The Snow is Back!

Of course, i've mentioned before how much I love snow. So, needless to say, I was thrilled that we got a new snow covering over the past 24 hours that left us with at least 5 inches of snow.
The boys were thrilled too, as this new snow is oh so fun to play in!
Gabe had a blast.
Cooper still has a tendency to get really cold, so we have to bundle him up so much that he can't move, see, etc. But he still had a good time.
Here' s some snow photos I captured this morning...
First there's Coop, and as I was saying, he is overly bundled up, causing him to have to tilt his head up to see me. Still he's sporting a grin.

I took several of Gabe, because he lasted outside longer than Coop. Coop thought the fire inside was more appealing, and I can't say I blamed it. Baby, it's cold outside...



Thanks to our unfinished landscaping, we have 'mountains' of dirt from where our basement was dug. Gabe is able to snowboard, sled, and even jump of these mountains...

Umbrella

One of the songs that I could listen to over and over again is "Umbrella."
I have it in my playlist as performed originally by Rhianna, and I also have Mandy Moore's version. I love both versions for different reasons.
I happened to do a search of the song on YouTube and found another AWESOME version of the song. It's performed by a man named Coffey Anderson, who is a Christian, and it's called the Christ Remix.
Click here to bring up the video.
I love the words, and I love this guy's enthusiasm.
What an awesome praise to God!

Wrong Bus

I was at home this afternoon, trying to get a few things done before starting to think about what I should make for supper. The phone rings and it's Valerie, a friend and the mom of Gabe's best friend, Brayden.
It is all set up that Gabe is going to ride home with Brayden on the bus after school and then they'll head to the Roughriders hockey game...TOMORROW.
Trouble is, the boys thought it was today, hence Valerie's phone call.
"Gabe's at our house," Valerie says, laughing. "Apparently they thought the hockey game was tonight."
Now neither Valerie nor I sent notes to school with the boys saying Gabe was to ride the bus home with Brayden today. And since the school makes such a big deal that you need a note for EVERYTHING, I find it odd that Gabe was able to board the wrong bus without so much as a question.
But, alas, everything is fine, and we have a funny story to remember.
I guess the trial run went well, and we'll try it again tomorrow night.

My eyes are up here

If you've been pregnant, then maybe you'll understand what I'm about to explain.
Or, maybe this just happens to me.
Could be, strange things seem to just happen to me sometimes.
Anyway, for some reason, as soon as people find out I'm pregnant, they start having a hard time maintaining eye contact. Instead, their eyes are constantly wandering down to my stomach.
For example, at church last night, this just kept happening...
'I heard congratulations is in order!' said while staring at my stomach.
'How have you been feeling?' said while staring at my stomach.
'How far along are you?' again, said while staring at my stomach.
Odd.
Maybe I do it too, stare at a pregnant woman's stomach while talking to her.
But I really don't think so.
After Jason got home last night, I shared this oddity with him.
His theory is that they're looking to see if I'm showing yet, and wondering why I'm not.
Acceptable theory, except that it accounts for a glance, not a stare.
The staring honestly does not annoy me, it just intrigues me.
So, does this just happen to me, or did it happen to you too?

Let there be music

I thought it was about time I added some music to the blog, since I do love music. I have hesitated to do this because, for those of you who are living in the dark ages and still use dial-up internet, it could possibly slow down access to our page. If this happens, it should help to go down to the playlist, located on the bottom right hand side of the page, and press the pause button. If all else fails, please let me know in the comments section if the playlist is disturbing your connection to our page.
I have a tendency to get stuck on a song and listen to it over and over again. This has happened since I was a little girl. {Did I mention I love music!}
So I've included some of my song obsessions from the past {don't worry, no New Kids on the Block}, and from the present too.
Some are even songs I've sung in church, like Barlow Girl's 'You Led Me,' and 'You Are Good,' by Point of Grace. Many of the songs have good harmony, because that's what I like to sing.
The playlist includes mostly Christian music, with a few thrown in that are not {you gotta love Coldplay.} You won't find any country...it's just not for me. The first song, "More Than You'll Ever Know," by Watermark, does have a bit of a 'twang' in parts. That's all I can handle.
But all are songs I enjoy, and I hope you like them too!

Coop in a Backpack

Cooper is a little guy.
He is three and a half and weighs just over 30 pounds.
He still wears some 2T clothes and he'll be four in June.
His legs are long enough that he has to wear 3T size pants, but the adjustable waist is always cinched to the tightest position.
He's just a little guy.
So when Cooper saw Jason's Swiss Army camping backpack laying on the floor, he decided he'd get in it.
Now I'm not talking about a hiking backpack that kids are suppose to ride in...we have one of those too. I'm talking about a backpack an adult wears and puts a change of clothes and some other miscellaneous supplies in.
We laughed at first, thinking there's no way he'd fit in there.
But sure enough, Coop got in, Jason zipped him up and only his little head was sticking out.
Here's the evidence...

Zipped in a backpack and as happy as can be.
As far as his size, I'm sure Cooper will have a growth spurt one of these days.
If not, fitting into a backpack could come in handy, right?!?

Chloe's Pout

Chloe is becoming the queen of pouting.
My parents have told me stories which exhibit that I too was a master pouter as a girl, so maybe she's just following in her momma's footsteps.
Anytime Chloe is told no, she does not tend to throw a tantrum, she just quietly pouts.
This happened today when Dad & Cooper were getting ready to go outside to work on the tractor. Chloe's keen sense alerted her that people would soon be heading out the door, so she grabbed her coat and headed to the door herself saying, 'Ready? Bye-bye?'
Once the boys left and she had to stay inside, the lip came out and was stationed in a pouting position for quite a while.
Chloe just sat on the stairs and looked out the window, probably wondering where the guys had gone and why they had left her.
Check out the bottom lip...


Poor Chloe...doesn't that sad face just break your heart?!?
But then again, isn't that the point of pouting...to get people to feel sorry for you.
Well Chloe, I guess it worked on Mom!

Under the Weather

I had a great day on Friday. I was feeling good, with no morning sickness plaguing my day. I was able to get the Christmas decorations put away, and get some backed up chores done around the house. I went to bed that night thinking maybe the worst was now behind me.
Then, I woke up Saturday morning sick again. Ahhhh!
And again this morning, so sick that I stayed home from church.
I spent the morning praying this is going to end soon, in between trips to the bathroom of course. And I know it will, it's just hard when you're in the midst of it.
So, although I wish this was written for the benefit of Shawna, a friend who told me to tell her the worst parts of pregnancy so that she wouldn't envy my state, unfortunately it's all true. I remain perhaps one of the sickest pregnant women on record.
Well, here's praying for better days!

We Ski

The boys got 'We Ski' for Christmas.
It's a game that you use with the Wii Fit Balance Board, and you actually go through the motions of skiing.
Fun game, but I think Gabe is addicted.
All day long he's asking, 'Can I play We Ski? Pleeeaaassse mom!'
I mean, seriously, just look at him...

He not only has his game face on, but also his ski goggles.
Gabe even chose his attire based on the activity...
The shirt, which says 'ski patrol', and the pants, adorned with skiers and snowboarders.
Addicted...Obsessed...both appropriate words to describe Gabe's feelings towards this game.

It is a fun game though...

And you even get to ride the ski lift...

But just ask Jason if it takes the place of real skiing...
the answer,
of course,
is
NO!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone! I truly hope yours is off to a good start.

I have to tell you, mine has been a bit rocky.
I woke up this morning feeling so sick, my stomach hurting from all the vomiting of yesterday, and feeling nauseated again today.
And then the vomiting kicked in again.
I was so thankful I felt this terrible on a day Jason was able to be home, because I honestly could barely get out of bed to make the trek to the bathroom, let alone take care of my three children.

So, there I was, stuck in bed feeling so sick and defeated. I do not like to feel helpless and do not like to have to count on others to do the job that I should be doing...taking care of my home, my children, my husband. I feel like since I stay at home, the home is where I work and I need to take care of all things at home. Instead, I have been relying on Jason to pick up my slack, and feeling so guilty. And what a good man he is, never once letting me know that he's exhausted from the extra load he's carrying when I know he has to be.

So, laying in bed, I was praying that God would just take this sick feeling away, but knowing that I should at the same time feel blessed to have sickness for the reason of being pregnant. All the ladies I know who cannot bear children or have had multiple miscarriages remind me of how blessed I am in the midst of this sickness.

Besides prayer, any time I am feeling defeated, I know I also need to pick up my Bible and spend some time in God's Word. Otherwise, self pity can all too easily creep in and I despise self pity.

God always seems to reveal Himself in the ways I need to know Him most when I call out for His help in times of need.

Today was no different.

I turned my Bible to Psalm 16:7-9, 11, which says,
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure...You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

How this verse reminded me, just when I needed reminded, that we can always cast our cares upon the Lord. We can withstand whatever may come our way because we can walk with Him through the darkness.

I don't have to feel defeated, because I always have victory in the Lord. And although this didn't help my stomach, it did help my state of mind.

So tonight, as I type this again feeling nauseated, I know that the Lord is there to provide strength where I may be weak.
And what an amazing sense of peace that knowledge provides!

I hope you too have the peace of the Lord this New Year's!