the precious jewel

On Friday morning, the precious jewel returned to life outside of Hal's body. It was promptly thrown in the garbage. She was quite upset that we weren't returning the jewel back to her friend. It was quite the issue but we sorted it all out.

Last night was the Christmas concert at church. The girls did great. It was quite comical. Hallie was in true Hallie style as she lost her balance and fell off the stage. She quickly got up and made a great recovery!

check out facebook for some new photos of the kids including ones from the concert.

So we were at a friends place yesterday afternoon when Hallie comes up to be grabbing her throat. She says

"my throat hurts mom and I'm really sorry but i swallowed one of those jewels"

The girls were playing with those glass marble type things that are often used in centre pieces etc. It's about the size of a nickel but thicker. Apparently it will come out the other end in 3 days. I think I'll post a picture just for my brother!!!!

Did I mention that it was HALLIE...the 4 year old. Not the teething 2 year old or the baby. She is constantly putting things in her mouth and in fact I had disciplined her TWICE earlier in the day for putting non-food objects in her mouth. AAAAAAHHHH. Funny thing is, I wouldn't let her bring a jewel home even though she was offered one by her friend....but now, she is so excited for the jewel to come out so she can have it back. I DON'T THINK SO!



Onto other stuff....

Theo slept from 11pm-815am last night!!

Raya is learning to say alot more.

I'm doing two cookie exchanges this week.

I had a great birthday...thanks for all the phonecalls.

I'm almost done Christmas shopping....we aren't really doing much this year.

Hallie is smarter than ever, as usual....although that statement kinda contradicts the above story!

Chris is super busy at work with Operation Christmas Child and other various things.

I still have the dream that my brother and sister-in-law are going to show up at Christmas.

Chris's parents are coming this weekend!!!

I gained two pounds this week with my birthday and office Christmas party....gross.

Holidays

We just returned home from our first holiday in 5 years (with the exeception of going to Lethbridge). We first went to Lethbridge for a couple days over Thanksgiving and then proceeded on to Columbia Falls, Montana with some good friends of ours. We had a great time and it was a muchly needed break from "regular" life. We stopped again in Lethbridge for two nights on our way back and got to visit with some exdended family and that was awesome. I love Sunday afternoons with family and really miss that. The kids had a blast on our holiday but Hallie was really missing home after a few days. She wanted her friends, her church, her preschool, her dance class, and even her neighbors. I have to admit that I wasn't quite ready to come back. I was enjoying being away from the everyday stresses that we've been facing lately and I was able to hide my emotions and feelings from myself a little bit. I did some therapeutic shopping which I have to say in hindsight was quite selfish at times and may have bruised a friendship in the meantime. Without justifying that, I have to admit that it allowed me to forget some worries and do something that I really enjoy and rarely get the chance to do. Chris was able to golf a bit and we all got to take advantage of a great hot tub right outside our door. Our accomodations were fabulous and the weather was gorgeous. This past week made us realize that we definately need to take time for vacations!





Here are some recent pics...enjoy!

Grandpas birthday cake from the girls

Grandpa and Raya

Big Boy Theo

Hallie and Dad

Theo at Grandpas party

Catch up Time

I hope I'm not giving you all a heart attack by actually blogging today...to be honest, the past few months are a bit of a blur. That's what a new baby, a busy 2 year old and an intellectual 4 year old do to me!

Well, obviously since I last blogged, Theo Luke was born. I won't recap the past 2 months but I will tell you that he is starting to smile ALOT now and it is super cute. I'm guessing he weighs about 11 pound...maybe even 12. We'll find out next week when he goes for his 2 month (or three month!) immunizations. He is a very good baby and is really content. He is starting to be a little more work now because he notices when he is alone in a room and isn't happy about it.

The girls are great with him. They are really helpful and we haven't had any issues at all. They give him plently of hugs and kisses but are very gentle.

Hallie is in her second year of preschool. She is loving it and has already learned alot in the first two weeks. This is really good for her because she is constantly wanting to learn new things and she has a great memory...too great sometimes. Here's a little story:

-----Raya has been really busy lately and is causing a bit of trouble now and then. Last weekend when I'd had just about enough she did something and I said (without thinking) "oh sh*t, not again!" I then realized that Hallie was right behind me...ooooppps. I made a mental note that I need to be careful what I say because kids pickup on these things really easily. On Tuesday, Hallie was coloring in the living room and I asked her to color at the table. She asks why and I tell her to remember that her daddy told her she could only have markers at the kitchen table. She quickly replies with "oh sh*t, I forgot!" I thought I heard her wrong so I asked her what she said and she once again said "oh sh*t, I forgot". I told her that the right way to say that word was shoot and she says "oh, I thought I heard you say it like sh*t". So, we get it all figured out that it's shoot not sh*t and put it behind us....or so I thought. Then we were in Walmart on Friday and it was BUSY. I was with a friend and there were 4 walmart workers and two older ladies in the isle. Hallie bumps into something and looks up and says "mom?" and I say "yes Hallie"....."It's shoot not sh*t right mom?" How embarrasing! Everyone laughed and I was pretty red I think.------

We are going to Columbia Falls in October for a week with Adam and Dana and are really looking forward to that. We haven't gone on a holiday (other than Lethbridge--whoo whoo) since before Hallie was born so it will be nice to get away as a family for a little bit. I have to say that I am SO excited about going to Target that I lay awake sometimes thinking about a big shopping spree and all the things I want to buy. I'm disappointed that there isn't an Old Navy or The Childrens Place or Fuddruckers there though.

Hallie starts dance on Saturday which will be good for her (and entertaining for us!). Raya is taking an Arts and Crafts class with me and it's good for her to learn to sit for a minute and focus on something.

Chris is playing hockey every Friday night and into the wee hours of Saturday morning. It's crappy ice time but it's only 5 minutes away and that's a bonus!

I'm working about 12-15 hours per week and trying to keep up with all the house stuff and kid stuff etc. I'm also trying to loose the baby weight and I have to admit, it's not going that great.


Not sure what else to right at the moment. I have to go check on Theo.

You can check out some pictures at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=49764&l=82272&id=786455226

Here is a video of Hallie http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=13642835226

Hooray...complete...finished...no time to edit....I blogged....stop bugging me :)

We took the kids to a Stampede Breakfast today....It was alot of fun. We didn't get to do nearly everything we wanted to do. STARS air ambulance came and Hallie really enjoyed watching the helicopter land. There was a petting zoo, face painting, crafts, pancakes, wagon rides. fire trucks/ambulances/police cars etc... Theo had an appt at noon though so we kind of had to rush through.

To check out a few pictures, go to this link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35629&l=4b1a2&id=786455226


For more pics of Theo, go to this link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32991&l=97bb7&id=786455226

Grandpa reading to the girls on Fathers Day!

Hallie helping Daddy outside in the Rain yesterday after her last day of Soccer

Hallie and Dad at the park today

Mom and Hallie ...I think I'm getting bigger :)

Raya trying to be like her big sister!

Hallie's Hair

Hallie has been waiting for the day she can wear her hair like her friend Katelyn!! Today I put it in pig tails and she was so excited. She even showed the ladies that were working at Shoppers Drug Mart that she had 2 barrettes and 2 elastics and that makes 4 things. She wouldn't sit long enough for a good picture and I didn't really have much patience this morning but here are a couple pictures.

Raya's 2nd Birthday

We celebrated Raya's second birthday on Sunday and had a few friends over on Tuesday morning. She was really cute and loved the attention.

She'll be 2 on Tuesday

Here are some pics of Raya eating chilli...I didn't really have much else to post....sorry.

Pregnancy Update

I had my 30 week Dr's appointment today. It's hard to believe I'm already at the point where I need to go every two weeks...yikes. My dr. and I discussed my low (really low) iron issue and have decided that if my iron level doesn't increase within the next two weeks I will have to go on iron injections. This doesn't thrill me at all so hopefully the iron supplements I am taking right now will agree with my body and help me avoid having to have needles...ouch!

I have consistently gained 5 lbs each month and that is more than I have gained in either of the other pregnancies. It's hard to weigh so much more than you are used to. I have a hard time already doing up shoes, putting socks on, cleaning up toys etc.

The crazy/scaring/alarming but somewhat expected news today was that my Dr. anticpates this baby coming around the 35 week mark which means I only have 5 weeks to go...WOW! I've kind of known this baby would most likely be early because I leaked amniotic fluid early with the girls but to hear the Dr. actually say to expect it and be ready because it would most likely happen just made it a bit more of a reality. The Dr. could tell I didn't really love this news but assured me that an early baby doesn't always mean a sick baby and Raya had other complications that aren't common. So, we remain optomistic that this baby will hold out as long as he can and that he will be healthy and big (not to big though!). He has two sisters that are eagerly awaiting his arrival. Hallie now calls him Boots. Her previous names have been Diego, Cinnamon, Sprinkles and Sergio). They both kiss my stomach constantly and are always talking to him. Poor little guy is going to have 3 mothers!

Well, I must go to bed.

If you think of us throughout the coming weeks, please pray for our little baby and for rest for us all. The girls are going to start to share a room and I am having a really hard time sleeping these days!

ps: no time to spell/grammar check tonight so please forgive me!

Soccer!

Hallie started soccer this past week...it was great! The weather was brutally cold and windy but the entertainment was amusing. The kids all looked like the part. They got cute little shirts and socks. Hallie got new chin pads and a super cool waterbottle the night before. She will have soccer every Saturday for the next 8 weeks from 10-11 in the morning. This will consist of a 1/2 hour practice and then a 1/2 hour game against another team. The kids all just follow the ball in a big pack and have yet to grasp the concept of passing or scoring a goal. It must be confusing for them though since for the past 4 years, as parents, we are constantly telling them "make sure you share", "give everyone a turn", "don't kick balls at people", "don't take things from other people" and then all of a sudden their parents are yelling "GO GET THE BALL!!" "TAKE THE BALL", "KICK THE BALL AT THE GOALIE"

Here are her first ever soccer snapshots!

This is to avoid harrassment...

I don't really have much to blog about it seems, but for fear of being harassed soon, I thought I'd better write something.

Easter was great. We got to see tons of family and it was a really good time. The girls had a blast that weekend and got completely spoiled with love and attention.

I haven't been feeling that great over the past couple of weeks and it turns out that I'm not just a wimp (haha), my iron level is at 5 which is apparently quite low. Hopefully with a little iron soon I will be on my feet again and ready to take on the world. It doesn't help that I've consistently gained 5lbs/month this pregnancy. I hate the feeling of being overweight, even though I know there is a reason for it.

Chris and I went on a date last night! It was so nice for us to be able to sit and chat and not be interuppted. We went to The Keg and I have to say it was delicious!

Chris is getting ready for the Softball season and has been quite busy with the website etc. This will be his last year on the league executive but he will continue to play and coach for many years to come I am sure.

Hallie just came in the room...let's see what she has to say "hhmmm, i want to go to somebodys house, or to my cousins. i want to go to trae and nates. i miss alexis. that's all mom, and also i miss my dad...that's all mom, and i just miss trae and nate, when will i get to go to trae and nates house? i want to go there today?"

Okay, apparently she is missing her cousins today! I just told her they were sleeping and we would see them in July when the baby comes...didn't go over very well. Now she wants to call them and tell them that we are having a baby.

Chris's sister Barb is coming on Sunday to spend a few days with us. We are all looking forward to seeing her as it has been almost 4 months.

I'm sorry that my life has been so uneventful that there isn't really much to blog about. I will try and take some pictures of the kids over the next few days and post them! It's supposed to be super nice out on Tuesday so hopefully we will be able to get outside.

Have a good day everyone!

It was a LONG and SHORT night

Yesterday just wasn't good all around...I was exhausted and the girls were cranky. Chris had to work late and I was late for Awana.

I had a hard time being nice to my kids yesterday, let alone 30 other ones at Awana...but we survived!

At the end of Awana, Hallie was playing with some friends in one of the rooms and all of a sudden started crying uncontrolably. No one really saw what happened but apparently she had fallen on her head and then rolled on the carpet. She has carpet burn on her forehead and a really big bump.

She fell asleep on the way home in the van and when we got home Chris put her on our bed so we could keep an eye on her. She kept complaining that her head hurt. After about 5 minutes she fell asleep again and two minutes later, woke up puking....that was not good.

I decided to take her to emerg and while we were getting her ready, she fell asleep, woke up and puked again!

I got to the Urgent Care Centre which is quite close to us and there was a sign saying the average wait time was 3.5-4 hours. OUCH!

The triage nurse said that if she threw up again, there would be cause for concern. She fell asleep at the triage desk and when we got to the triage desk, she woke up and yup, you guessed it, puked AGAIN.

Needless to say, they fast tracked us and we only waited about 15 minutes to get a room. She fell asleep on me while we were waiting and when the nurse came in the room and tried to wake her up, It took about 10 minutes to wake her up and then it happened all over again. The nurse said "I'll make sure she's seen next". The Dr. came right away. Hallie was sleeping already so he woke her up. This time it took a long time too and as soon as she sat up, she started to throw up again....poor thing. It was really sad. He made her walk and do a few commands to make sure it wasn't more than a concusion. They gave her some medication at 10:10 and said they'd check on her at 11. She was still really out of it at 11 but because she hadn't seemed any more confused than when we had gotten there, they let us come home at 11:30 with instruction to wake her up at 2 and 5 for tylonel and to make sure she could wake up. Good thing the Dr. warned me not to get alarmed if she didn't wake right away because after 10 minutes of trying to wake your child that normally wakes easily is a bit scary. I'm so glad we didn't have to wait 4 hours.

Today she seems alot better, although not quite herself. The Dr. said it would take a few days.

So, for the few of you out there that think I'm wimpy for not wanting to stay by myself with the kids when Chris is gone next month...this is an example of why. I can't imagine having to take Raya with me last night and trying to chase her around while Hallie was puking everywhere and not able to stand up. I think it would be different if we had family close by that I could call in the middle of the night to come in case of a situation like this.

I have to say, I'm pretty tired today from being at the hospital late and then having to set my alarm for 2 and 5 and then Raya waking up at 7. Wish me luck....and rest today!

Emotional and Verbal Abuse....

• Why is it that our society more readily accepts this type of abuse when it is just as hurtful as any other type, including sexual?
• Why is it that people need to feel so trapped that they can't speak up against it? How long does it have to go on?
• Who's place is it to say something?
• What can be said?
• What can be done?
• Why do I allow my children to see it go on in the lives of people they love?
• At what point is ENOUGH, ENOUGH!!!!
• At what point is it unhealthy for my kids to be around negative influences that still love them and treat them well?
• When do I say to my kids "I know you love them but it's not okay for you to see them act a certain way" and how do I say it without hurting anyones feelings?
• When will the "abuser" start abusing my kids?
• Will I recongnize it in time?
• Will I ever be able to forgive myself if they end up getting hurt?
• Is the risk worth it?
• Why do the innocent good people get hurt and the abusers get away with it?
• How do I explain these negative actions/reactions/words to my kids?
• When will people stop justifying the negative and look for a solution?
• Who's responsibility is it to say "I'm not letting you do this anymore to the people that you love and that love you"?

It takes 100 positive friends/people for every negative friend/person in your life. Negative people bring you down faster than you can be brought back up.

I'm supposed to be working right now, but as you can tell, I have many things going through my head that I am wrestling with. It doesn't matter how much you love someone, there comes a time when your kids come first (the second they are born) and ties may need to be broken for a while for the sake of your children and the longterm affect it may have on them. The crappy part is.....the kids loose out either way!

It's a known fact that the negative influences/times in your life are more influencial than the positive. It will only take 1 time of being emotionally abused or treated poorly for my kids to be potentially ruined and I'm not willing to risk that!!!

If the problem was alcohol abuse I wouldn't let my children around a drunk.

If the problem was physical abuse I wouldn't let my children around someone who would possible hit them or hit and abuse others in their presence.

So why should/do I allow them to be around a "loose cannon" that can't always, or chooses not to, control their emotions, words and actions and continues to control and manipulate those around them.

It's a fine line and and an obvious line to draw all at the same time....so it's really hard. At what point does the "risk outweigh the reward"?

I have to say that emotional and verbal abuse is a touchy, ugly, subject and it's ruining the lives of people around me that I love SO much and I don't know what to do about it!

Big Birthday Party Day!

Today is the big 4th birthday party for my little Hallie! She is SO excited. I don't think I've ever seen her so excited about something for so long. She is excited to see her friends, have her cousins over for pizza and icecream cake with gummie bears and smarties in it (you should have come Jes!). She is excited to see her uncle and aunts and grandparents!

Since last Easter Hallie has been asking for bunkbeds and a brother and we have told her that she would get just one of them because we had intended to buy her bunkbeds all along! She has not forgotten that she would get either bunkbeds or a brother and Chris and I were getting a little nervous that she would be disappointed because she isn't ready for bunkbeds. She can get up but not down and said she wouldn't sleep on the top. Well, we certainly aren't putting Raya on the top so that doesn't work.

On Wednesday at our ultrasound
Her little dream came true
That baby had and extra "part"
We're going from "pink" to "BLUE"

She just keeps saying "Can you belived it's a brother mom, can you believe it!, Can you believe God picked a brother!!"

As most of you know, I'm a little nervous to have a boy...any advice from you moms with boys??

Today will be a busy day and I'll post about it another day once it's all finished!

Calling all guessers....or prophets :)

We are finding out (hopefully) on Wednesday what this little baby is....

boy or girl
blue or pink
take a guess
what do you think?

not a bad little poem for a tired prego mama!!

last post continued....

Hallie and Chris played in the snow today while Raya and I went grocery shopping. She was super excited to show me her new friend in the backyard as soon as I got home! This is her very first snowman ever! I was really proud of her.

Hallie made a "Salad" the other night and it was quite interesting, well gross actually. She was saving it in the fridge for my mom who is coming on Wednesday. Ever time I open the fridge I nearly puke so I bribed her this morning and traded her 4 smarties for her salad. I had to promise to take a picture of it for Abuela though! Here's the recipe in case you want to try it yourself :)
Hallies Special Salad
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Water
Salt (lots)
Pepper (lots)
A little bit of a cheesestring
Green Sprinkles
and of course, chocolate chips!

Fun Times!

I Haven't blogged in a few days so I thought I'd post some pics of what the girls have been up to lately.

I came downstairs last week to them playing quietly. It was really cute and I remember playing like this with my sister and brother. We even have the pictures to prove it!

This next picture is from when they still had their colds. It looks like they were relaxing in bed all morning but it barely lasted long enough for a picture!

Raya hanging out in a bouncy chair that she is much to big for!!

Yesterday the girls and I came to Lethbridge so that they could see their grandparents and cousins. We haven't been here since Christmas and didn't have any plans to come until mid-March or April. Hallie has been asking to come alot over the past few days so we decided it would be good for me to bring them.

I had a great drive down with them. They both slept for a good part of it and it allowed me to listen to MY music and have downtime and time to think. I listened to a song called "Eternity" and it has HUGE meaning for me. When my grandpa was in the hospital I would listen to this song all the way to the hospital and all the way home each time I went to visit. I was usually weeping the entire time but it was so peacefull and made me very sad for myself and really excited for my grandpa. I reminisced about some of the wonderful times we had together and what a great man he was. I have to admit that coming to Lethbridge isn't the same without him being here even though I didn't see him everytime we came.

Listening to this song yesterday brought me to do this excerise...TRY IT.

Imagine yourself for a minute in your "happiest place and your most happiest moment with the people that make you the happiest".

Now, once you have that scenario in your mind imagine how much better that place would be if you had no TEARS! Nothing to cry about...nothing at all. Anything that makes you cry, remove it from your world for a minute.

Now, also take away anything in this world that causes you or has ever caused you PAIN. You are in your "happiest place" with no tears or pain. Imagine what that would be like. If you could live in this situation forever with no tears or pain at all.

Next, take away anything that brings FEAR to your life. For me, that is things like loosing my husband, never seeing my children again, not being good enough, being unfairly judged... To live without those feelings in the back of my mind would be so freeing!

Lastly, imagine your life without the tears, the pain, the fears and the SHAME. Remove anything from your mind that has ever caused you shame of anykind.

What an incredible feeling that will be....and that my friends, is where my Grandpa is. In his happiest place with as much joy as he has every felt in his entire life without tears, pain, fears or shame!!!!

NO more tears,
NO more pain,
NO more fears, and
No more shame
for we will be with You
yes, we will be with You!!!

As much as I love my life right now, it is NOTHING compared to what Heaven is going to be like. It's hard to imagine that.

As I was listening to this particular song, on repeat, and yes, crying yesterday I was thinking of all the things I will leave behind when it is my turn to go to Heaven to spend Eternity with God in a perfect place. It was a great excercise to go through as it made me realize how much I have to be thankful for RIGHT NOW and how incredibly blessed I am.

Here a few things that I have:
a loving husband
two amazing children
a miracle inside of me
a sister who listens all the time
parents that love me
a great job
an incredible amount of great friends
a church where we are comfortable
a nice house in an insane market
people that pray for me and my family
and most of all...I am learning to find CONTENTMENT and it's a great feeling!

John Wesley said a great quote that has been on my mind over the past couple of weeks and I wonder if it was one of my Grandpas favorites, even though I don't even know if he knew of it.

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

Things I like:

Bailey's Milkshakes in the summertime
Fresh baked cookies with milk in a red tupperware cup
The smell and feel of fresh warm clean laundry
The words "double double"
The hot sun on my legs
Hearing my kids laugh
Feeling a baby move inside me
A friendly voice on the other end of the phone
The smell of fresh cut grass
The secure feeling I get if I allow myself to totally relax in my husbands arms
Massages and Pedicures
A clean house
Company
Hotdogs with chilli and cheese (you don't want to know how many of these I have eaten this month)
Hugs and Kisses from my girls
5 cent candies while watching a movie
Stretchy maternity pants during the holidays
Watching my kids sleep
Coming home after being away for a few days

Things I don't like:

The smell of Chris's hockey bag
Temper Tantrums
Judgemental people
Food that has gone moldy
When the house looks messy after cleaning all day
Movie Theatres
Banff Hot Springs (it's like bathing with 150 strangers)
The smell of burnt popcorn
Having to repeat myself
Peeing 9 times/night
Winter
Cereal after it's been sitting too long
Greedy people

A not so proud moment, and a very proud moment

I took the girls to the dollar store today and whenever we go I give Hallie $1 to pick out whatever she wants. I try not to direct her towards certain things but to allow her to make her own decision (even though it's hard somedays...like today!) She usually ends up choosing a chapstick but today it was a whole different ball game. The girl insisted upon having a (get ready Uncle Jesse, you are going to be so proud!) WHOPPEE CUSHION. I didn't explain to her what it was but I did tell her she probably wouldn't like it once we got it home and out of the package.

So, we get in the house and I open it up. I put it on the floor and Hallie is saying "what does it do, what does it do". I told her to sit on it and she did. It made a big noise and she lost it!! She thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world. She said "did you hear it fart (sorry nana!) Mom, that is so funny, I can't wait until my dad gets home to try it" She has been playing with it all afternoon and hysterically laughing everytime. She already has big plans to take it to Lethbridge with her next time. She is quite certain that Uncle Stinky and Grandpa will like it :)

On to the super proud moment of the day:

I was putting Hallie to bed and she said
H "When will I get to see Jesus Mom?"
M "When you get to heaven"
H "When do I get to heaven?"
M "After you die, then you will go to Heaven and Jesus will be there?"
H "When is that mom?"
M "I don't know Hal, God gets to decide"
and then she replied, really loudly and with tears in her eyes, waving her hands,
H "but I just can't wait to meet Jesus mommy, I can't wait!"
M "I'm sorry honey but we don't get to pick when we get to meet him"
H "but I love him"
by this time Chris was in the room and said
D "then tell him"
so Hallie shouts
H "I love you Jesus!"

I was nearly in tears and then she said
H "When will I get to see God, I want to see all 3 of them?"
M "You will see God when you get to heaven too?"
H "but I need to talk to Him!"
M "you can talk to Him anytime you want, that's what we do when we pray"
H "but when will He talk back to me"
D "why don't you ask Him?
H "God, when will you talk to me?" she said loudly.
There was a really long silence and she said
H "God said he will talk to me whenever I want"

Then she fell asleep....how precious. If only we all could have faith like a child!

What's the Hurry?

In our bible study group we are studying John Ortberg's book "The Life I Always Wanted". Last night's topic and discussion hit me really hard and I thought I'd share about it.

Our society is so busy (especially Calgary...even people from Ottawa think Calgary is busy). We are in a hurry to do everything. The author asked how many of us when pulling up to a red light examine each lane to determine which has the least amount of cars, the fastest cars and what appear to be the fastest drivers. Or while in the grocery store pick the line with the least amount of people with the emptiest carts! I'm really guilty of that one. Sometimes I have reason like my kids are going crazy and need to get home, or Hallie has to pee, or I feel like I'm going to puke, but, in all honesty, I do it all the time out of habit. I'm not in a rush to get anywhere, especially if I out by myself in the evening.

John Ortberg once asked one of his mentors for advice and the advice he received was "you must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life". It's hard to do when society is all about quick and easy. We even have 2-1 shampoo and conditioner to help speed up the process of having a shower.

He also gave examples of how we hurry our children and when I look back, I've done it alot. I quite often say "Hallie hurry up and eat your supper" when really, there isn't any reason to hurry. Hurry and eat so I can hurry and clean up so that we can hurry and get you to bed so that I can hurry and do the laundry so I can hurry and.... It happens at bath time and many other times. I ask them to hurry and then realize, that I don't have anywhere to go or anything to do. I'll ask Hallie to put her coat when we go for a walk and she is taking to long for my liking and I'll just do it for her. Would it kill me to wait another minute for her to do it so she can feel like she's accomplished something and made me proud rather than feeling like she disappointed and failed me when she really hasn't.

We read a few scripture passages to back this up...many of them were familiar to me and it was a great reminder.

Do not be anxious about anything, be still and know....and there are many others.

So, my goal for the next few weeks is to SLOW DOWN, prioritize my life, let my children be children, take time for myself to do NOTHING and not feel guilty about it, as well as spend time alone in quiet to LISTEN to God's voice...I think it's hard for him to talk to me (or rather, for me to listen) when I'm always in such a hurry.

We actually went on a DATE!!

Chris called me yesterday and said

"Don (his boss) wants to take us to the Flames game on Friday night, do you want to go?"

I said "YA!!! tell him we will come for sure!"

"What about a babysitter?" he replied

"I don't care if I have to leave my kids home alone, I'm not passing up on a free flames game!"

Anyway, I found a babysitter (obviously) and we went to the game. Chris even bought me my own Flames jersey. It's a new one that just came out this year!! I love it. I think my girls need matching ones!!!

Here is a picture of it from the internet. I'm too tired to take a picture of me in it right now...but you must know, I definately look HOT!!



PS: the flames won! GO FLAMES GO

Hallie at Preschool

Here are a few pictures of Hallie at preschool. She loves it there. Last night was parent/teacher interviews. It was great to hear her teachers thoughts on how "perfect" Hallie is. They had nothing but great things to say about her. :)

What an artist

Learning the letter "C"

Playing "Kitchen"

Riding the RollerCoaster

I'm not to sure what she's doing here???

I'm Back!!

I'm nearing the end of my first trimester and was hoping to be feeling better over the Christmas holidays however, it just got worse. I couldn't think about food without getting sick, let alone make it or eat it. Chris's sister was here for a few days before Christmas (thanks again Bev!) and then Chris had 11 days off so I really didn't have to do much cooking for two weeks. This past weekend I was so sick and I couldn't imagine being alone with the girls. I told Chris that if things didn't get better, my girls would starve because I wouldn't be able to feed them. I went the the Doctor on Sunday and got what I would call the "miracle drug". It is made for sickness in pregnancy and it worked within 2 hours. I take two at night and one in the morning and it is fabulous. I'm so glad I wimped out and went to the Dr.

Hallie has of course been hilarious lately. She is growing up so fast and is really missing preschool. It starts again on Monday and she is really looking forward to it. She is always praying for the baby and it is so cute. Over Christmas she was doing a craft with her Auntie Bev and she suddenly said "Auntie Bev, we have to stop and pray right now" Then she said "Dear God, please be with the baby in mommy's tummy and please make it a boy!" She really wants a brother. We are going to find out the sex of the baby so that we can prepare her if it is another sister. She is ok with another sister too but she still wants a brother next then...Too bad for her, there isn't going to be a "next" so this is all or nothing. When I was sick on the weekend she came in to "check on me" and when she was leaving I asked her to close my door. She responded with "Okay Mom, if you insist". What 3 year old says that?

Raya is full of energy and is busy trying to find new ways to get what she wants. She has been having alot of tantrums lately and I just send her to her room...and she goes. It's hilarious. She is making herself throw-up lately though if she doesn't get her way and that has been a struggle.

I'll try to post some pictures soon. They are growing so fast. Less than 2 months until our little Hal is 4.

Well, the screen is getting blury...my med's must be kicking in...time to go to "my happy place!"

Good Night

Our Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas to all of you! We hope that this Season is finding you well and that you are enjoying the busyness of it all…shopping, baking, crafting, and spending time with loved ones.

Looking back on this year, we have to admit that it has been fantastic and we have so much to be thankful for.

Hallie is nearly 4 and started preschool this past September. She loves to sing, read, bake, and play. Hallie enjoys spending time with her friends and enjoys having people over. She is definitely my big “helper”. She is a snuggler and is never shy with her hugs and kisses. Hallie loves going to Lethbridge to see her cousins and grandparents.

Raya is 1 and on the run. She does nothing at a slow pace and is great at finding trouble . She is a climber and an investigator…something we have had to get used to. She is always smiling and laughing and has a great sense of humor and an outgoing personality….oh, I almost forgot, she can be stubborn too!

Chris is still working at Samaritans Purse and is really enjoying it. Christmas is their “harvest time” and so we haven’t seen as much of him lately as we would like. The girls are always asking for him and miss him when he isn’t around. He is on the Executive for Calgary Christian Mixed Slow-pitch and enjoys that ministry. This past year he didn’t play softball but he will be joining a team this coming year again.

I am enjoying staying home with the girls. We have been doing a lot of baking lately and are enjoying doing crafts together. They are starting to play well together and I find it rewarding to watch them grow and learn. They are the biggest blessing and I often feel inadequate to be the mother of two such incredible children.

While this year has been excellent for us, we have had many friends and family members go through some very difficult times. We pray that this coming year will be easier for them and that they will remember to trust God in all things.

Our family will be complete this coming summer as we are expecting the final addition to arrive in July.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Chris, Nikki, Hallie, Raya and __________.