you to all of you who have kept us in your prayers this summer. Every prayer was heard and answered and we are so grateful! We have been covered in God's peace and grace and we really are doing well. I've been singing TONS and I have also been doing some public speaking which has been a challenge! Who knew that this was what God had in store for me!

My lifesong is stronger now than it's been in a long time. I'm so happy and so blessed.

The verse I've hung onto this summer?... "My children are taught in the Lord, great shall be their peace" Isaiah 54:13

Awesome eh?

xoxoxox
Michele

Wow...it's been a while!

2010-05-29T04:28:00.003-06:00

It's been a long time since I've written here. A lot of things have happened. I hardly know where to begin...

There's been a lot of tough stuff going on. In March I lost my job at Sun Life. To date, I am still unemployed...that's so depressing. It's been nearly impossible to find anything but in some ways I think God planned it that way. I think He knew that the kids needed me to be home for a while and so He's making that happen whether I want it or not!

John moves out this weekend. That part is tough. The kids are doing okay at this point thanks to the prayers of many friends and family. God is holding them in the palm of His hand and for that I am so grateful. They are feeling the strain of the move, but are not reacting too badly to it at this point. I know there will be fallout sooner or later with them and I've put structure in place to deal with that. As for me...well...I find myself crying at stupid times of the day and night. I feel overwhelmed, scared, angry, sad, and yet sometimes I'm peaceful, even joyful, it's just weird. I know God has a purpose in all of this. I don't know what it is but I believe that He works all things for the good of those who love Him.

Prayer requests...(thank you in advance to those who pray...what would we do without the prayer support of our friends, family, and even family in Christ that we haven't met yet? My heartfelt love and thanks go to each and every one of you!)

1. The kids...please continue to pray a covering of protection over my children. I can't save them from all hurt...they are hurting...but please pray that this would be a fairly smooth transition for them. Also pray that their relationship with their Dad continues to grow stronger everyday...they need that.

2. John...I just can't do this yet so please prayer family, I need your help. Please pray for John as he moves into a new place, as he works (he's got two jobs now), and as we figure out support, custody and visitation with the kids. Pray for patience, understanding, empathy, grace, and the ability to communicate effectively and maintain a relationship for the sake of the kids. This is so important and a huge concern for me. Pray for healing as well...mind, body and soul.

3. For me...please pray for my parenting skills! I ask for a relationship with my children that has open communication, tons of love and understanding on both sides. I'm not the most patient of people...please pray that my ability to be patient and calm grows! Please pray for peace and clarity of mind...that I will be certain of my path and that the right doors will open at the right time relating to a job, childcare, as well as school (I'm trying to get into University to complete a bachelor of nursing degree).

4. For my family and friends...the trouble with separation is that it doesn't just affect the immediate family, it affects parents, brothers, sisters, neices, nephews, extended family, and friends. The backlash hits everyone and it can be so painful. Please pray for them as they mourn this separation...because that's what this is...a time of mourning.

I'm so grateful to all the people who have offered their help, prayers, and suggestions. Thank you to all those who have helped me to laugh, cry, vent, and stay sane! To my parents, who are the greatest gift from God I have ever known, I would be in such a dark place right now if it wasn't for you. God spoke to you and you listened and I'm so grateful. I'm blessed, truly, to have the family that I have. Each one of you is precious to me and I love you all.

xox
Michele

Family....

2010-03-13T00:58:00.003-07:00

I love my family. I love my parents. I am a blessed daughter to have such wonderful people in my life. I love my sister and my brother in law. They are a fantastic team and I love watching them grow as a couple and as parents. Wanna know something? I LOVE the kids in our family! I have two beautiful children, Declan and Rowan. I have a newphew, Riker who I loved the minute I laid eyes on him. I have a niece, Trinity, who is beautiful and who reminds me of her mother...that always makes me smile. Now I have a new nephew (see photo above)! Sawyer John, who I haven't met yet. This precious little person finally decided to leave the comfort of his little home inside my sister and join us out in the big open world. I'm itching to meet this little man! I can't wait to hold him and talk to him...the same way I held and talked to Riker and Trinity when they were babies.

Welcome, little Sawyer John. I can't wait to hold you and take part in your life!

Rowan turns 4...

2010-01-24T14:55:00.003-07:00

Four years ago I was induced into labour and gave birth to our daughter, Rowan. She was stunning right from the start. She had eyelashes that looked like fairy wings, they were so delicate. She had beautiful eyes and loved to be held. Rowan had a rough start to life. She was born with a hole in her lung which meant having to stay in NICU for 3 days. It was hard watching her try and breathe under an oxygen helmet. I couldn't hold her, I couldn't make anything easier for her... I could hold her hand, talk to her, and pray.

Now I have a vibrant, beautiful, strong, funny, brilliant 4 year old daughter. She is full of life and laughter. She loves dressing up and being a princess. She is all girl (much to my chagrin, I was tom boy all the way!). She loves barbies, she loves to sing and dance and draw. She is quick to say I love you and if a kiss and a hug is what will make you smile, she will be the first one to give you those things.

I always said that God wouldn't be so mean as to subject some poor little girl to having me as a mother. Because I'm not really interested in girly type things, (I didn't play with dolls or barbies when I was growing up. When I was Rowan's age I asked for a calculator for Christmas!) I didn't think I would suit being a mother to a girl. Since the day Rowan was born, I have been grateful that I was wrong. I LOVE dressing her up and taking her places. I love talking to her and playing with her and finding out what's going on in her head! My Mom told me that she waited 31 years for me to play with dolls...who would have thought that it would be a live one that I'd be playing with!

Rowan, you have added so much light into my life. I love your sunshine personality and your desire to make sure your friends and family know that they are loved. I love watching you grow and change and try new things. I love your no-fear attitude and have overcome many of my own fears from following your example. When I ask you who loves you, your first reply is always, "Jesus" and it fills me with joy that you are so certain of God's love for you at such an early age. Happy birthday my sweet girl...I love you!!!

To give up or not give up...

2009-11-11T22:07:00.002-07:00

It's not often that I write about my feelings here...

I'm frustrated. I'm trying to write another song for the album (to replace one that I'm not thrilled with) and it's not coming. I feel awkward and off somehow...off tune...off time...off energy...I hate feeling this way! I'm fighting negative feelings toward things I have no control over and it's sapping my strength. Lord, save me from drowning!! At this point I feel like giving up! The only thing that keeps me going is remembering why I'm doing this in the first place. God is speaking through this music - I know that. I also know that when I'm on stage and I'm singing and playing my piano, I feel amazing. I love being on stage.

I haven't been on stage much lately. I'm singing the anthem for the Lethbridge Hurricanes this season and I really enjoy that, but I miss being on stage with a group. I feel like a piece of me is missing when I'm not playing music...I've been missing a lot of pieces lately.

Is this just a phase? Will this pass? Can I get over this writer's block and this despondent feeling? Will this album ever be completed? Will I be proud of it when it's done? I have full faith in Brad and his musicians...they are the most talented bunch of people I've ever worked with. I don't worry about their abilities, I worry about mine!

Prayer family...please pray a layer of peace over me... and then pray a covering of JOY on top of that! I've been missing that.

Love to all of you...thank you for listening to me rant...I'm sorry this post is so blech...I promise I'll try and do better next time.

Michele

Summer Almost Over...

2009-08-19T16:13:00.002-06:00

I can't believe I'm saying this...summer is almost over!! What happened?!? Where did the time go? A lot happened this summer...let me fill you in...

We've settled into our lovely home in Coalhurst...many thanks again to Brad, Gary, Will, Sandra and Don for helping us with our dream. We couldn't have done this without you! We had our grass installed in July and it's fantastic! I love a green lawn - I'm just not all that crazy about mowing!

Declan turned 9 in July and had the pleasure of celebrating with family this year! Mark, Jobina, Riker and Trinity came down from Manitoba and Nana and Papa brought them to visit. All the boys took in the Air Show which was awesome as always...and all the girls went for lunch and shopped until we were so tired, we went back home to nap! It was a great visit and we really enjoyed our time together.

Declan also got to go to summer camp for the first time thanks to an incredible birthday gift from Nana and Papa! He went to Camp Evergreen and had a great time learning to canoe, shoot a bow and arrow, do crafts, climb rock walls, sing songs, and play games. The really cool part? His camp counsellor was the drummer in the worship band! Declan loves drums so this was pretty awesome for him. He's already asking to go back next year!

Rowan has been SLOWLY letting go of her potty training issues. Today is day two of panties during the day and so far so good! We are really proud of her and Daddy is going to be taking her to Walmart on Friday to buy some pretty princess panties to help encourage her! Before we know it she'll be in preschool...aack!!! Where did my baby go!?!?!

John is finally getting some more hours at work which is a real answer to prayer. He still enjoys his job and it's great that he has such flexibility there - makes it easier for me to do my music.

Music!!! I have not done a whole lot on the album this summer. Sorry everyone...I know this album is already way past due and I feel horribly guilty about it. I'm trying...please be patient with me! I DID have a wonderful time playing a 45 minute set at Party in the Park this summer and I'm scheduled to play at Global Day of Prayer Picnic in the Park next week. I have also joined a band (I don't think we have a name yet). We play country cover songs mostly (I never thought I'd ever write that sentence about myself! Was never a country music fan). I don't know when we will start playing all together, but I'm looking forward to it. I love playing in a band! I like singing harmony and playing piano...and I LOVE IT when I get to sing lead! It doesn't happen often, but it's a lot of fun being backed up by talented musicians!

Some things to pray for...

My friend, Sandra, is in the hospital currently for complications from diverticulitus (I really hope I spelled that correctly). She's had emergency surgery and will have another one soon. Things have not gone smoothly thus far and her family is worried for her. Please pray for healing of her body and peace and comfort for her family. I know this has been very stressful for them. Also pray for the doctors who are helping Sandra...our doctors work very hard and need our prayers too!

I have been really struggling with migraines lately. My doctor has put me on beta blockers to try and help the situation. So far it has made a difference. I still get migraines, but not as many and not as severe. Please pray for continued success with this medication.

Please continue to pray for my album, now titled "Redemption Story" which is also the title track of the CD. There's a lot to do and some reworking of songs still to come. Pray that the changes we make and the instruments we add will help, not hinder the message that we want to come through. Also pray for the musicians that are helping me with the album, that God will use them and their talents to send His message to all who need to hear it! Also please pray for my producer and friend, Brad. He's working really hard and it's been a busy summer. Please pray that he finds enough hours in his day to do all the things that he does. I know he rarely sleeps making sure that all his artists are taken care of. While I appreciate his dedication to our craft, I know how that can wear a person down.

Our kids are going back to school next week everyone! Let's pray for our kids, our teachers, and all the other wonderful people who support our kids at school! Let's pray that God really makes Himself known to our children this school year and that our teachers and school staff feel supported by us, the parents, each and every day!

Thanks for reading everybody!! Sorry it took me so long to write!

School's out...

2009-06-26T19:19:00.002-06:00

It would appear that once a month is the average amount of posts you'll see from me these days...it seems like the warmer the weather gets, the less I'm online! We are fast approaching July in the Treleaven house. Declan is out of school for the year and we are FINALLY getting some decent weather around here! Yahoo!

According to our purchase agreement, our lawn should be in, and our house should be completely finished by July 1. Somehow I don't think that will be happening. Our builders are so busy building the houses around us...I haven't seen anyone come to our house in ages!

I can hardly wait for lawn...to be able to go outside and not have to walk on dirt would be soooo nice. But I know that once the lawn is in, I'll be saying that I can hardly wait for fence! It's always something...

Declan is looking forward to joining the BMX club starting Monday (weather permitting). There is a fantastic BMX track just down the street from our house and the club provides 20 Monday night coaching sessions, 20 Friday night races, and 1 Saturday afternoon race for $100.00. I'm thinking that's not so bad and it gives him something to do this summer. He's already spending the majority of his time there, so he might as well join the club!

Honest to goodness...that's all that's new since the last time I posted. John, Rowan and I are all doing the same as always. If anything new comes up...I'll be sure to post!

Happy Summer Everyone!

Long time no talk...

2009-05-25T20:57:00.002-06:00

Yikes it's been a while since I've written. Let me try and update you a little...

Since my last post we have settled very nicely into our new home. We love it and can hardly wait until the landscaping is done so we can really enjoy this new space.

I have done a few gigs with Ira since we moved. One that really stands out for me was at the University of Lethbridge. I did two solos which was a first for me. The first solo, "Land of the Blind" went better than it has ever gone before! I felt every word and was exhausted at the end of it but so proud of myself for doing so well. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but that felt REALLY awesome! After the gig was over, two people came up to me and wanted to shake my hand...when I looked at their faces I nearly fell over! It was Craig and Carla Ginn! You probably won't know who I'm talking about so I'll tell you what this meant to me. Craig Ginn was a Christian singer who played at my school in Winnipeg in 1989. I loved his lyrics and his talent with a guitar and spent some time talking with him after the show. I found out he was from a town called Medicine Hat. The next year, we moved to Medicine Hat and who do you think the first person was that I met at school? The girl who babysat Craig Ginn's kids and went to his church....aack!!!! She took me to his next concert where we started talking again. Since then I have had the enormous priviledge of not only being friends with this deep thinker and his family, I have had the huge pleasure of playing on stage with him and also playing at camp with him. So anyway, seeing him at this gig was very special indeed as it had been ages since I'd seen him. He gave me some really great feedback on my performance and I was blessed beyond words to hear such positive comments coming from someone I admire so much. What a fantastic night!

John and the kids are doing great! Declan has made many friends in our area and is out riding his bike on the local bmx track every day. We just found out there's a little girl Rowan's age right across the back alley from us and my co-worker who also has two little girls is moving just down the street. More and more confirmation that we're right where we need to be.

That's all I have time for right now...stay tuned for more...hopefully sooner rather than later!!!

Pictures of the new house part 2

2009-04-10T22:28:00.007-06:00

So now I'll show you the bedrooms, bathroom and main floor closet. First up is the master bedroom. The first picture is the main area, the second picture is the his and hers closets (they face eachother) and the pocket door leading to the bathroom.

Next up is Rowan's room which is right beside ours.

After Rowan's room is the linen closet which is used to store pretty much everything for upstairs.

After that comes Declan's room. He is loving his new camo bedding!

Then there's the bathroom. Small, but pretty all the same.

Basement pics will be up next time!

Pictures of the new house...

2009-04-04T22:05:00.003-06:00

Well, you asked for them (and by "you" I mean Jobina!), so here they are! Pics of the new house. Due to system limitations, you will be getting pictures in a few different posts...enjoy! The first picture is our living room.

This next picture is of our dining area. To the right is a door leading to a small deck where our bbq will sit once I actually get around to building it. To the left is our kitchen which you will see in the next picture. Down the hall are the bathroom and the bedrooms which will come in another post. I don't know if you can see this but my cat is sitting all freaked out in the hallway in this picture.

Our fabulous kitchen....sigh....John is very happy. I can't believe I actually have a kitchen that has so much room, I don't have enough stuff to fill the cupboards!

The front of our house. The posts are going to be painted dark brown yet. You can see that deck off the dining area on the right hand side of the house. The white van in the picture is what the builders are using as a tool shed at the moment. We're hoping that moves soon. Our grass will be here by summer time and I have to say that I'm really looking forward to seeing some landscaping!

More to come soon!

We've moved!!!

2009-04-03T23:09:00.003-06:00

Well dear family and friends, we have finally moved into our new home. I have found that I have way more muscles than I thought I did - and right now every last one of them is asking me, "why did you abuse me like that?!". HUGE thanks go out to Brad, Gary, and Will for helping us haul furniture and more boxes than anyone should ever own. We could not have moved without you! I promise a house warming complete with bbq'd steak and beer will be forthcoming. Special thanks go to my parents who took our kids to their home so that we could move without trampling our little ones in the process!

Most of the rooms have been organized and unpacked with the exception of our bedroom and the unfinished part of the basement. I still need to build one dresser, a bbq, and a futon. I'm hoping to have everything unpacked and organized this weekend. I think I can do it. I haven't found the batteries for my camera or I would post some pictures. I may just have to bite the bullet, go to the store and buy more batteries. I'd love to give all of you a taste of what my home looks like. I warn you though, pictures could never do this house justice. It's everything we could have wanted and more. John and I are very very happy with our decision to buy this house.

So if you're down this way, come on over! We'd love to see you! I promise to post pictures soon.

Performing...

2009-03-20T16:13:00.004-06:00

How I love performing!!! It is one of those rare pleasures in life that moves the very core of my being. Yesterday I had the pleasure of performing again with Ira Provost for the Alberta Teachers Asssociation in Calgary. We took a large van, piled the whole band inside and set off yesterday afternoon. When we got there, we had a hotel room waiting for us to chill out and relax for a little while, watch movies, eat some snacks and get changed for the show.

We went to the hall to do soundcheck. When I walked in the room, I noticed that my piano stand had already been set up (I am usually the one to do this). When I looked a little closer I noticed that there was something attached to my stand that wasn't there before. Brad Lang, my fabulous producer had surprised me with a mic boom that attaches to my piano stand. This takes away the need for a separate mic stand that gets in the way and is hard to manipulate. It was such a wonderful surprise. I gave Brad a hug and must have thanked him half a dozen times but it still doesn't seem like enough. He's always there, noticing what we need and making sure those things are there when we need them. We couldn't have asked for anything more last night. We were fed, there was a ton of water around to help with dry throats on stage, transportation and production was all provided by a fantastic team of people. Brad is the one who makes that happen and puts everything together. So Brad, thank you soooo much! Once again, you proved what we already know, you are one fantastic producer/manager/friend and we could not do what we do if you weren't there.

With that said, let me tell you a bit of what happened the rest of the night. There was a green room outside of the gig for us to gather prior to the show. We were well fed with prime rib, the most awesome spinach salad I have ever had and cheesecake. Then it was time to do our job.

We got on stage and everything was fantastic. We sang, we taught our audience about the issues facing Native people, we truly enjoyed ourselves. Everyone got off the stage afterward, looked at eachother and said, "That was AWESOME"! I got to do a solo of "Land of the Blind" which is a song I have loved since the first time I heard it. Ira did a lot of talking about the origin of each of his songs which was really interesting. He referenced a few other bands that inspired him and it was very interesting to hear where his inspiration came from.

After the set was over, we all changed back into our street clothes and prepared to leave for home. While we were waiting to go, I noticed a baby grand piano in the hall of the hotel. I sat down and started to play. The next thing I know, a guy is standing behind me listening....then another guy showed up. Pretty soon I had a little audience of my own. I wasn't playing anything specific, just sort of playing whatever notes came into my head. When I noticed them, I stopped playing to talk to them. The one guy said he would stand there as long as I would play, so I played some more. We talked about music, it's effect on people, the emotions behind songs that we play and how they are created. It was a fantastic time for me to connect with people while performing in a very small setting. Both gentlemen had been at our gig so we were also able to discuss Ira's album and his message.

We got home at around 1:30am, tired but happy that the night was a success. I woke up this morning full of energy and ready for another day. I felt like I had been on vacation for a week - that's what playing music does for me! If I could do this full time and make a living at it, there would be no stopping me!

I know I sound like a broken record, but I just have to tell you how grateful I am to God for providing me the opportunity to live out my dream of performing on stage, creating new music, and teaching people not only about God and His love for us, but also teaching about God's children and the issues that they face here on earth. God pointed me to Brad (who's link is on the top right hand corner of my blog for those who are interested) and life is now very busy, very different, but so very wonderful!

Next gig is scheduled for Saturday, March 21 at Lethbridge City Hall at 7pm. Hope to see you there!

P.S. You can see more about Ira, his message and his songs on his website, www.iraprovost.ca

A very loooong weekend...

2009-02-16T16:47:00.002-07:00

I am on the last day of a 6 day weekend. Why so long? The nasty germ that has been ravaging everyone I know finally found me. Tuesday I left work feeling kinda yucky. Your usual fever, headache, cough thing. Wednesday morning I woke up and knew that I was going to be staying in bed for a while. I'm not one to get really sick often, but these last few months I just can't seem to shake these beastly little germs. I got a cold just before my surgery, then got the flu right after surgery and now this? When will it ever end?!?! I thought that all the cold weather was supposed to kill all these little viruses - I think instead of dying, they simply found shelter in my house! My lovely husband has patiently nursed me back to health and I'm feeling much better now. Hooray for antibiotics and TLC (not the TV show, I really do mean "tender loving care")!

I thought I would take this opportunity to let you know the outcome of the prayer requests I posted a while back. Here it goes...

Ollie is doing fantastic! Her surgery went great and doctors say she is now in the clear. No more cancer and no chemo needed! God provided for her in amazing ways while she was away. Her roommate in the hospital was a Christian lady who prayed for Ollie when things got really bad. Ollie said that she could actually feel God's peace surrounding her in that moment. What a great testimony that God not only cares for us but puts perfect strangers in our path to love us in His name!

Declan's school counselor has stepped in and taken an active role in helping Declan through some of his behaviour issues. It is obvious that Declan feels this support and embraces it. He received some recognition at school recently for making good choices and that was wonderful to see. He also has started challenging himself more in reading. He has picked a few chapter books now from the library (something he never did before) and is actually enjoying reading. I'm so proud of his progress!

I had a meeting with Brad and discovered I'm still three songs away from an album. After that meeting I looked in my song writing journal to discover I had more than 3 songs that I still hadn't recorded! Thus, the writing is pretty much over. There is MAJOR editing to be done as I'm still not happy with the songs as they stand. I don't know what I'm going to change yet, but I'm working on it. This album seems to have a decidedly mellow feel which is in tune with how I like to play. If I wasn't playing, just standing and performing, I'd prefer faster songs. However, that's not where my writing talents lie. Once I have the songs where I want them, we can start bringing in other instruments. I'm excited to start that part of the process, but am willing to wait and make sure that the songs are perfect prior to more instruments being added.

The house has been painted, doors and trim are done and cabinets are being installed. It's hard to believe that moving time is almost upon us! We haven't packed a thing! Aaack!!! Declan is starting to get excited about moving. He's looking forward to his new room and our new neighborhood. I'm praying for good friends for him that live close by.

Our current home is in a constant state of disaster as I try to figure out what goes and what stays. Honestly, I'd love to throw everything out and start over, but I don't have anywhere close to the funds needed to make that happen, so I'll salvage what I can and pitch the rest. It's amazing how many things I keep that are broken or unusable. It sometimes feels like I don't throw anything away unless I'm moving. I don't like packing. I love unpacking. I love starting over in a new place. I'm doing my best to keep the end result in mind while I mindlessly go through all my stuff and decide what to pack.

Now where did I put that packing tape...?

Concerts and stuff...

2009-02-02T18:09:00.002-07:00

This weekend was a big deal for me. I had the honor of playing with Ira Provost at a fundraiser for the Friendship Society here in Lethbridge on Saturday night. What a rush!! To play with 7 incredibly talented musicians in front of hundreds of people...to sing songs that teach lessons about Canada's history, more specifically about the history of the Blackfoot Nation, it was a mind blowing and totally humbling experience.

When I'm singing songs about Native culture, I start to really feel my "whiteness". I start to feel apologetic on behalf of the white people who treated them so badly and who handled the situation so poorly. I have learned a ton about how their children were taken away to residential schools and told that the purpose of this was to take the Indian out of the Child. It saddens me to think that a nation of people were ripped from their homes and everything they held dear and made to learn a completely different way of life because theirs was considered unacceptable. I start to think of my children and how, as a parent, I would feel in that situation. These are a proud people, and often misunderstood. I have met so many who have touched my soul, people who have been willing to teach me and share their culture, their history and their lives with me. Who knew that music could teach not only the listener, but the musician as well?!
We are doing another concert in March in Calgary and one at the University of Lethbridge in May. Stay tuned for more info as we get closer to those dates!

In the meantime, I have been horribly out of touch on my own music and need to get back into the studio and start moving things along. I'm hoping to get back there this week as another song has been written and needs to be recorded. I think I'm getting pretty close to having all the songs written. Soon it will be time to edit - that's where things get fun...and hard! I already have some ideas for editing some of the songs and I'm hoping that collaborating with my musical friends will add to that fun and give me ideas that I wouldn't have necessarily thought of on my own. Stay tuned!

Sorry about the delay...

2009-01-18T09:05:00.002-07:00

Wow! It's been a while since I've written anything! Things have been a little busy for me as of late and I haven't had a lot of time to write. The house is coming along nicely with the builders starting to drywall this weekend. I'm involved in a concert on January 31st and as such, music practice eats up a lot of my time. I'm still singing O Canada at some of the hockey games and we're short staffed at work which means we all have to work twice as hard right now. Busy busy busy!!!

I don't really have anything exciting to say today, so I'm going to list some prayer requests that I'm working on. If you are someone who prays, you can work on them too.

My very dear friend Ollie is going for her second surgery to try and remove the rest of the cancer that sits in her abdomen. There are circumstances with Ollie that make this surgery very dangerous. She will also be away from her children and husband for a minimum of two weeks as the surgery that she needs can't be done in our home town. Please pray that God would be present with her in a way that she can feel. Pray that the surgery is successful and has no complications. Pray that she recovers quickly.

For my son, Declan. I wish I knew what was going on in that boy's head. Please pray for Declan's attitude toward work in general. Iif it doesn't come easy, Declan doesn't want to do it and I can't think of a different way of teaching him. I try to show him through example how to work hard but I'm not getting through. This causes his schoolwork to suffer and his home time to be stressed. Any ideas of how to get my child to enjoy work and feel a sense of accomplishment when he does something would be appreciated.

For my album, aack!!! I'm so close to having all songs written so that I can start to edit. I still have 2, maybe 3 more songs to write. I'm getting impatient and feeling like this project will never be completed. Please pray for patience for those involved and for inspiration for me. Please pray for clear direction because I really want to make sure that everything I do with this album is in line with what God wants.

Anyway, that's the three biggest ones today. I'll be sure to post the outcome of all of these requests on my blog when they happen, so stay tuned!!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T10:15:00.003-07:00

I started thinking about this past year and the things that have happened to my family and to me. What an amazing year we have had! It's been incredible! There have been amazing highs and horrible lows but through it all, we have been so blessed!

John is still working at Safeway and that has been a real blessing. His working part time is what allows me to be able to be at the studio as often as I am. It has also allowed him to spend more time with the kids and I know that they appreciate that time. John received an inheritance this year which has allowed us to pay off all our debt, buy a minivan as well as build a home. John has said it many times and I agree - his Dad would be so proud and happy that we used the money for things we needed as well as for investing in property. It's what he would have wanted for John.

Declan is in grade two and while it's been a struggle, he's doing amazingly well. His reading is fantastic and his math is also improving! A major accomplishment for Declan this year was that he went up on stage with his class and sang songs for the Christmas concert. He also said a line on stage when his class hosted 4th advent. Declan has always been deathly afraid of performing on stage. Last year he wouldn't go on the stage at all! This was a big accomplishment and I was really proud of him for doing that. Declan loves video games, playing outside with friends, rollerblading, skateboarding, biking, soccer, basketball, and UNO!! I taught him how to play UNO this year and he loves it! He's pretty good at it too!

Rowan has changed so much this year. She talks and sings constantly! When you ask her, "Who loves you?" Her first reply is always, "JESUS!!" It's awesome and I ask her all the time just to hear her tell me the answer! Rowan can count to 15 and sing her ABC's. She's turning 3 at the end of January. Rowan loves "princess dresses" aka really fancy dresses, dolls, drawing, coloring, singing, dancing, and jokes. She has a great sense of humour and a noticable spark in her eye when she's up to no good! She's been such a joy and we love having her around.

As for me, well this has been one crazy year for me. In January I met Brad Lang, owner of LA Studio Productions and my whole world changed. With Brad's help, this is what I've done musically this year...

1. Sang O Canada for the Lethbridge Hurricanes on numerous occassions
2. Started my own album
3. Sang background vocals and/or played keyboards for Ira, Stan, Mike, Lindsay, and Carol.
4. Worked with Brian Dobbs (Engineer for Metalica) doing background vocals and keyboards for Victor Salas.
5. Performed live at the Aboriginal Awareness days this summer as well as for Aboriginal Culture Week at the Lethbridge College this fall.
6. Mentored artists like Mark Nive, and LA Confidential.
7. Written, arranged, and performed many radio commercials and jingles as well as ads for Street Machine Weekend, the Lethbridge Airshow and the Race track.

Starting this musical journey has been frustrating and wonderful all at the same time. I couldn't do it without John's support. I often have times where I would like to give up because songs aren't coming fast enough or they aren't good enough. I'm really hard on myself. I want to be the best I can possibly be and I'm never satisfied with anything I do. I've loved meeting the people that I have met. I've loved learning more about music. I've loved performing and being on stage. I love the creative process of making commercials and songs. I love hearing a final product and knowing that I had something to do with it. I can't wait to see what this coming year will bring! I'm hoping to have my own album completed this year. If that's my goal I'm going to have to really buckle down and work hard!!!

I have also gone back to work at Sunlife Financial. I love the people I work with and I really enjoy the work itself. It's challenging and fun! Days never crawl by when I'm at work.

Life has not been all roses for our family. We lost Auntie Jean this past November. The pain from that loss is still very fresh and it will take some time to get back to some kind of normal. I had surgery to remove my uterus and my cervix and I'm still healing from that. We've had many friends battling cancer this year and so our prayer list has been VERY full! I don't understand why so many young people are being hit with this horrible disease. It just doesn't seem fair.

Through it all, I keep thinking about that song we used to sing in Church.

Count your blessings, Name them one by one
Count your many blessings, See what God has done

God has providing more than I could ever ask or think this year! He fulfilled my dream of music, He provided us with a home and a second vehicle which was fast becoming a necessity for us! He has been SUCH a strong presence during times of heartache and suffering. I feel blessed beyond measure and I have no words to thank Him for what He's done for me. I can't wait to see what NEXT year will bring!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Continuing on...

2008-12-10T11:44:00.004-07:00

Well, the healing from surgery is still continuing. I promise, I have not picked up Rowan (with the exception of putting her on my lap occasionally) and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm still on antibiotics for infection but they seem to be doing their job, it shouldn't be much longer.

The new house is well on the way. The roof was scheduled to be attached today but the wind is keeping that from happening. They've rescheduled for tomorrow so I'm praying for a nice calm day. We've chosen our appliances and we're meeting with the flooring store and the builder on Friday to make our final decisions for colors etc. We have signed off all the conditions on the house this week which was a big relief for John and I. It was hard to celebrate the fact that we are home owners until that was done. When I start thinking about all the things we need to buy to properly care for our new property, it makes me shudder, but I know we'll get there...we always do.

At church we're doing a sermon series that I have found really interesting. The question posed to our congregation was, "If you knew you only had 30 days to live, would it change the way you live your life? In what way?" Our challenge was to answer those questions and then figure out which of those things we would change were things that were sustainable - things we could do for an extended period of time, and which things were short term. Then the challenge was to take action on those things.

I started thinking about the recent death of my Aunt as well as friends I have recently lost. Had I known they were going to die, there are things I would have said or done differently. I don't know that the sermon series made me think so much about my own mortality. I think it made me think more about the lives of those I care about. If I knew I only had 30 days left with them, what would I do differently? In some ways an easy question to answer. I would be more patient, kind, demonstrative of my love for them. Would I say anything that I don't normally say? I don't know. I'm still thinking on that one. I think the big one for me was that I wouldn't be as judgemental. I tend to get stuck on that high horse and stay there. I would like to learn to get off that horse. It doesn't do anything positive for my relationships or for me personally.

So what about you? Would you do anything differently? If you would like to hear more about this sermon series, you can visit my church's website. The sermon series is called, "Making my life count". Enjoy!

Two steps forward, one step back...

2008-12-04T17:30:00.003-07:00

Well, here's how my first week of recovery went. I got home last Thursday. Declan starting throwing up Thursday night. Friday he was a little off but was well on the mend by Saturday. Saturday night Rowan spent the entire night puking. Sunday morning John started throwing up and by Sunday afternoon it was my turn. Yuck.

God bless my Mom who took Rowan on Monday and kept her until Wednesday to allow me to rest. I felt great by the time she dropped Rowan off on Wednesday, so much so that without hardly thinking, I scooped up my daughter as she came running into my arms and gave her hugs and kisses to welcome her home. Stupid stupid stupid.

I am absolutely not supposed to lift anything over 10 pounds for at least 6 weeks. I paid for that mistake today. I woke up and was in terrible pain. My pelvis felt like it was on fire and my insides were as raw as hamburger. I thought I was in real trouble. I called my doctor and asked to see him asap. I told him what happened and he decided to check and make sure I hadn't ripped anything.

It turns out my pain was mainly attributed to a vaginal post-op infection. Oh yay. I'm on two different types of antibiotics to try and clear this infection - 6 pills per day. Some to be taken with food, some without. It will be 36 hours before I feel any better. I'm glad that I went in, and in a way, I'm glad I lifted Rowan because if I hadn't done that, I probably would have tried to ride out the pain instead of getting it checked. At least this way we can get on top of this infection before it becomes a real problem.

On the house front, we meet with the bank on Monday to finalize our mortgage. We should have final approval from our bank's head office by Wednesday which is good because our deadline is the 15th. I drove past our new place yesterday with my Mom and low and behold, the walls are up! I can't believe how fast these guys work! The roof should be next so I'm expecting they will have our place locked up before too long.

So many things to do in the meantime and I feel like there's just not enough time for everything. I have some of my Christmas shopping done but not all of it and absolutely no energy to do it either. I haven't put up one decoration. I keep consoling myself with the notion that next year will be different. Next year I shall decorate my new home and have people to my house for dinner and everything will be wonderful...please Lord, let it be.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for me and kept in contact with me through this. Surgery is never fun but it has been great to talk to family and friends when I'm feeling especially gross. God bless you all this Christmas season!

On the Mend...

2008-11-28T16:38:00.002-07:00

On Monday I went into the hospital to have a hysterectomy. I started off the day showing up at the hospital an hour late for my own surgery. I then proceeded to tell the doctors how they should do their job at which point a very nice man put a very nasty smelling mask over my face. They say that mask is to put you to sleep so you don't feel the surgery but we all know it's just to keep loud mouths like me from talking so much. In the blessed silence, my doctor proceeded to punch three holes in my abs and use those holes to remove my uterus (it's actually a little more graphic than that, but I'm trying to keep this PG rated)! It took me the rest of the day to wake up from that crazy anesthetic...I hate that feeling of wanting to wake up and not being able to. By the end of the day, I was walking around (yes, I am super patient!) and things were looking okay.

One thing that they do in the hospital when you have this type of surgery is attach you to these plastic leg warmer type things that inflate with air. These are supposed to help keep blood clots from forming in your legs. The nurses say it's like having a spa day because it massages your legs all day. *insert picture of me shaking my head* This is NOT the spa!!! Everytime that stupid machine would start inflating those leg warmers, I would jump because it always seemed to happen just when I was falling asleep. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much that first night.

I spent three days in the hospital and left on Thursday morning. My daughter has not left my side for two days and my son was so relieved to see me, he spent my first night at home puking. Ah, the joys of children! So now it's Friday night and I'm roasting a chicken while my husband takes some time away from nursing me to do some work at a job that actually pays him! Honestly, I really am trying to take care of myself and I promise, as soon as dinner's done and the kids are in bed, my feet are getting off the floor and onto the couch for some serious R&R.

New Home...

2008-11-21T19:55:00.003-07:00

Well, our offer was accepted on a house in a new development in Coalhurst called Bridgend. Now the crazy times of paper signing, finance finding, color/flooring/appliance picking begins. We're hoping to move around April or May sometime and we're all very excited. This is a great development and one block away from a really good school. It's 8km outside of Lethbridge which makes it close enough to make going into town not such a hassle. The house we've chosen is called the "Arlington" and we think it's perfect for us. I can't wait to move! I can't wait until John and I can start paying ourselves instead of paying someone else. Most of all, I can't wait to have air conditioning! Never again will I sweat to death in my own home all summer - hooray!!!

John and I have felt a real peace about this decision to buy a home. When we first saw the spec house in this development, we knew we had found our home. It was a special moment when John and I looked at eachother and each nodded our heads at the same time. A mortgage and home is a huge undertaking and definately not for the faint of heart, but I think it can also bring a family closer together. For John and I, this was definately the case. We are now partners not just in life, but in a large financial investment. I don't know why that's so special, but it is.

To a beautiful woman...

2008-11-10T18:13:00.003-07:00

Above is a picture of my Aunt Jean and her beautiful daughters. In the early hours of the morning, my Aunt took her last breath.

Auntie Jean was one of the most stylish women I ever knew. She always looked her best and ALWAYS had the coolest shoes! She had a very quiet manner most of the time but if you caught her in a shopping mall with her sisters, the noise carried for miles! She had a great laugh, a hilarious sense of humour, and could make the strangest voices come out of that mouth of hers!

Auntie Jean watched her first born go to Jesus before her. I can't imagine as a Mother how this would have felt. I know he was never far from her thoughts.

Be well, Auntie Jean. I miss you more than words can say. Hug my Grandma, Aunts, Uncles and that precious baby boy of yours and tell them I said Hi. Go kneel before the God who loved you before you were even born and ask Him every question you've ever wanted answers to. Laugh and run and sing without ever running out of breath...sometimes in the quiet, I can almost hear that wonderful laugh of yours all the way from heaven.

I love you...until we meet again...

The River...

2008-10-19T13:40:00.001-06:00

By Meredith Andrews...may it speak to you as it spoke to me.

Worship...

2008-10-19T12:55:00.002-06:00

Our church has a very "come as you are" attitude toward worship. We believe that some of the best times of worship come when you bring everything - your spirit, your self, your thoughts, your struggles, your triumphs with you when you worship God. Everyone has different ways of worshiping God. Some are quiet, some are loud. Some sing and dance and throw their hands in the air. Some are thoughtful and prayerful and prefer quiet ways of letting God know how much they love Him. I am typically a louder worshiper. I love to sing, I can't help but move my feet when I hear a great song that provides me with words to sing when I have no words to describe what Jesus means to me. Today I saw a form of worship that took me out of my comfort zone...in a good way.

As always, I was sitting in the very front pew at church, singing and dancing (just a little, it is a baptist church after all!) and I saw movement to one side of me. When I turned to look, there was a middle aged woman moving as fast as her legs would carry her to the front of the church. On her face was a look so honest, so open, so full of adoration, desperation, love and wanting...I was shocked into silence. When she got to the front of the stage, she fell to her knees and, hands raised, kept singing in worship to God.

I don't know why I was so surprised to see that. I think that alot of people have those feelings while worshipping but not all of them project it like this woman did. I could feel tears coming to my eyes as I watched this beautiful woman kneeling in awe and reverence, singing of the coming of her King. It was the most honest, open form of worship I had ever seen. She left the front of the church once the singing was over and the only thing that I could think was, "Thank You Jesus that we have the freedom to worship You in whatever way You move us to worship. Thank You that You move so powerfully in people's lives that they are awestruck in Your presence. We are a blessed people!"

We are so fully loved by the One who never fails, who sees all, who knows all. His love is everlasting! In whatever way Jesus moves you, I challenge you to worship Him with everything you are...good bad and ugly. He'll take it all. Not only will it move you to a closer relationship with Him, but it may move the people who watch you...like that wonderful lady moved me.

I'm still here...

2008-10-11T14:43:00.002-06:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. A lot has been happening around here.

For those who don't know, my Aunt is very ill. I can't go into details as I don't have permission to do so. Just know that we are praying for a miracle or at the very least, guidance so that the family will know what to do next. Her name is Jean. If you are of a praying nature, please pray for her and her family.

Training at work is done and I am officially a customer service rep for individual life insurance at Sun Life. I love my job and the people I work with. They are a wonderful, diverse group of people and I appreciate the team spirit I feel there.

The studio has been busy. I haven't been writing as much lately (I need to start again soon!) but I'm doing a concert with Ira Provost on October 22 at the Lethbridge College. It will be great to get back on stage. I'm still doing some commercials and jingles, background vocals and the like. I wish I could spend more time there...it's really where I love to be. My day job seems to get in the way.

The family (John and kids) are doing great. School is in full swing for Declan. He really likes his teacher and has 3 guinea pigs in his class! Rowan spends the days with her Dad which has really strengthened that bond and she spends her evenings with me.

I am scheduled for a hystorectomy (I hope I spelled that correctly) in November. I've been having some issues (nothing serious) with that part of my anatomy so my doctor and I decided that since I was done with childbearing anyway, it would be best to just take it out. They're going to leave my ovaries alone which will allow me to stay away from HRT which I've heard can have some crazy side effects. I'll be off work for min 6 weeks but I will be eligible for short term disability which is good. At least the bills will be paid. I'm hoping that my Mom can come help us out a little as John will still have to work and I won't be able to do much for a while. I guess that her availability will really depend on what happens with my Aunt. So I'm praying pretty hard about that and guidance on who else to ask if my Mom can't be here.

That's all the news that's fit to print for right now. Thank you to all of you who pray for me and my family. I appreciate your prayers and they have carried us through many tough times. Please continue to pray as we wait for news of my Aunt. Please pray for strength for my Mother who is there supporting the family in this tough time and pray for direction and guidance for the family as they talk to the doctors about what direction to take treatment for my Aunt.

God bless you all...

Spring..err.....Fall....Cleaning...

2008-09-28T09:17:00.003-06:00

I took a look around my house yesterday and realized that my family has a severe problem. We keep everything!!! If we replace something old and broken, we keep the old and broken thing as well as the thing we've replaced it with. It was getting ridiculous!! So yesterday I put my foot down and made some changes. In our living room, we had an old broken TV and a new TV, an old nasty couch and a newer couch, an old TV stand and a better TV stand, so I gave away what I could (can you believe my neighbor wanted my old broken TV?) and chucked the nasty couch, and the old TV stand. I washed my carpet and the walls. I can't believe the ROOM I have now! We can actually move without bumping into things! I did the same thing to the kitchen last weekend. Next weekend I'm going to tackle the upstairs. I've decided that this will be my Saturday gig for the next little while till every room has been purged. I don't know if it's because I'm trying to simplify things before my surgery or because our house really is that bad, but it feels good to redecorate with a minimalist attitude. It seems that the kids like it too...they seem much more comfortable and today Declan said, "Mom, this is WAYYYY better than the last room!".

But today is Sunday and a day of rest...no more cleaning for me today. Today I think about my Lord and Saviour who has blessed me abundantly. He has given me more than I could ask or think...Eternal life (what a gift!!), good health, a home, children, a husband, a good job, a music career...life abundant! I am so thankful.

What did you do this weekend?

Protective...good or bad?

2008-09-13T00:28:00.002-06:00

People who know me well know that I am very protective of people that matter to me. I don't like seeing someone I care about get hurt or be taken advantage of. There have been times when I've let that protective side of me take action (most of the time it was not needed, my friends and family can take care of themselves quite well) and not always with good results.

Protectiveness (is that a word?) can be a good thing when looking out for your children. It helps keep them from things or people who could harm them. On the other hand, a little harm is what allows us to grow as human beings. I wouldn't be the person I am today had I not gone through some of the rough times I had as a child. Where do you draw the line? When is it okay to be protective and step in to help and when is it not okay? There are many schools of thought on this subject, but I can't say I've really found the answer to that question.

I have a friend who is currently going through some stuff. I feel that this friend is being taken advantage of and I would love to step in and "save the day" but at the same time, is it really my place to do so? Being outside of the situation, I feel like I can see the solution plain as day but my friend doesn't seem to see the same answer. Now, I could be (and frequently am) wrong about the answer to the problem. If I am wrong, it could ruin this person if I took any action. If I'm right, my friend's life could get much easier. So what's a person like me to do? Sit and watch and listen as my friend goes through all of this without saying anything? I'll tell you the answer I learned from a very wise lady I know (thanks Mom)...

My Mom taught me through her own actions in this area that sometimes the best thing that we can do for our friends and family when we see them going through hard times is to pray for them. We don't know all the answers since often we don't know the whole story (we only get one side). It is better to trust the One who sees and knows all than to trust our own judgement. So this is how I'm spending my weekend. Praying for my friend, and trusting that God has everything in hand and knows how to deal with the situation.

When I decided to pray for my friend, this song came to my head. I can't remember where I heard it but it suits this situation...

You know better than I
You know the way
I don't always need to know why
I'll take what answers You supply
For You know better than I

Thank you Lord that You know better than I...

Soup...

2008-09-01T08:08:00.004-06:00

I made four types of soup yesterday and froze them for future use. I made Brocoli and Cheese soup, New England Clam Chowder, Hamburger Soup and Mushroom Chowder. Declan and Rowan taste tested each one and gave their approval. Today I intend to make Beef Barley soup, Split Pea soup and possibly a chicken soup of some kind.

In case you didn't know, I'm a soup maniac! I love soup! When it's cold outside, a bun and soup is the perfect meal for me. Since my kids have inherited my love for soups, (and it's a great place to hide those veggies they don't like eating), I keep my freezer well stocked with soups in the winter. Declan's favorite? Brocoli and Cheese soup. A helpful hint for others who have picky children...Declan likes the taste of veggies, he just hates the texture. When I figured out what the problem was, I started running my veggies through the puree cycle on my blender. Declan will eat any veggie I give him as long as he can't see it and can't feel pieces of it in his mouth. As such, creamed soups are awesome for him. I usually keep potatoes in chunks but any other veggie is pureed. Rowan is not a huge meat fan but she'll eat small pieces in soup.

I find most of my soup recipes on allrecipes.com. If you feel like making soup, that's a great site to start looking for recipes. I typically only try recipes that have 5 stars and I always read the comments because often someone has tried a variation that looks good to me. I've only had two soup recipes that I didn't like - one because I found out I'm not a fan of italian sausage and one was just too salty - easily remedied for next time.

So if you want to fill up your freezer with something quick and easy that you can take to work for lunch or have for supper on those nights when you can't figure out what to cook...try soup!!!

One week down...six to go...

2008-08-23T23:37:00.002-06:00

Well, one week and four exams later, I have an average of 96%. So far so good. I had 3 exams between 96% and 99% and then one that was 91% which brought my average down. Oh well, at least I'm still passing as of right now. Next week will bring it's own set of challenges I'm sure. It's been great to learn something new and really challenge myself. I have had to learn again how to let go of my perfectionist nature and let myself make mistakes. Not an easy task for me, I can assure you, but I'm learning. It's great to be part of a company that knows that mistakes are normal.

Anyway, I'm off to practise...gotta sing at church tomorrow!

Back at Sun Life...

2008-08-19T21:43:00.002-06:00

So I started a new "day job" journey returning to my roots at Sun Life this week. I'm starting in a new department so now I will be taking calls and handling paperwork for the Individual Life Insurance Department. I have 7 weeks of intense training in front of me. In that time, I will complete 12 assignments, 12 closed book exams (must get a 90% average and I'm only allowed 1 retake through the entire training time) and many many hours of mentoring time and case work studies. Today was the first day that I started panicking. I love the training Sun Life provides and I feel confident in their ability to teach me, I'm just not sure how confident I am in my ability to learn! We did our first two rounds of Computer Based Training (CBT's) today and I had totally forgotten how much information was in those crazy courses! I felt like my brain would explode after the first one! There are 10 more of these?!?! Aack!

On the up side, it was great to see some familiar faces again and be welcomed back by people I have missed dearly. I've also gotten to know some new faces which has been a lot of fun so far. There are a total of 7 students in my class...a big change from the 23 I had the first time I did this! There have been some changes at Sun Life and I'm looking forward to seeing some new computer systems and working with some new policies and procedures. It should be a lot of fun!

Stay tuned to find out how I'm doing with all this crazy studying ahead of me! And now...back to the books!!!

The Power Lab...

2008-08-16T08:54:00.002-06:00

My son, Declan has been attending Daily Vacation Bible School (DVBS) at our church this past week. This program was designed mostly for kids who don't normally attend church or sunday school. There were well over 100 kids there this week. They did science experiments and learned songs and bible verses that talked about how God gives us the power to be thankful, to help others, to tell others about Him, to be courageous, and to live for Him. Yesterday was parent day. I had the wonderful opportunity to witness these beautiful children dance and sing praises to God. I was in tears most of the time. There is no better sight than seeing children who didn't know Jesus before the week smile and sing and move to the rhythm of God's love for them. It touched me so much. The kids were telling us all the things that God gives us power to do and after every one they would all shout, "Ah-ha!". It was so cute! Even Rowan got involved! When the scientists thought that the kids were being a little loud and needed to be still and pay attention, they would say, "ooooooooooooo" and the kids would follow by saying, "ahhhhhhhhh"! What a great idea! I may try that at home! The kids all got a T-shirt, a CD and their science experiments to take home with them at the end of the week. I love the CD! It has such great songs!

I remember attending DVBS when I was a kid. I remember it being a lot of fun and I looked forward to it every summer. If you've never sent your child to DVBS, think about it for next summer. It's inexpensive and very worth while. To the adults who invested their time to make DVBS such a success, you are truly amazing! Thank you for giving so much of yourselves to make this week so special for our children! My prayer is that the seeds you planted this week will grow strong and tall and these children will live out the lessons you taught them this week!

Sign on the dotted line...

2008-08-14T09:25:00.004-06:00

That's right...Brad and I have finally hashed out the details of my contract and I have signed it. It feels so good to get that done and out of the way. Now I can really concentrate on actually MAKING my music! Without going into a lot of detail, I have signed on with him for the next 6 years. We are hoping to get 3 CD's made in that time. There will be concerts and tours and the hope is that a larger label will want to sign me by the time my contract with Brad is complete. I feel really good about the terms that we have agreed to and I'm looking forward to some interesting experiences and challenges in the years ahead. I'm glad we took our time getting all the details settled, it made for a better contract. It helps that I know a little more about the business now. So, I guess that you can now say I am an Indie Label Recording Artist. Sounds weird to me still, but I guess I'll get used to it.

I laid in another scratch track last night. That's 7 songs down and 5 more to write. Woo hoo! I was starting to feel pressured to finish up writing my songs but Brad, true to his calm producer type style, assurred me that there is no rush. We have set April 15, 2009 as the date we would like this album to be completed. This is a good thing as there is still so much work to do. Once all the scratch tracks are done, the hard part really starts. We then have to add drums, guitar, strings, tweak the piano and main vocal as well as lay in background vocals. Then it all has to be mixed, mastered and produced. After that there is publicity shots, posters, t-shirts, the making of the CD's, promotion packages and concert dates. When I start thinking in terms of what all needs to be done still, I start feeling slightly ill. One thing at a time...that's what I keep repeating to myself lately.

My new equipment is still on order. I'm starting to get impatient! I want my keyboard! Hopefully it won't be much longer.

That's all for now, folks! I'll keep you updated as things start to happen with the album.

Ready for the stage...

2008-08-05T17:12:00.005-06:00

Thanks to my wonderful husband, I now have the necessary gear to really create some awesome music AND take it on the road! After a lot of research, this is what I chose...

What you see above is the Roland FP7. This is an 88 (full size) key stage piano with arranger options and the ability to record whatever I do onto a USB Memory Stick right from the board. It has awesome speakers, great sound, and really nicely weighted keys. It also has a special feature. The keys are made of a special material that keeps your fingers from slipping off the keys when you get sweaty under stage lights. It's a magnificent piece of machinery that I can grow into as my skills improve.

What's a keyboard if you don't have anywhere to put it? This is the Roland V Stand. It looks awesome, it's much more stable than the traditional X Stand and most stage pianists have one of these in their arsenal. While much more expensive than the X Stands, it's very durable and good for touring. I think I'll get a lot of use out of this.

If you're going to bring your own gear to a show, you need a way to get it there. Gator makes a great gig bag with WHEELS!! Trust me, when you're hauling around a piano, stand and accessories weighing anywhere between 50-100lbs, wheels are a great thing!

All my new toys should be arriving sometime next week. My great friend Rob at Notables ordered everything...no floor models for this girl! If you're in the Lethbridge area and you're looking for some instruments, sheet music or accessories, check out Notables. I have to say they have great customer service. Rob worked really hard to stay in my budget and still get me everything I wanted and a little extra to keep me challenged. Thanks Rob!!!

P.S. On the album front...the first 6 definate songs are scratched in and drum tracks will be laid tomorrow night. I'm still not happy with some of the keyboard parts so pray for me as all this tweaking gets really frustrating. I'm a little worried about writers block becoming a problem as I start writing the final 6 songs. Please pray that my imagination and creative musical mind stay sharp as I try to find the lyrics and melodies God wants on this album.

Declan...

2008-07-30T22:42:00.003-06:00

My Darling Boy, Declan. I remember the day you were born. I remember holding you for the very first time. You were tiny and perfect in every way. You had beautiful long eyelashes (you still have those!) and blue eyes. You had the most precious face I had ever seen. Your Dad called you a genius that first day. He has bragged about you constantly ever since!

You have always been an empathetic person...so sensitive to the emotions of people around you. You are always willing and eager to help people who need you. You have a beautiful heart. You are a perfectionist (like your Mother!). You have a laugh that sounds like it comes from the very pit of you. I have loved watching you grow.

I remember when you asked Jesus to come and live in your heart. You prayed like it was a conversation! You said, "Jesus, would you please forgive my sin and come live in my heart? You will?! Ok. " I couldn't help but smile. Your prayers are awesome! I love listening to you talk to Jesus! When you read your Bible, I am filled with pride and joy in knowing that Jesus is with you and helping you to grow a little more like Him every day.

You are the most coordinated kid I have ever met! Riding a bike...rollerblading...these things came so easy for you, I could almost believe that you were born with those abilities! You have such a talent for sports...music (you have a great ear)...reading...I am constantly amazed by your talents! I am so proud of what you've achieved!

I prayed a long time ago that God would show me what my first child would look like. He showed me a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes and I know now that He was showing me a picture of you! God chose you to be a part of this family long before you were ever created. He knew that one day I would get pregnant and that the baby I carried would be that blonde haired, blue eyed boy of my dreams. I thank God every day for the wonder that is you!

I love you, Declan, but even more than that, I really really like you! You are a great person to hang out with and talk to. I love to hear what goes on in that head of yours!

Today you turned 8 years old. It's hard to believe that much time has passed already. At the same time, it feels like you've been here forever! Every year I find out more about you and every year I see a little more how blessed I am to be your Mom.

Happy Birthday Declan! May you grow a little taller, a little wiser, and a little closer to Jesus every day. God bless you, Sunshine!!!

Love, Mom.

Ahhhhhh....spaaaaaaa.........

2008-07-28T19:54:00.003-06:00

My parents (who seem to have way more energy than me) took my children again this past weekend. I tell you, I am one spoiled daughter!! John took the weekend off and so we had some relaxation time. We went to a local spa, had side by side massages, I got a pedicure and John got a facial. We spent three hours there and had a fantastic time! What a great way to spend a day! I sang one of my new songs at church on Sunday and got really good feedback from it. Then my precious little ones came back home. As much as I love this time away from them to recharge my batteries, I'm always thrilled when they come home with big smiles and big hugs for me!

New look....

2008-07-20T23:13:00.003-06:00

Some of you have already noticed the new look. This is just one of a few that I'll be trying out in the next little while. If you'll notice on the top right hand side of the screen, there's an address where you too can go and check out some cool new looks if you're so inclined. There was a lot of neat stuff on that site that you can use to spruce up your blog page. Being that music is such a huge part of my life at the moment, I thought this suited me well. We'll see if I keep it!

Tagged....

2008-07-16T20:20:00.002-06:00

My Aunt Stace tagged me, my sister and my Mom to tell six unimportant things about ourselves so here goes nothing...

1. I am really shy. You'd never know if for how loud I am, but I get really scared talking to people I don't know and I seem to have forgotten the art of starting a conversation. Lucky for me I took a lot of drama in high school and college so I can fake my way through if I have to.

2. I'm terribly afraid of heights. I can't watch someone lean over a railing because it makes me want to throw up. Sad....really really sad...

3. My brain doesn't start working until I have a shower in the morning. You'd think my brain was mush if you tried to talk to me before I've had a shower. I love my morning shower...it clears the fog from my head. I can't go one morning without a shower. I know people who can shower every other day, I am not one of those people.

4. I don't like the sound of my own voice. I hate the way I talk, the way I sing...it just gives me a greebly feeling to listen to myself, so I don't. Other people seem to like my voice, so I'll keep singing, but it's not my favorite voice to listen to!

5. My favorite food is french fries from Wendy's dipped in a chocolate frosty. Yes, I know, it's weird.

6. I can't sleep with blankets over my feet. The rest of me is totally wrapped in blankets, but my feet will be sticking out every time. Otherwise they just get too hot and then I can't sleep.

There you go...things you probably didn't want to know about me, but now you do anyway. :p

Mark and Jay, consider yourselves tagged!!!

P.S. I love you...

2008-07-11T20:53:00.002-06:00

My wonderful, energetic parents have taken my children. It all started when I got a call on Monday night from my Mom who promptly informed me that she wanted to whisk my little ones away for a few days. I told her I would gift wrap them for her! On Wednesday afternoon, my children were packed in her car and taken away. Today is Friday and though I miss my kids, I'm so happy I had this time away from them. John and I had our 7th wedding anniversary Wednesday night. We've eaten out every night since the kids left. We talk alot, we sleep alot! It's been great. Tonight John had to work so I did what any wife with no kids in the house would do. I went shopping, bought a great top, got some vietnamese food to go, and rented an awesome movie.

For those of you who've never seen P.S. I love you...run to the nearest video store and pick it up! There are times when you will laugh until vietnamese noodles come out your nose...there are other times when your heart will break and you'll cry while you squeeze the life out of your cat. The movie is about a young woman who's huband dies of a brain tumour. Before he dies, he writes her letters with instructions of things she must do. He ends every letter with P.S. I love you. This story is her journey through those letters. It's beautiful, heart wrenching, hilarious, and lovely. I will be buying this movie the next time I get to a store!

So if you ever find yourself alone with nothing to do...follow my lead! Go shopping, get some take out, and rent a great movie. I know I enjoyed myself!

Happy Birthdays and Anniversaries...

2008-07-03T18:08:00.005-06:00

Today is a double great day. It's my Mom's birthday and my Parent's wedding anniversary. My Mom is one lady who has aged gracefully. Like fine wine...she just gets better every year! I think she's more beautiful now than when she was younger. I think she's wiser than she was as well. Could it be I think these things because I'm older? Yes, that could be. Every kid goes through that stage where they are convinced their parents know nothing. As you get older you realize your parents know what they're talking about and you should listen!

My parents have a wonderful marriage. I have been blessed to be able to watch them be the mushy, lovey dovey, so cute it almost makes you sick kind of couple. Yes, they really do chase each other around the house like a couple of honeymooners...my friends thought that was odd. I just thought it was normal. I was surprised to find out other married couples didn't act like my parents. It wasn't a strange event to walk in the door after school to find Mom and Dad smooching it up in the kitchen. I would always say, "ewwww! stop that!!!" but what I meant was "MORE!!! I LOVE IT!!!". It was great to have parents who truly loved each other and were never afraid to show it! They are a beautiful pair and I am one lucky daughter to have them.

So happy birthday Mom!!! Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!! I hope you have a day that's even better than you could dream of cause you deserve the very best! I love you both!!!

Is it really the end of June?!?!

2008-06-28T15:08:00.002-06:00

I have had a crazy couple of weeks! I had the opportunity to perform live with Ira for Aboriginal Day here in Lethbridge (thanks for watching my kids for me, Mom...I couldn't have performed if you hadn't been here!). I was able to spend an evening coaching a group of local teens in stage performance, vocals and keyboards. They performed for the STARS benefit this afternoon and did a great job! I've been writing like crazy trying to finish up the songs for my album. In the meantime Declan has completed grade one near the top of his class and Rowan is still busy being the "royal" of the house! I'm working full time for an architect in town and John has gone down to part time with Safeway. It's a loooong story. I don't think I'll get into it. At any rate, I'm basically busy from 7am - 1am between work, studio time, practise, and kids. At some point, John and I really need to take a break, I just don't know when that will happen. I'm praying for a free weekend in July to whisk him away for a little couple time. Hopefully that will hold us for a little while.

Gotta run...more to do! Have a great week everyone!

Happy Father's Day...

2008-06-16T08:30:00.002-06:00

I love Father's Day. I love doing something totally unexpected for my husband to show him how much I appreciate his role in our children's lives. This Father's Day was a little weird for me. I was working for most of it, practising for the upcoming concert. So a lot of the things I would normally do on Father's Day, like call my Dad (I'm sorry Dad, I love you! There's a card waiting for you when you get home) didn't happen. I did get to do a few things though...

I made brunch for my husband...his favorite. French toast, bacon, and a tray of cut up fresh fruit. We gave him gifts...Declan bought him a lava lamp (he's always wanted one), Rowan got him a Celtic Football shirt, and I got him the best of John Cleese's Monty Python on DVD. He said later that it was the best Father's Day ever. I'm glad I could do that for him. I was sad not to be able to spend the whole day with him, but he was very understanding about my practise time. I went to a larger studio with all the musicians that will be playing in the concert and we practised like mad things until we were sure we had our songs down pat.

Fathers are amazing to me. I'm convinced there is no one in the world with the energy of my Dad. He always made time to do things with us (even when he should have been sleeping or studying or something). We went ice skating, tobaganing, walking, we played frisbee, baseball, we chased eachother around the house (I can only remember two houses out of the many we've lived in that didn't have some sort of "racetrack"). In the summer Dad would take us to St.Vital park and make us run through the exercise track there...you had to climb things, swing on ropes, balance on logs, it was a lot of fun. We'd make him do the tough stuff like chin ups! Dad is always up for a moterbike ride or just sitting and chatting about whatever. He used to sit in the kitchen when we came home from school and talk with us until supper time and beyond. He taught us how we should be treated by the men in our lives and encouraged us to think for ourselves and learn from our mistakes. I can't imagine how hard it was for him to watch us when we went in the wrong direction...I do know he spent a lot of time praying for us and it shows in the women my sister and I have turned into. Dad, I love you!!!

The excitement builds...

2008-06-13T11:27:00.003-06:00

I have been working for the past 5 months with a local artist by the name of Ira Provost. He is an Aboriginal man who has created an album of educational songs about the history of the Blackfoot Nation. This week the album was completed.

I did all the background vocals (with the exception of two songs) and all keyboard work. I love this album. It has a great sound (sort of blue rodeo with a Native influence) and a wonderful story. The artwork on the cover of the album was created by Ira's daughter, Miracle. She used makeup as her medium! It's a beautiful picture of Chief Mountain.

We will be performing 5 songs from the album on June 21 at Galt Gardens in Lethbridge for Aboriginal Day. This is really exciting as many of us worked on this album, but most of us have never met! We had our first practise session last night which went really well. We have two more before the concert. Hopefully we have good weather as the concert is outside!

If you're interested in hearing some bits of what's on the album, or if you're interested in buying one, click on Ira's name at the beginning of this post. It will take you to my producer's site where there are links to listen to parts of the songs. There is also contact information if you would like to purchase a copy.

So check it out! Sit back and enjoy some easy listening music. I know I will be!

News from the homefront...

2008-06-06T01:07:00.003-06:00

Greetings All! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Things have been crazy busy here. I just finished the final touches on an album for a man by the name of Ira Provost. It should be ready to be distributed by Monday. I did background vocals on all but one song and keyboard work on some of the songs. The album is a collection of educational songs and stories about the Blackfoot Nation. It is a wonderful tribute to their heritage. I'll have more details on how to listen to a sample of the disc and possibly buy one if you're so inclined in a future post.

I am also working on commercial voice overs and jingles. I have now done 8 radio voice overs and am currently working on two radio jingles. It's challenging work but thanks to the wonder of technology, I can do most of the work right on my computer. That makes things much easier for me.

Declan has now lost two teeth in total and his face looks totally different! He's in the final month of school which is always hard because the weather is so nice. Lucky for him that the school has planned three field trips this month...all outside water type activities so that should help break up his days.

Rowan is your standard two year old who is full of laughter, mischief, and defiance. She's learning her boundaries which is always tough. She loves swinging on the swingset in the park and sliding down the slide with no help. Her favorite snack is marshmallows and she can always be bribed with chocolate chips....no...she's not like her mother at all! ;)

John has decided not to go for management training at Safeway. Taking that step would mean moving to Calgary in January and that's just not something we want to do. Instead, he is taking a pay cut and limiting his hours. I will be taking a part time job as well as working at the studio with other artists, commercials, and my own album. This means that John and I won't see eachother as much as we used to...but on the upside, we both feel at peace with our decision to stay. Declan is in a great school and we like this town. We don't want to mess with that right now.

So that's all the news that's fit to print. Look for more updates soon!

I love my husband...

2008-05-29T08:43:00.002-06:00

I can't really say anything for a couple of weeks yet but I wanted to let you all know that John and I have passed that T-intersection we were in. We considered all the possibilities and came up with a solution that gives us both a feeling of total peace.

I am beyond moved at the love and encouragement John gives me. He is so aware of the needs of his family and wants whatever is best for everyone involved. There was such a spirit of cooperation through all of this and I know it's because our friends and family have been praying for us. Thank you! I know that there will be more challenges, but we will get through them.

That's all for now...think I'm going to go hug my hubby!

Ahhhh...sleep....

2008-05-27T11:20:00.004-06:00

Last night for the first time in many many nights...I actually slept. I slept through the night and then had a nap this morning while Rowan was playing! It's amazing how a lack of sleep can disturb the way you think, how you feel about things, and the way you react to people and situations. I was having a really hard time processing everything that was going on around me! Now I understand why, when something really stressful happens like a death or something, doctors will often prescribe sleeping pills. If you don't sleep, you can't process everything that's going on. You're more prepared to handle things if you've slept for a decent length of time.

I still haven't totally caught up on my sleep, but last night was a great start! To all who have been praying for me...thank you! I've still got a lot on my plate, but I'm better prepared to handle it now.

Think I'll take another nap...

Prayer...

2008-05-26T10:48:00.005-06:00

Prayer is a hard thing for me these days. I have so much going on in my head, I have even more going on physically. I feel like I have no words to pray. I just ache and turn my eyes to God. I am so thankful that I have a God who listens to my heart, not just my words. Sometimes our best prayers are the groanings that make no sense to the human ear, they are the most truthful.

There's nothing I want to talk about, I don't want to unload on anyone right now. Sometimes we just have to work out these dark days with God and no one else. So on that note, even though I don't want to talk about it, please remember me in your prayers as I try and dig myself out of this hole I'm currently in. It seems pretty steep but I have faith that God and I can work it out.

Still at the intersection...

2008-05-20T08:26:00.002-06:00

Just to update you. John and I are still working on our future. I think we've pretty much decided that we would like to stay put for a while longer. The question now becomes whether or not John's work will allow that to happen without him taking a demotion. John is working on this now. For specific prayer, please pray for the people who make the decisions to move staff, that they will be led to do what God wants for us. I really believe that this is one of Satan's ways of keeping this album from being completed. Please pray that this album will continue on and that God will be glorified through it. Thanks everyone!

We have come to a T-intersection...

2008-05-15T10:58:00.002-06:00

There are some questions up in the air with regard to John's work vs my recording an album. We have a lot of praying and even more talking to do. This is a critical time as this will define what our future will look like. If you have a praying heart, please remember our family. We are all trying to do what's best for eachother but in doing that, someone has to give a little. Please pray that we are discerning and that we find a solution that everyone can live with and not feel cheated. We don't want any bad feelings. More info when I know more...

A radio personality is born...

2008-05-14T20:48:00.003-06:00

Well it's official. Saturn of Lethbridge has approved the commercial I spoke in and it will go to air on Monday. Speaking in commercials is tough. I now know why people go to school for this. It's very easy to sound choppy and you really have to work to give a commercial the right tone. Really good voices can make hundreds of dollars per commercial...I'm merely a pathetic beginner so I made around $30. On the upside, it's a great experience and one I would like to do again and again! Learning what to do with your voice can help not only for speaking parts, but for singing as well. I think the thing I liked best was the way a producer can just click a few things on the computer and make a voice that's low and nasal (yes, that's my view of my own voice) into something higher, lighter, and not nasal at all. The wonder of technology! It can make anyone sound great! So, if you're in Lethbridge, listen to the radio...you just may here a commercial for the Saturn Astra with my voice on it!

Manitoba and Mother's Day...

2008-05-11T10:11:00.003-06:00

I just came back from a whirlwind trip to Manitoba. I spent four days away from my kids and husband so that I could spend some time with my extended family. What fun! Since my trip was so close to Mother's Day, I started watching the females in my family in their roles as "Mom".

My sister, Jobina is the kind of Mom I would like to be. She's patient, she encourages her kids to be creative, and she makes it possible for them to grow spiritually as well. I watched her make a space suit out of an old paper bag for her daughter, I heard her sing church choruses with them at night, and I witnesses two children who adore her and love the attention she gives them. She's fair and firm with them. She disciplines when needed and makes sure they understand why she's disciplining them. She has two incredible little people there who are well rounded and really interesting to be around!

My Mom was also there. Jobina and I took her out for lunch for early Mother's Day. We had a great time eating, talking, laughing, and shopping together. What a great day! My Mom has a great relationship with both her daughters. How did she do it? LOTS of patience, and perserverence! I think I can speak for Jobina when I say we were not always the easiest kids to raise. We often pushed her away, and she just kept coming back! Now I can't imagine life without her! She's always around to talk to about anything, she spends oodles of time with the grandkids and loves each one like they are her own kids. She has tons of good advice to give but never pushes it on us. She has found that balance between being "Mom" and being "friend". My life would be very empty if she wasn't in it.

I also got a chance to see some of my cousins in their roles as Mom. My cousin Maida is an incredible Mom with 4 kids. She's a happy, vivacious woman who doesn't look nearly old enough to have the kids that she has. Two of her kids are entering the teen years, which are never easy. Maida really works on her relationship with these two. They spend special time together so that she can reinforce the bond she has with them as they start becoming more independent. This helps her children know that they can come to her with anything. They are great kids and she is truly a great Mom.

My cousin Rachelle has two kids, the last being only 5 weeks old. As busy as she is with that baby, her older child never feels left out. He is a well rounded little toddler who is affectionate and loving to all. Rachelle works hard to make sure her children get the attention they need. She's great at providing the boundaries that will help her children know what's right and wrong in a way that doesn't compromise their self esteem. She's a pleasant lady with a great laugh and even though she's got so much going on, she's always easy to talk to.

There are lots of people I have left out...but know that I think of you too! I have been blessed to have many amazing role models in my life. I take what I see other Mom's do and I try and apply that to my own life with my kids. Motherhood is wonderful, scary, frustrating, awesome, and intense. Were it not for the fact that I have a wonderful Heavenly Father to lean on when things are tough, I don't know if I could do it. Would I trade it? Not in a million years!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Good friends and neighbors...

2008-05-05T23:06:00.002-06:00

I have this neighbor. Her name is Olive (but she doesn't want to be called that...call her Ollie). Ollie, her husband and two kids live just a few doors down from me. Ollie has become a great friend. I take her kids to church with me (I think that's almost more fun for me than it is for the kids!) and we take turns babysitting when the need arises. Today we started a blog for Ollie and wouldn't you know that crazy Nova Scotian wrote about me! It was a beautiful post and I felt honored to read it! If you feel like checking it out, click on her name above and the link should take you there. Thanks Ollie!!

Commercial Jingles...

2008-05-03T09:29:00.003-06:00

Last night I had the pleasure of trying something new. I did speaking parts and singing parts for radio commercials. I also co-wrote a jingle for a local company. The time it took was really nothing considering how many we did, and the money was great! More importantly, that was a TON of FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got to Brad's at 9pm and we worked until 1am. We did 7 speaking spots, 1 jingle from creation to completion, and even managed to lay piano tracks for two of my songs and vocals for one. I came home energized, excited, and full of things to talk about! Poor John had to listen to me tell him every detail for nearly an hour!
6 months ago if you had told me this is what I would be doing with my life, I would have laughed in your face. I didn't think I was good enough vocally, or musically to do this type of work. I have found out that I was wrong. God put this in my life at the perfect moment. With these new relationships and challenges, I have found confidence and a belief that I can do anything I set my mind to do. Music has always had a huge role in defining who I am. Now that is more true than ever with God playing the part of conductor.
I should also tell you a bit of a story...John had an issue with his paychecks this month and we were worried that things were going to be really tight. The DAY we found out about his checks, Brad called to offer me this work. The money I made was more than double what we were short. THAT, people, is how God works!!! Praise the Lord for His love for His children and His willingness to provide for us. We are a blessed people!!!

Rowan Singing...

2008-05-01T10:29:00.003-06:00

I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. So...

INTRODUCING...a Rowan Treleaven rendition of....Jesus loves me!!!

What's new in the house...

2008-04-30T21:09:00.002-06:00

I just realized that I haven't updated all of you with what the kids have been up to. Declan lost his first tooth (pulled it out all by himself). He didn't have a chance to enjoy a toothless grin though. His adult tooth had already grown in behind it. I guess braces will be in our future - yuck. Here's a picture of him right after the tooth came out.

Rowan has become a singing maniac! Her favorite songs are "I'm in the Lord's Army" and "Jesus loves me" as well as the theme song from Wonderpets! What a girl! I was going to put a little video of her singing on here but for whatever reason it doesn't want to work so I'll just post a picture of her instead.

Pics from Victory Church Concert

2008-04-24T12:26:00.004-06:00

Hey everybody! I finally got some pictures from the concert at Victory Church.

I was the last performer on but my pictures come first!

This is Josh. He was one of the other performers and a wicked guitar player!
Playing Uno inbetween sets...

Producers and other musical things...

2008-04-20T22:46:00.005-06:00

You all know that I'm in the midst of making my own album. What some of you don't know is how this all came to be and who I'm working with. Well, here's your chance to see a little of what I do. I work for a company called LA Production Studio. The owner is a fellow Winnipeger called Brad Lang. Brad is an awesome producer. He's been in the business almost as long as I've been alive and it shows.

Brad and I started working together because of a song that I was recording for my Aunt, Stacey. He heard me play piano and asked if I would start doing some studio work for some other artists that were recording with him. I said yes. While I was helping with these artists, the topic of doing my own album came up. Again I said yes.

Let me stop at this point and say that this was the most frightening thing I had ever agreed to do. I am such a perfectionist and I constantly worry that my songs won't be good enough, that people won't like what they hear, etc. Well, this week I started to panic. I was doubting everything I was doing and I didn't know how to articulate my insecurities to Brad. So I chickened out and emailed him. True to his professional form, Brad called me the minute he had read the email and proceeded to talk with me for a good hour. We talked about the mechanics of song writing...what makes a great song...his feelings about the project...my feelings about the project, etc. It was a great conversation. I felt totally energized afterward and ready to start writing again. This is what producers do, people. They are your protector from people who are out to exploit you, they are your encouragement when you're doubting yourself, they push you to do bigger and better things, they don't let you slack off. That's all on top of actually producing the music that you write! He spends a lot of time caring for his artists and I for one appreciate the effort he puts into each and every one of our projects. Now I know why the producers are usually in the top 5 people thanked at award shows. They deserve it!

The other people who deserve huge thanks when making an album is family. My husband, John is a huge support to me and is always around to stay with the kids while I'm off recording for hours on end. He has banished himself upstairs many nights so that I have the downstairs free from distractions to write after the kids go to bed. He cheers me on, listens to my ranting when I'm frustrated, and, from what I hear, he brags to anyone who will listen! My kids have put up with me rushing away for recording and missing bath times and bed time stories. When they hear one of my songs they yell to all their friends, "That's my MOM!!". It makes me proud. My parents and my sister listen to all my songs before they're ever recorded and endure hours of listening to me talk about my experiences. They give great feedback and have lots of ideas to make things better. I couldn't do without their input, even though I know it's a little bias!

So many people are helping me make this dream a reality...and really, it's only just beginning! We have just layed the scratch track (1st edition) of my first song. We are going to send it off to a bass player, lead guitar and drummer to add their talents to it. I have one more song ready to go but I'm not going to record anymore until I have 4 or more songs ready. That way we can send a bunch to the other musicians and really start working on some of this stuff.

So that's where I'm at. Here are some pics of the studio that I work in...just in case you wanted to see where all the magic happens!

Above is the music room. This is where all the instruments are kept and where all instrumental recording happens. Usually I end up singing in this room as well. This room has changed a little. In the picture, the guitars are where the piano now sits. The drums are digital now which is great for late night sessions and the guitars are now on the opposite wall with a bunch of pedals and stuff that makes no sense to me because I don't play guitar! Usually it's a lot darker in there with candles lit. It makes for a very relaxing work environment.

This is the room where we listen to the things we have recorded. The person taking the picture is sitting on the couch where I typically sit and listen to my scratch tracks and talk about upcoming projects. The little window that you see is a sound booth where vocals can be recorded. It's the size of a very small closet. Not good for a clausterphobic like me which is why I usually sit in the instrument room. There's a lot more equipment in this room that was cut off in the picture.

This is another picture of the instrument room. Where you see a keyboard on the top right is where the bass player now goes. Again there are a bunch of pedals and things they can plug into that make no sense to me. The monitor that you see on the left helps me see Brad while I'm recording. He has cameras in every room so that we can see each other while we play. The window with the blue light in the top left is another sound booth for vocal work.

So that's where I work, people! Hope you liked the tour! If you need a commercial done for something or you're thinking of recording some music, visit Brad's site which is highlighted in the first paragraph of this mamoth post.

I Will Never Be The Same Again...

2008-04-16T12:10:00.002-06:00

My sister and I were talking about some of the songs that I did at Victory Church recently and this was one she hadn't heard. I thought I would post it in case any one else was in the same boat. I love the words to this song because they are so true! When I finally stood up and said that I was going to follow Christ, I was no longer the same person. The old had passed away and the new me was born! My favorite part is "...whatever You need to do Lord do in me, the glory of God fills my life and I will NEVER be the same again..." Thank you Jesus that I will never again be that person I was. I am so grateful!

For those of you that want them, here are the words...

I will never be the same again

I can never return, I've closed that door

I will walk the path, I'll run the race

And I will never be the same again

Fall like fire, soak like rain

Flow like mighty waters again and again

Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff

And let a flame burn to glorify Your name

There are higher heights, there are deeper seas

Whatever You need to do Lord do in me

The glory of God fills my life

And I will never be the same again

Fall like fire, soak like rain

Flow like mighty waters again and again

Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff

And let a flame burn to glorify Your name

1 bag, 5 meals...the website of my dreams...

2008-04-14T20:53:00.002-06:00

That's right people...thanks to my sister who is always on the look out for great recipes that are cheap, I have found a new favorite place to go get meals to cook.

1 bag, 5 meals is from www.kraftcanada.ca and is a fantastic resource if you have a family like mine. I find that their recipes easily feed all four of us and usually there are no leftovers. This is a good thing in that I don't have to worry about using up anything later. For five meals I bought two types of meat totalling $20, as well as a few other odds and ends. The grocery list was really short and the recipes used similar ingredients so that you could split things up and use them for more than one recipe. There is also a pizza night which is great at my house because my kids love pizza!

I have made two recipes so far. Crispy Chicken with Pesto and Mozzarella Cheese as well as BBQ meatball sandwiches on panini buns. Both recipes were huge hits at my house. Serve with a simple salad and you're all done! Prep time is less than 10 minutes and baking time depends on what you're making. It's usually a "one pan wonder" which is great for me as I have no dishwasher right now. These recipes are really easy to make ahead of time and stick in the freezer. Then you could put them from freezer to oven and cook them whenever you want without having to prep anything at all!

So if you're bored and want to try something new, try out 1bag, 5 recipes. You won't be sorry!

A trip down concert lane....

2008-04-12T09:21:00.002-06:00

I did my first concert set last night at Victory Christian Fellowship for the college and career group. There were three of us each doing a 40 minute set. The two guitarists who came were amazing! They did a lot of cover songs from different bands and one guy even did a song he wrote that day. It was fabulous! I didn't know that cover songs were the order of the day so I did some of my own stuff and some praise and worship music. The feedback was great and I've been invited back in the fall. If my album is completed by then, the college and career have offered to sell it at the next concert. The venue was a coffee bar type atmosphere. Candle light and accoustic sound. It was a great place to play. They had a professional sound guy come out and he made us all sound terrific. My Mom came out to babysit the kids for me (thanks again Mom, I couldn't have done this without you!!) which gave me the freedom to concentrate on music rather than the kids. I was paid with vietnamese food which is always a great way to pay me! We had salad rolls and this dish with noodles, veggies, charbroiled pork and cut up spring rolls - yummy! Sorry I don't have any pictures yet to post here, but I will as soon as they're sent to me.

Comedy Spot...

2008-04-07T23:52:00.002-06:00

I saw this youtube video of a Christian Comedienne by the name of Kerri Pomerolli. I laughed all the way through. If you need to have a laugh today, here's your chance. Enjoy!

Hockey and singing....

2008-04-06T08:57:00.002-06:00

The games are over. May I just say, that was the most awesome experience I have ever had!!!!! There were just over 4000 people at each game. The noise was deafening. They introduced me as LA Production Studios Recording Artist, Michele Renee. Ha! Everyone sang along to O Canada until the last line. Then they started cheering. The cheering was so loud, I could barely hear myself sing! It took me three hours to get my face to stop blushing when I was done! I have realized (I kinda knew this already) that I am absolutely an attention junkie - I loved it! The stage is where I love to be and the more people that are watching, the better! This confirmed for me that writing my album is what I'm supposed to be doing. I felt totally comfortable singing in front of everyone. If I had been a total nervous wreck, I would probably be more hesitant to create my own music. Here's to more opportunities like this to get my name out there so that when the album comes out, people will want to buy it!

Auditions are done...

2008-04-04T12:22:00.003-06:00

You are now reading about the latest O Canada singer for the Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Team. Yay!!!! I start tonight and sing for the rest of the season which means today and tomorrow. Hopefully next year there will be more opportunities to sing. Here's the funny part, the announcer can't pronounce my last name so they had to make up a new name for me. If you're at the game, my name is Michele Renee. It makes me laugh, but whatever. They wanted me to think up a new last name on the spot and I couldn't think of one, so this is what we came up with. Oh well. Maybe by next season I can teach the announcer how to say my name!

Sick and tired...

2008-04-03T18:30:00.003-06:00

Well fellow bloggers...I have been one sick puppy the last little while. To top it all off, I'm supposed to be auditioning to sing O Canada for the Lethbridge Hurricanes tomorrow. Yuck. So, I slept like the living dead for most of the afternoon (thanks to Rowan for taking an extra long nap today) and I'm drinking a ton of orange juice. Here's hoping that does the trick! If I pass the audition tomorrow, I'll be singing for all the playoff games. Don't get too excited, there's only two games left! Here's hoping everything goes well. I'll keep you all posted...

The Champion

2008-04-02T08:45:00.002-06:00

This is by far my favorite Carman song. I love how this group acted it out. The first time I saw a group act out this song, I was at a youth conference at CBC in Regina. I was moved to tears. At the end of the song, the whole audience jumped up and shouted the last words...

Proclaim the news in every tongue

Through endless ages and beyond

Let every voice from mountains loud and strong

Captivity has been set free

Salvation bought for you and me

'Cause Satan is defeated

And JESUS IS THE CHAMPION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Music and Dance

2008-03-29T13:27:00.003-06:00

I love music and I love dance. If it were possible to have both in the churches and organizations I have been involved with in my life, I would have been in the thick of it! As it is, I have had to mostly live those dreams through the visions of others. If I could have been involved in any kind of choir growing up, this is the kind I would have loved to be in!

Spring Break...

2008-03-27T18:16:00.002-06:00

Declan has been home all week for spring break. I'm sure I can speak for other Mothers when I say that it may be a break for the kids, but it sure isn't a break for the parents! Thank goodness for Nana and Papa who came and took Declan away from Sunday night until Tuesday! So far, Declan has gone to his Grandparents, swimming with friends, bike riding, had a nintendo challenge with some buddies, and eaten me out of house and home. It has been nice having him at home and being able to sleep in a little later in the morning, but honestly, I'm ready for him to go back to school!

I have trouble thinking of new things to do with the kids. There isn't that much that you can do here in Lethbridge that doesn't cost something. Trips to the park are always good (weather permitting) and the library sometimes has things that the kids can do, but other than that, I haven't found a lot for this time of year. In the summer, there's lots. The YMCA hosts a kids club right outside our house all summer long. It goes from 9-5 Monday to Friday and the kids really enjoy it! They play games, do crafts, learn songs, etc. It keeps them busy and they can come and go as they please which is also nice. It's also free! Yay! That will be the one thing I miss about living here, the park and the activities available to Declan in the summer. Ah well, I guess that means I'll have to be a little more creative when that time comes.

Here's to Monday and school being back in session!

Happy Birthday Jobina!!!

2008-03-24T11:55:00.002-06:00

Today is my sister Jobina's birthday. Normally I don't announce people's birthdays, but somehow this time I felt like I should. Jobina is two years younger than me. When we were kids, I felt like we couldn't be more opposite. She was very girly. She loved to play with dolls (still does, only now she has a partner in crime, her daughter, Trinity!), she loved to dress up in fancy princess type clothes. I felt like she was so tiny in comparison to me and I was extremely protective of her. Now, that's not to say that I didn't fight with her, oh yes, we fought. But no one else better lay a hand on her or I would come running!

My favorite memories of Jobina are:

1. Taking a tape recorder and recording ourselves singing the latest commercials from the TV.
2. Making waffles and fruit and feeding our kids breakfast at my house.
3. Watching her sleep when she was little and being amazed how soft her hands were when she slept.
4. Listening to her sing praise and worship songs to her children before she tucks them in for the night.
5. Talking on the phone until our batteries died and we HAD to hang up!
6. Having Jobina in town when I moved to Lethbridge. I was totally sick with the flu and she drove with me in the moving truck to Lethbridge so I wouldn't be alone with my bucket!

My sister is incredibly patient, kind, the best bargain shopper I have ever met and a wonderful encouragement to me. I thank God every day that we have such a great releationship. I never thought it would happen. I look forward to every phone call and email that comes from her. My life would not be the same without her in it.

Happy Birthday Jobina! I hope you have a fantastic day with your kids and your husband! You deserve every good thing that happens to you. I only wish I was there to help you celebrate!

What age are you anyway?!?!

2008-03-22T08:52:00.002-06:00

The other day Declan and his friend Eric were sitting down to eat with John, Rowan and myself. We got on the topic of age and Declan says to John..."what age are you anyway? 61? 50?" I couldn't help but laugh. John is 43...tee hee... I asked Declan how old he thought I was and he said, "33"...yep, that's how old I am. I just wish I could teach him to say that I'm only 29...

I bug John alot about his age. So much in fact that I felt it only fair to ask him if I could tell all you bloggers about this little conversation before I posted it. I didn't want him to be upset. He consented so here I go.

John works crazy hours. He's also an insomniac. Because of this and other pressures that he feels, he has times where he looks and acts older than he is. I think this is something that happens to all of us at some point or another. It's interesting how outside pressure can put age on a person. I'm sure all of us at some point have seen a person and thought, they have lived a lot of life in their years, just by looking at their face. Then the question becomes, what makes a person stay young looking? It can be genetic to a point, but there's more to it than that. Habits are definately a factor. We all know smoking, drinking alcohol, not consuming enough water can age us. But what else keeps us young? So here's your question for the day...

What keeps you young?

My little man, Declan...

2008-03-18T00:01:00.002-06:00

Declan is an incredibly self sufficient little guy. He always wakes up before the rest of the house. Lately he's decided that breakfast is something he can do on his own. Today I woke up to see my son sitting in front of the TV eating the last quarter of a ham that I had baked. When I asked him what else he had for breakfast, he replied, "two oreo cookies"...sigh...

I have tried very hard to teach my children about proper nutrition and which foods are best suited to which times of day. Declan is more than capable of making himself cereal or toast, he just doesn't think about doing it first thing in the morning. I have decided that I'm going to help him with this. No, I'm not getting up and rediculous o-clock in the morning with him, that would be insane. I AM going to set up his breakfast for him so basically all he has to do is sit down and eat in the morning. Tonight I put out a bowl, spoon and his favorite cereal on the table. I found a little container that works for milk and put it in the fridge with his name on it. I wrote him a note (he's a good reader) to tell him what he needs to do (just in case) and now I'm going to pray that he does the right thing and doesn't eat me out of all my cold cuts!

Here's to our kids, trying to help us out by feeding themselves! I give him an A for effort!

Jesus loves me (Rowan style)

2008-03-16T20:12:00.003-06:00

I am trying to teach Rowan some simple songs. One of these being Jesus loves Me. I start by singing the whole song to her...then I let her fill in the last word of each line. Here's what Rowan did...

Me: Jesus loves me this I...

Rowan: know

Me: For the Bible tells me...

Rowan: soup

Me: Little ones to Him be...

Rowan: Ham

Me: They are weak but He is...

Rowan: strong

Me: Yes, Jesus loves...

Rowan: Me

Me: Yes, Jesus loves...

Rowan: Me

Me: Yes, Jesus loves...

Rowan: Me

Me: The Bible tells me...

Rowan: soup

Sigh...I guess we'll have to work on that one when she isn't hungry!

The making of an album...

2008-03-15T14:58:00.002-06:00

That's right all you bloggers out there...I am officially making an album. The producer I work with offered me a contract and as such, I am crazy busy trying to write songs whenever Declan is out playing and Rowan is down for a nap! I'm amazed at how quickly some songs come. Sometimes all it takes is a sentence or a feeling to get me writing.

The songs that will be on the album are things I have written on my own. As most of you know, my Aunt Stace and I have written some songs together and I really prayed about putting them on the album. I feel like God is leading me in a different direction and so I'm going solo on this one. I would eventually like to incorporate some of those songs on an album because they are beautiful songs....just not for this album.

I start recording on Wednesday of this week. I'm working with a secular producer which is going to bring some challenges to the mix. My prayer is that God will place a wall of angels around me and this project. I know that satan is going to try his level best to mess things up. I also know that this whole experience is directed by God and He will decide how this all ends up. So if you are of a praying nature, please pray for me and my family during this process. We need protection from the barbs that satan will throw in an attempt to push me off course.

I will continue to blog about my progress on this from time to time. Stay tuned!

A wonderful visit...

2008-03-12T20:32:00.002-06:00

I went to Medicine Hat yesterday to sing at Christian Women's Club. My Mom came and picked me up in the morning so that John could have our car (he was home with our kids). We had a great ride to Medicine Hat, had lunch at a really cool little place called "The Prickly Pear" and went shopping. After shopping we went to see my friend Julie who used some hair extensions I had bought and did a fantastic job on my hair. My Dad said it was like being in a time warp seeing me with long hair - he hadn't seen that since I was in grade 3! Then we got all dolled up and went to Christian Women's Club. I sang "Anyway" by Martina McBride and "Let my lifesong sing" by Casting Crowns. It was great! Everyone liked it even though I lost my breath part way through the Martina McBride song (That girl has some lungs!!!). They were even asking when my album would be finished so they could buy one! Very cool! A wonderful lady called Elaine (not my Mom) spoke and moved the entire crowd with her story. We went out for coffee at Tim Horton's where I sang the Cherry Pepsi commercial from 1981 for all my Mom's friends (long story there) and then went home. I got to sleep in a giant bed all by myself - it was heaven. Today Mom and I went to Bible Study together, then out for lunch at the "Zucchini Blossom" which is a fabulous little place with the best Panini, soup and Italian Soda I have ever had! Then we packed up and my wonderful Mom took me home.

This was the first time I had been completely alone with my Parents in years! Usually there are kids running around or husband in tow. It's a totally different experience when it's just me. I felt spoiled rotten, completely loved, utterly cared for, and totally welcome! It was exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. It reminded me how blessed I am to have my Parents. They have my back. They support me, they are fierce in their loyalty to me, they love me and are proud of me. They want the best for me and pray for me daily. They are wonderful examples of God at work. They share their spiritual growth with me that I may grow as well. They celebrate when I succeed and they are the first ones on their knees praying for me when I'm falling. They won't pick up the pieces for me, but they'll be my best cheering section when I'm working to pick myself up. I LOVE MY PARENTS!!!!!!

Today in bible study we were talking about God's faithfulness and how He shows that to us. I was thinking about how even when I travel the wrong road, God decides where that road ends up and what the outcome will be. He also knows who to put on that road to help me on my journey. He hand picked my Parents for me. I am so grateful to Him for the two people He chose. He knew who I needed and He provided abundantly!

Dad...Mom....thank you!!!!!! You are exactly what I want and need in a set of parents and I thank God each and every day for you!!! I may be an adult, but there are still days I just need to be a child. You allow me to do that and I love you for it. Thank you....I love you!

Linguini with Grilled Seafood and Pesto Tomato Sauce...

2008-03-09T23:26:00.002-06:00

This was a HUGE hit in our house today. Hope you enjoy it!

1/2 lb cleaned large shrimp
1/2 lb scallops
2 tbsp olive oil divided
1/3 cup tomato pesto or regular pesto, divided ( I used Classico Sundried Tomato Pesto but I will include a recipe for tomato pesto in this post)
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic (I used two and it was more than enough)
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1 28-oz can plum tomatoes with juices
3/4 lb whole wheat or regular linguine or spaghetti (I used a mixture of whole wheat and white spaghetti)
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl combine shrimp and scallops with 1 tbsp oil and half of the pesto.
2. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add onion, garlic and hot pepper flakes and cook gently for a few minutes without browning.
3. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes, or until thickened, breaking up tomatoes as you stir. (You can puree the sauce at this point if you wish)
4. Grill seafood just until almost cooked. Add seafood to tomato sauce and combine gently. (I just cooked the seafood right in the sauce. It saves you a step and a pan. It turned out great)
5. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of boiling water until tender but firm. Drain well.
6. Toss pasta with sauce. Add salt and pepper. Top each serving with approx 1 tsp pesto or to taste. (I just tossed the remaining pesto in the sauce and it was great. I don't think you need to put it on each serving unless you think it looks pretty)

Tomato Pesto (I didn't use this recipe because I thought sundried tomato would be better. I think I was right. But just in case you want it, here it is...)
In a food processor, chop 2 peeled cloves of garlic. Add 2 cups of packed fresh basil leaves and 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts. Chop. Add 1/4 cup v-8 or tomato juice and 1/2 tsp pepper and puree. Makes about 1/2 cup pesto.

A Sunday to remember...

2008-03-09T13:18:00.004-06:00

Today I had the extreme pleasure of hearing an amazing group. Soul Influence is an a cappella septet, African in it's choice of rhythm and beat, Afro-jazz in its musical style, Christian in its conviction and lyrics, service to God and fellow man in it's focus. They were entertaining, open and honest about their faith, and funny!! I enjoyed every minute! If you would like to read about them or hear some of their music which comes in a multitude of languages, check out their site, http://www.soulinfluence.org/. They have played with such artists as Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, K-OS, and Keisha Chante to benefit the fight against AIDS. If they come to a building near you, make sure to check them out!

The speaker at our church today was from the Water School. This group of people is using the sun to purify the water in Africa. Apparently, when you are less than 35 degrees from the equator, the UV rays from the sun are capable of killing water born bacteria, thus ending deaths from water born diseases. They put water in clear plastic bottles and lay the bottles on a tin roof for 1 full sunny day or 2 full cloudy days. When the water was tested after this process, it looked exactly the same as the water we drink here in Canada. No bacteria!! Water born diseases are killing upwards of 2 million children in Africa alone every year. If all it takes to save these people is some clear plastic bottles, then lets get in there and do it! It takes $50 to start off one community with this technology. There is a paypal link on the site or you can contact them for more information. I do encourage you to check out the site and ask God if this is something you can help with. It's such an easy solution...all it takes is some tin and a few plastic bottles. There's no difficult machinery which just causes problems when it breaks. Community's have no way of fixing machines. This is something really simple that they can do. It's sustainable.

The more I read about it, the more I want to take the first flight I can find to Africa and bring a plane load of bottles and tin with me! I hope that this is something you will get excited about too.

Feedback from Beef Sukiaki

2008-03-09T03:06:00.003-06:00

Well folks, the sukiaki was not a hit in the Treleaven house. John doesn't like mushrooms or bean sprouts, so I was 0 for 2 there. The kids are not into veggies they can see (although Rowan probably would have loved it if she'd given it half a chance). I like it, but it's a huge recipe. I wouldn't make it for one. Basically here is what you do...

Thinly slice some onion. Put it in a pot. Next layer spinach, mushroom, carrots, bean sprouts. Add beef broth, soya sauce, sugar and dry sherry. Cook for 10 minutes. Then add very thinly sliced raw beef and cooked rice vermicelli noodles. Cook 5 more minutes. Serve.

Very easy and I suppose you could make the recipe smaller. I ended up with 12 cups left over. If you want to know the ratios, it was 1 large onion, 1.5 cups spinach, 1.5 cups mushroom, 1 carrot grated, 1.5 cups bean sprouts. 3 cups beef broth, 3 tablespoons soya sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 3 tablespoons dry sherry. 1 pound beef and 90g rice vermicelli.

It's a very pretty dish, sorry I didn't take a picture. As I said, I liked it but the family was definately not into it.

On the up side, I got to go out with the girls tonight which I haven't done in ages. We played "Name that Tune" at our favorite pool hall and came in 2nd place! We got extra points for doing jumping jacks when they played "Jumping Jack Flash". It was a riot and a great time was had by all. Now I have to set my clock ahead and pray that I wake up in time to drive John to work tomorrow so that I can take the kids to church! We have a great african choir coming to our church tomorrow and I can't wait to hear them. Apparently they opened for Alisha Keys on her last tour.

Hope everyone's having a great night!

It's a busy day in the Treleaven house...

2008-03-08T08:50:00.003-07:00

In exactly two hours, my house will be full of little kids! I am watching my neighbor's two children today. I don't normally offer to do stuff like that, but I really like these kids so I figured, why not? I thought I would do some cooking while they're here. Here's what I'm making today...

Potatoe Bacon Soup
Mushroom and Potatoe Chowder
Beef Sukiaki
Chocolate Banana Muffins with Chocolate chips

If you would like the recipes to any of these, let me know! I kind of like putting recipes on my blog. The soups and muffins I have made before. The Sukiaki is a new thing. We're going to have it for supper tonight. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

Have a great day!

Proud Mama...

2008-03-07T22:00:00.004-07:00

Today was report card day for Declan. After the trouble we had at his school last year, report card time makes me nervous! I can't tell you how thrilled I was to see a report card that was full of positive comments and significant improvements on the part of my son! Declan worked REALLY hard this term. He is applying himself and really trying hard to do his best at his work. His teachers are proud of his accomplishments, as are we. I just wanted to squish the stuffing right out of him! He has achieved so much this year. We are so proud!

Keep it up Declan! We love you!!!

P.S. The picture above is of Declan after he received a Christian Action award at school for demonstrating courage. He was nominated by his teacher, Mrs. Getty. It was a big accomplishment for Declan. He was a very proud boy. Only one or two kids from each class were nominated for this award.

Porcupines...

2008-03-07T14:09:00.003-07:00

Stace asked me for this recipe, so I thought I would post it. I used to make these a different way, but I found this recipe and decided that I like it better. I hope you enjoy it!

Zesty Porcupines...

INGREDIENTS
1 egg
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup instant rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS
Lightly beat egg with a fork, then add a heaping tablespoon of the soup and mix lightly. Mix in rice, onion, parsley, onion salt and pepper. Stir in the ground beef and mix well with hands. From mixture into 1 1/2 inch round meatballs.
Coat a large skillet over medium heat with cooking spray. Cook meatballs and brown on all sides.
Combine remaining soup with Worcestershire (you can increase or decrease Worcestershire to your liking), stir until smooth, then spoon over meatballs. Cover with lid and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Serve this over hot rice with some fresh bread (I like to use a really crusty bread with a soft inside).

There's a method to my madness...

2008-03-07T10:59:00.002-07:00

I was asked how I'm quitting smoking so I thought I should go into a little more detail. I have heard of many things you can buy to help you quit smoking. Pills, accupuncture, the patch, hypnosis, herbs, vitamins, inhalers...there's all kinds of ways to quit. For myself, I find cold turkey to be fairly good. As long as I'm busy, I don't find that my cravings are that bad. Evenings are the worst. There's not a lot to do. I have figured that part out though. On facebook there is a live Scramble game (very much like Boggle) and so I play that until I'm falling asleep in the middle of a game and then I go to sleep. That has worked the best because it keeps my brain and my hands busy.

You should also know that I have quit Pepsi as well. For those of you who don't know, this was another serious addiction for me. I have not had any pepsi type product in 4 days. You'd think I'd be losing a ton of weight but I'm more than making up for those lost calories with food! Eventually it will all even out. I'm even getting to the point where water tastes good to me! I started out always flavoring my water with lemon juice. No sugar, just lemon juice. I still like that but I'm okay drinking straight water now.

So that's where I am. Now I'm off to clean my bathtub and make porcupines for supper.

Have a great day everyone!

French Onion Soup...

2008-03-06T18:32:00.003-07:00

I decided to make homemade French Onion Soup for supper today. I found a really easy recipe and it was a huge hit! Here's the recipe for all you fellow onion soup lovers out there! This makes 8 servings.

1. Heat 2 tsp EVOO in large pot on med-high heat. Add 3 lbs of thinly sliced onions. Stir ONLY when onions begin to brown. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes or until onions are tender and evenly browned.

2. Add 1 cup of chicken or beef stock (I used chicken for this part). Bring to a boil and simmer until stock has evaporated (about 15 minutes). Add 1.5 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and cook for a few minutes longer.

3. Add 8 cups of beef broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. To prepare croutons for soup, arrange french bread sliced 1 inch thick in a single layer on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp EVOO, 1 clove garlic, a pinch of dried thyme, salt and pepper. Brush on top of the bread. Bake in a preheated 400 (F) degree oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned (this step took 5 minutes in my oven).

5. To serve, ladle soup into ovenproof onion soup bowls. Place a crouton on each. Sprinkle evenly with a mixture of mozza and parm cheese (do this to your own tastes). Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!! I know we did!

Tomorrow night...porcupines...yumm!!

Thank you for not smoking...

2008-03-05T08:29:00.003-07:00

That's right blog people...I have quit smoking!!! I have become the queen of all anti smoking nazis and the pain in my husband's butt. I have been a smoker for 17 years. Long enough to know better. It finally dawned on me that I'm spending money on something stupid. That money could be going to other, more useful things. I told John that he should quit too. He said he would "try". We'll see how that goes. Either way, there is no smoking anywhere in this house anymore. Consequence to smoking in the house? Everything that's precious to you gets thrown out in the snow.

I have discovered that when I'm not smoking, I'm much more productive. My house is beautifully clean. In fact, I'm starting to work on extra things like washing walls, cleaning curtains, and shampooing my carpet. It keeps me busy and then I don't think about smoking. I can also tell you that nicotine fits can last up to an hour before you start to feel better again. It's very hard to have will power for that long. No wonder so many people fail at quitting. But as I said to my hubby, we are far too stubborn not to succeed when we put our minds to something.

I think I'm going to go clean my fridge now...and then the basement...and I might see if my neighbor wants some help cleaning her house...

Siblings...

2008-03-02T14:04:00.002-07:00

I love watching my kids interact. As per my last post, Rowan has had trouble sleeping the last little while. On the advice of my Sister and my Mom, I thought I would introduce her to a new stuffed animal who she could sleep with. Declan agreed to let her sleep with this stuffed duck he got from Nana for Easter a few years ago. This worked beautifully! She slept through the night last night! Hooray!

Declan is wonderful at sharing his things with Rowan. Much more than I did at that age, so I know he didn't get the gift of giving from me! It makes his day when he shares something and it helps make her day a little easier. What a great big brother!

Now don't get me wrong, Declan and Rowan definately have their differences of opinion. It usually has to do with a certain red chair in our living room which both think belongs to them. On the up side, these fights never last long and are usually followed by many hugs, kisses, and wrestling moves. Rowan wouldn't trade her big brother for all the tea in China. Declan is who she goes to when she's upset. She'll sit beside him, or ask him to pick her up (which he does willingly). He is her comfort right now. If only we could stuff him, she'd have a perfect lovey for bedtime. Being that Declan probably won't agree to being stuffed, the duck will just have to do.

Sleep...the never ending battle...

2008-02-29T14:27:00.002-07:00

My daughter Rowan and I are fighting a battle that seems to have no end. She refuses to sleep. She says she's scared, but she can't tell me what she's scared of. She just doesn't have enough words yet. It's the same time every night. She'll yell for me and want to sleep with me. If I tell her that she has to sleep by herself, she screams and wakes up the whole house.

As of right now, I have not given in to her wanting to sleep with me. I know that if I do, I'll never get her out of my room. She naps well (1-2 hours) and is eating well. Thinking about it now, I seem to remember a similar battle with Declan when he was this age. I guess I just need to keep repeating my cousin Maida's mantra, "this is just a stage, this too shall pass".

On the up side, Declan has been extremely helpful while I've been sleep deprived. Today he made breakfast for himself and his sister (yes that's right, my 7 year old handles breakfast on his own!). They sat at the table chatting and eating frosted flakes. Then Declan put up the gate that separates our living room from the rest of the house and played quietly with Rowan while I napped for an hour on the couch (his suggestion!). I don't know where this mature attitude comes from, but I'm grateful...soooooo grateful! My son is such a caregiver and I love him for it!

I have discovered that every stay at home Mom needs some support. Today, mine came in the form of a beautiful 7 year old boy. He is my angel in disguise...

I'm baack!!!!

2008-02-23T20:54:00.002-07:00

Well, I'm back at home (although the kids don't come back until tomorrow). I had a wonderful time packing my sister in law's basement and seeing some old friends. I got to impress (not!) my dutch friend by attempting to read a book written in dutch. Needless to say my accent needs a little work! I had some amazing food while I was in Canmore. Anne took me to a restaurant called Crazy Weeds. I had a 12oz rib eye steak that was chili crusted with mushroom salsa and truffle butter. Yum!!! It was fantastic! Anne made a lamb roast my first night in town, Lee made bacon sandwiches one night, and Tara made pecan crusted salmon. I also had a turn at cooking and made my Mom's famous Apple Sauce Chicken with brown basmati rice and asparagus. I'm sure I've gained 15 pounds but it was well worth it. On the up side, I found a new bag of chips to love. They're from a company called RiceWorks and they are sea salt brown rice chips. They are wheat and gluten free, no additives, no fake flavour, organic and yummy!! Really good dipped in humus.

Today John took me to a local vietnamese restaurant. The meal was great and we had a fantastic time together. John saw a red bottle on the table and said, "they must have some american things on their menu because that looks like ketchup to me." Now of course, I would have to try the contents in the bottle to confirm this, wouldn't I. It was NOT ketchup!! That was HOT chili sauce! John was rather concerned when he saw my panicked face as I tried to reach for water, then he turned red and started laughing! Eventually I was able to laugh too, but it took a tub of water and two cans of coke to get to that point.

Anyway, I'm off to have a relaxing night with my love before I have to go get the kids tomorrow. Have a wonderful night everyone!

Away...

2008-02-19T09:00:00.003-07:00

That's right people....I'm away for a whole week! I miss my kids and my hubby already but here I am with my sister in law packing like crazy so she can move. It will be an adventure filled week to be sure! I'll blog all about it when I get back...

To My Valentine...

2008-02-14T12:11:00.002-07:00

One day a long time ago I met this man. He had wonderful eyes, they were the first thing I noticed. He was caring, gentle, quiet, a deep thinker. He was also strong, accountable, able to compromise, in every way a man.

That man is now my husband. What a gift you are to me! The father of my children, my lover, my friend, my confidante, my teacher, my partner. How God saw fit for us to meet, to fall in love, to create a family, to go on this journey together, I will never know. He knew what we needed and provided abundantly for us! It has been an incredible road that we have travelled. Filled with potholes, bridges, and beautiful scenery. We have made it through every trial, every test. We have rejoiced together when things are good and we have stayed strong through the tough stuff. You never let me quit, you don't give up. My life would be very empty, if you were not a part of it.

Happy Valentine's Day John! You are the love of my life!

I'm back......

2008-02-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Well, the cough still lingers but I'm feeling much better and so I have returned to blogging. Yesterday Rowan and I were playing and she suddenly got very quiet. She went to the closet and got her winter boots and a hat. Then she found my broom and said 'giddy-up' and rode her "horse" all over the house! I think the thing that cracked me up was that she simply could not ride that horse until she had proper boots and a hat! By the time I got a camera ready to film her, the "horse" was sleeping and she almost was too. Oh well, guess I'll have to try and catch her another day.

Soooooo sick...

2008-02-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not ignoring all of you, honest I'm not. I have never been this sick ever in my life. Well, that's not true, but I feel pretty gross at any rate. I have a fever and I'm coughing and sneezing and desperately trying to stay warm. It's not working. I'm just praying that John will be home soon so I can go have a bath and leave the kids to him for an hour. Anything to warm up would be great at this point.

I will blog again, when I'm not infecting everything within a ten mile radius of me....

The beginning of an era...

2008-02-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I did my first recording session for someone else today. I'm just waiting now to hear what the artist thinks of my work. I think the waiting is harder on my nerves than actually playing! I could honestly spend all day in that studio. I feel so at home there. It's just like being at home, except someone records me and I have a way better keyboard to play on in the studio then at home!

What could I possibly have done to deserve this?!?!? I am blessed beyond blessed! How is it that my dreams have come to reality so fast? It just goes to show that no matter how many side roads you take in your life, if God has a plan for you, He will see it through to the end no matter what! I can't wait to see where He takes me!

A great story...

2008-02-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

I read a story today that I really liked so I'm going to post it here for all of you to enjoy. I hope you like the message in it as much as I did!

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the Church's pastor slowly stood up and walked over to the pulpit. Before he gave his sermon for the evening, he briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the Church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service. With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.

"A father, his son and a friend of his son were sailing off the pacific coast when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued his story.

"Grabbing the rescue line, the father had to make the more excruciating decision of his life. To which boy would he throw the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled out, 'I love you son', he threw out the life line to his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth.

"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend. How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us. Our Heavenly Father sacrificed His only begotten Son that we could be saved. i urge you to accept His offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line He is throwing out to you in this service."

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair. As silence filled the room, the pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side.

"That was a nice story." politely stated one of them, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."

"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face. He once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But, I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what is must have been like for God to give up His Son for me. You see, I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."

Could you give up the life of your child for someone who isn't saved? I'm not sure that I could. But that's what God did! I can't imagine how painful that must have been for Him knowing that not everyone understood or even wanted His precious gift. I for one am so grateful that God is strong enough to give me His Son's life to save my soul.

The start of a small business...

2008-02-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

I have been doing research on how to start a small business. Let me tell you folks, this is not easy to do! Part of the problem is that the companies that register small businesses are all private in Alberta so you really have to shop around to make sure that you're not paying through the nose to register your business. Then there are the issues of what type of business you want to open. Is it a sole proprietorship? An incorporated company? Which is better? Then you have to make sure that you're not using someone else's company name and you have to reserve the name you want while all the paperwork goes through. Of course all this stuff costs money. Also, there are GST accounts to consider. If you don't expect to make more than $30,000.00 per year, you don't have to have a GST account, but they do suggest you get one anyway. Why? Who knows...

I didn't realize how much a person has to invest to start a business. Just opening the business can cost you well over $300.00 and that's not including whatever the bank needs from you as a balance in your business account. Yuck...

Well, we'll just keep plugging along here and see what we can do. Thank you for all the suggestions for naming my company. I haven't decided on a name yet. I'll let you know when I do.

What a Ride!!!!!!

2008-01-31T14:24:00.001-07:00

What an intense week I've had!!! Let me fill you in on what's been happening here.

A little while ago, I was working on a talk for CWC. It wasn't going well and I just didn't feel inspired to do anything about it. It felt like God was telling me to just lay off for a while. The day after that happened, I saw a poem written by my Aunt. I asked her if I could play around with it and see if I could make it into a song. She said yes. Well, it took me about 10 minutes to figure out what I wanted to do. I really wanted to record it so that I could send it to her. I checked into recording studios and heard back from one that was very expensive. I had basically given up doing any recording when I got an email from a guy who was willing to record me for a decent price.

I started recording yesterday. I finished the song today. It sounds amazing and is in post production as we speak. Here's the really cool part. I've been asked by the recording studio to do more studio work for them. As well, the owner of the studio is encouraging me to write more songs and create a Christian album. There is a lady who is interested in the song I have already recorded AND since I am working for the studio, I now have a position I can do from home, creating music which is what I love to do, and gives me enough money to make our budget a little more realistic. Because I work from home and will be my own company, I get to write off a lot of expenses on income tax (always groovy). This all happened after I saw those fish symbols on the front of my house - wow!!!!!

I can't believe the way God works. Everything fell into place at the perfect time, in the perfect way. I feel so grateful, so unworthy but so thankful for the precious gifts God has given me. To know that He loves me so much He makes a way for me to fulfill my dreams of recording music...I am awed and humbled. I really have no words to say what it means to me.

So here's to many more songs, and a new career! Anyone have any ideas what I can call my company? I'm terrible with names for stuff like that...

A reminder from God...

2008-01-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

The picture you see above is the front of my house. I saw this while I was taking Declan to school this morning. Can you see the Christian Fish Symbols under the top windows? What a beautiful reminder from God that my children (those are their bedrooms up there) are held in the palm of His hand and that God watches over us every day! I couldn't help but stop, take a picture, and thank God for His reminder.

Jasmine Tea Room...

2008-01-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I felt the urge to go out for coffee with someone. Being that I don't really drink coffee, it's really just a name I put to going out and talking with a friend. I called my friend Andrew and he took me to the Jasmine Tea Room in Lethbridge. Sorry, I didn't take any pictures but I should have! This place was really cool!

When you walk in the door, it looks like an antique store. There are many pieces of furniture, jewlery, candles, etc for sale. When you walk through another doorway, you see a totally girly tea room with tables and chairs and enough tea to let the whole world drink! I had a raspberry italian creamosa. It's raspberry syrup, club soda and cream. Yummy!!!! I also had an egg salad sandwhich with spinach instead of lettuce on a croissant. Soooo good! Andrew had a london fog which is earl grey tea with milk and something else that I forgot and a seafood salad croissant. The sugar on the table was colored pink and there were hats and scarves and other cool things hanging on the walls. It was beautiful and old world-ish and I loved it!

Great conversation, good food, and yummy drinks. It was a special day and I'm glad I went. Thanks Drew!!!

Happy Birthday Rowan...

2008-01-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

2 years ago at 5:30pm our little girl was born. She did not have an easy time of things those first few days. Rowan was born with a hole in her lung. She spent the first three days of her life in the NICU. It was so hard to see her there under an oxygen helmet not being able to hold her. You would never know what she went through looking at her today!

Today we had a birthday party for this little princess. Rowan had two friends come to her party. Lily, and Fin. Their mothers, Selena and Renae were also in attendance as was Rowan's Nana, Mom and Dad. We had Chicken Noodle Soup, Homemade New England Clam Chowder, and Homemade Beef Barley Soup as well as assorted sandwiches, pickles, cucumber and carrots. All Rowan's favorite foods. We had chocolate cupcakes for desert and there were presents all around!

What a blessing this little one has been to me! Never in my life did I think I would have a daughter. I was more than a little surprised when I found out that's just what I was getting! She is a strong minded, opinionated little girl. She is not afraid to speak her mind or stand up for herself. Rowan is precious, kind, loving, beautiful, strong, independent, willing to try new things, determined, and wonderful! Happy Birthday Baby Girl! We love you!!!

This week's menu...

2008-01-24T15:13:00.001-07:00

Can you believe I just went grocery shopping for this week and I've already lost my list of what I was going to make? I think I remember it though...here it goes...

Thursday - New England Clam Chowder (from scratch), and biscuits
Friday - Home made perogies and farmer sausage
Saturday - Meatloaf with potatoes and gravy
Sunday - Lemon Pepper Tilapia with Wild Rice and Peas
Monday - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Garlic Toast and Salad
Tuesday - Spring Rolls, Gyoza, Won Ton Soup, Rice and Chinese Finger Foods.
Wednesday - Greek Chicken with Rice Pilaf and Roasted Veggies

Whew! I remembered! I'm also doing homemade soups and sandwiches with chocolate cupcakes for Rowan's birthday tomorrow. On top of all of this, I have to clean my house! I have company coming for Rowan's birthday and as of right now, I would be frightened to let them in the door! I'd better get off this computer and get to it!

Not tired anymore...

2008-01-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got Rowan to sleep around 4am and she slept until 12:30pm today. I got Declan off to school and then I got to sleep for a few hours. Yay! I also got to clean up my kitchen and send my song project to my Aunt. For having my schedule all messed up, I actually feel like I've been semi productive today.

On a side note, I went to the doctor today because my mouth was hurting and my tongue looked funny. To my dismay, I have thrush. Yuck. I have to swish nasty yellow slimy medicine in my mouth four times a day for the next 7 days. I think my daughter fears I may throw up from the grossness of it all because this afternoon when I was swishing, she brought me a bucket and told me to spit. Much as I would have loved to obey her, I have to swallow this foul stuff and then not drink or eat for 1/2 an hour. I would have liked nothing more than to spit that out and drink a gallon of juice to get the taste out of my mouth!

Well, I'm off to make supper for the family. I think it's homemade hamburger night. Yummy!