Rules, Rules, Rules...

Declan and I had a long discussion last night about rules. He wasn't following them and so we talked about why rules need to be followed.

At bedtime, I saw the Bible Declan got for Christmas on his dresser and I asked him if he would like me to read him a story from his Bible tonight. He said yes so I simply opened the Bible and where did I turn but to Titus 3:1-5 and a little devotional about rules. It talked about how rules are there to create order instead of chaos and how obeying rules trains you to behave a certain way and proves that you are growing up. I told Declan that this is how God talks to us. He hears what we are going through and He backs up our discussions through His Word. Praise the Lord for those verses! It was so cool to read that in DECLAN's Bible!!

Thanks again Mom and Dad for so precious a gift! It came at the right time and it confirmed for Declan that God cares about what he's going through and wants to show him the right road to travel. Declan and I are starting a journal of Bible verses we've read together and what they were about so that we can look back on them later. I can hardly wait to see where we end up next!

Christmas and the sickos...

Well, Christmas is over and thankfully, so is the flu bug that ran through my house. It started with Rowan and Declan. Rowan was so sick she went into the hospital and received the same anti nausea drugs they give to chemo patients. Declan recovered in 2 days. We didn't know if we would even make it to Mom and Dad's for Christmas, but the kids were feeling better so off we went. The day we were supposed to head home, I got sick. That was the longest ride back to Lethbridge I have ever had. I feel a little better today and I'm hoping that things just keep getting better from here. We had a wonderful visit with my sister, brother in law, niece and nephew as well as with Mom and Dad. It's always great to see everyone. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see John's sister, brother and nephews, but we are hoping to see them in the new year.

This was the first Christmas without John's Dad. That was hard. While we didn't get to see him often, he was a wonderful man who loved being with family and friends. He loved his grandchildren and always had encouraging things to say to them. I know that this Christmas has been very special for him because he got to celebrate it in heaven with his wife, Isabelle who predeceased him 20 years ago. God bless you Norm and Isabelle. We miss you horribly but we know you are finally together again with our Heavenly Father and that's the best Christmas gift we could ever ask for.

Looking for the end of the tunnel...

Do you ever feel like you have so much to do and not enough time to do it all? I'm feeling that way. I have so many gifts to wrap and things to finish up before Christmas and I'm losing my momentum. I'm very thankful that John is home today to help me get through some of this stuff. What would I do without him? I don't even want to think about that.

So, if you don't hear much from me in the next week or so, please know that I'm not ignoring you, I'm just up to my ears in wrapping paper, ribbon, flour, sugar and other assorted foods!

Merry Christmas Everyone! We'll talk more closer to New Year!

Nearing the mid 40's...

This weekend we celebrated John's birthday. My Mom and Dad came out to help us celebrate. We left the kids with a friend and went out to dinner. The plan was to go to the Keg, but the line was huge and they don't take reservations. We tried 3 restaurants before we finally arrived at Earl's. We had a wonderful meal and then went home to have chocolate cake with the kids. John got an mp3 player, pants and a shirt from the kids and I, and money from Mom and Dad. It was a great day and we all had a lot of fun.

I have been so blessed to have John in my life. He's an amazing husband, a wonderful father to our children, and an incredibly hard worker for his employer. Honey, I love you more now then I ever did. With every passing year, I see more clearly the beautiful man that you are. I could not have picked a better partner for my life than you. I love you! Happy Birthday!

A King is Coming to Town...

The people of Rumorville were buzzing with the news that a King was coming to their town. They were all trying to figure out what kind of King was coming. The mayor, the press, and the sherriff were all doing their part to prepare for the coming of a King.



But what kind of King was coming? Was it the King of Rock and Roll?



Was it the King of the Jungle?



Was it King Tutt?



Some student finally told the press, the mayor and the sheriff that it was Jesus, King of Kings that was here. He came many many years ago as a Baby and grew into a Man who saved us from our sins! They found the answer to which King was coming in the Bible.





The people of Rumorville were excited to hear that the King had already arrived. They celebrated by singing Christmas carols and worshiping the King who came to save them.




This was the Christmas concert I witnessed today at my son's school. Speaking as a mother who saw a Christmas concert which made no reference to Christ last year at the public school my son was attending, I was thrilled to see children singing about Jesus, reading the Bible ON STAGE and telling us the REAL reason for Christmas. Declan came out for two songs but stayed back stage helping the teachers for the rest of the show as he is prone to stage fright.


I was blessed beyond blessed tonight. Praise the Lord for schools that preach the Good News through our children. Praise the Lord that my son is singing and speaking about the true story of Christmas. Praise the Lord for Jesus who made it all possible in the first place!!!!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's all about the Chi...

Yes that's right folks. I finally have a Chi hair straightener. Yesterday I went to have my hair cut by a friend of mine and while I was there I received a Chi as a gift. For those of you who have never tried the Chi, you don't know what you're missing. I've never seen a straightener that works this well. My hair feels softer and looks healthier than it did with my old straightener. These retail for around $230.00 and while that's expensive, they last a long time and do the job the first time. You don't have to run over your hair 3 or 4 times to get it straight. One time will do it.

So that's my commercial for today. The Chi Hair Straightener....fabulous!!!

One of those days...

Have you ever had one of those days where things are just...off..? I had one of those today. It snowed more today than it has all winter thus far. Rowan slept from 8pm last night until 10am this morning and then napped for 3 hours in the afternoon. Declan spent the whole day seeing how far he could push me (he finally pushed himself right into an early bedtime). John worked the night shift which I'm simply not used to anymore, and I had a visitor! Not only that, my house was actually clean when she arrived!

Now I'm not complaining about Rowan's sleep habits (unless she keeps me up all night tonight. Then I'll start complaining). Declan is just that age where pushing boundaries is part of the process, and John's work demands that he work shifts so there are times when he's not home. I guess things were just so routine for a while there, I wasn't prepared for anything out of the ordinary. In a way I'm glad for the odd things that happen in my day. It keeps me on my toes and out of the ruts I tend to put myself in. It gets me thinking and stimulates me to learn something new about myself or the people around me.

What kind of day did you have today?