Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow, what an absolutely beautiful Thanksgiving weekend we just had!
I have SO much to be thankful for that it is hard to even start a list.  However, I have done just that because I think it's important to take the time to be thankful and think about the things that I so often take forgranted in my life.  I recently heard a quote that went something like this, "Imagine if you woke up today with only those things that you thanked God for yesterday." Ouch. 

And so, today I'm thanking God...

• for His Son and His infinite grace
• for a loving, godly husband who puts his family first
• for parents who raised me in a loving home, were an example of a solid marriage, and who I knew (and continue to know) prayed for me on a regular basis
• for my sweet Ethan, who makes me laugh every single day
• for good health, not just for me, but for the vast majority of our family and friends - this is truly a blessing
• for a baby moving around inside of my stomach as I write this
• for a roof over our heads (even if it does belong to the bank)
• for a house that has been furnished by hand me downs and generousity
• for a big brother who I know is there for me always and for a little sister who is one of my closest friends
• for close friends who are here for us through it all
• for a church family we love and feel loved by
• for freedom to worship
• for Ethan's 4 loving grandparents, 6 great-grandparents, and 1 great-great grandma
• for the blessing of staying home to raise our kids
• for the beautiful weather today and for the changing seasons
• for Andrew's job - a job he is passionate about and truly gifted in
• for food on the table
• for memories of loved ones who aren't with us anymore
• for belly laughter
• for so many more blessings and gifts that I can't list them all.

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgivings and feel truly blessed by God's goodness in all of our lives.
He is good!

Two Incredible Years

Ethan is TWO!!  How did that even happen!?  Parents are constantly telling pregnant women and new moms and dads, "Enjoy it.  It goes by so quickly."  This is not a statement you can truly understand until YOU are the one looking back and realizing how quickly time goes.

Two years ago we were blessed with a miracle.  Ethan has brought so much joy and laughter to our family that, while I can't believe it's already been two years, it is hard to remember life before he came along. 

I always knew I wanted to be a mom, but I had no idea how much it would complete me.  This really is my calling...diaper changing, story reading, sick snuggles, and even the battles of the wills that happen every so often.  I could not ask for a more rewarding or more fulfilling job and there is absolutely no where that I would rather spend my every day then raising my sweet, rambunctious, crazy little boy. 

Happy 2nd birthday to my precious boy!
Thank you for helping my dreams come true.

Apple picking, soup, and cozy sweaters

Fall is on it's way, and I'm okay with that! I'm ready for making yummy harvest soups, walking through a forest of colourful leaves and hearing them crunch beneath my feet, and cuddling up on the couch with my little man and some books.

We have had such a great summer and have made so many memories to cherish.

We went camping for the first time with Ethan and had an absolute blast...

We took many trips to various markets (Ethan loves the market)...

We spent a weekend away with good friends at a beautiful cottage near the beach...

We took a family trip to the zoo...

We were able to be a part of two weddings of some of our greatest friends...

We spent lots of time playing outside - in the kiddie pool, on the swings, drawing with sidewalk chalk, or just chasing each other around...

We spent a few days away on an island at a beautiful cottage with my parents, sister and brother-in-law...

Today we finished off the summer with a family trip to Andrew's Scenic Acres, a farm and pick-your-own orchard not far from our house. We looked at the animals, picked lots of raspberries and just had such a great family time. I am so blessed with my amazing husband and sweet little boy and thank God for this life He's given us.

I miss my Grandma.

I've avoided blogging about her since she died in January because most days I don't feel like I have the emotional capacity to do it.

Today is just one of those days though. One of those days when I think of something small that I would love to tell her about (my vegetable garden, the newest thing Ethan's learned, something that's going on with youth group), or I just think how it's the perfect day for a picnic (Grandma loved picnics), and I get emotional. Some days I can just smile and remember. Other days, I just need to sit down and cry. Today is one of the sit down and cry days. It's probably worsened by my pregnancy hormones, but I just plain miss her. I'm sad that the baby I'm carrying will never get to meet her.

We've been thinking about what we're going to do for Ethan's birthday this year. Last year we had a big party with all of our family - Ethan's aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great grandparents. I was so excited when Grandma Connor told me she was able to come. She wasn't going out much at this time last year, so I didn't know what to expect. But, she came. She got to see our new house and had a great time celebrating with us. It was so special to me that she was able to be here. I'll really miss her at his birthday this year.

I hope that one day I'll be able to explain to Ethan (and the rest of our chidren) what an amazing, godly woman their Great Grandma Connor was.

After she died I asked my dad if I could have one of her Bibles. He gave me one that his dad had given to Grandma. It's an old, very well-used King James Bible and I have spent a lot of time reading it in the past 6 months. There are so many underlines and notes in the margins. It's so special to be reading from the Bible that she did and learning from some of her scribbles that she probably only ever meant for herself to see. At her funeral, my aunt mentioned that when they were growing up, every morning, when they woke up, they knew they could find Grandma reading her Bible. What an amazing legacy to leave your children. Since hearing that I have been making a conscious effort to spend more time praying and reading my Bible. Waking up early can be tough, but when I do it (and I've gone through ups and downs with it), my day goes so much better and there is just a sense of peace surrounding me. I'm so thankful to my Grandma and to the example she was of someone who was dedicated to spending time with God and thanking Him, no matter her life circumstances.

Grandma was healthy enough last Christmas (only a month before she died) to be out and spending time together with family, which is what she loved to do. She loved talking to each of her grandchildren and being updated about what was going on in each of our lives. She LOVED cuddling with any of her great grandchildren. It always amazed me that Ethan (always the squirmy worm and never one to sit still for any length of time) would always sit with Grandma. Even when she was sick and frail and I was a little nervous to put him up on her bed with her, I would try it and he would, without fail, give her at least a few minutes of cuddling, book reading, or just baby talk. It was so sweet and I always thought it was really neat how they just seemed to have some little connection with him knowing he needed to be calm when he was with her. I'm sad that he won't know her as he grows up. I hope in some way I can keep her legacy living and pass on some of the lessons I've learned from her to our kids.

I'm so happy to have this picture of Grandma and Ethan at her last Christmas.

Love and miss you, Grandma. Glad you're with your Jesus and with Grandpa now, where you so desperately wanted to be.

Music to my ears

Today I heard the beautiful sound of our new baby's heartbeat!

Despite all of the sickness and the utter exhaustion, this, the sound of my baby's life, made it all real to me. There is life inside of me....growing, breathing, living!!

We are so excited about the fourth member of our family! Ethan is adorable...constantly pulling up my shirt to "say hi baby," or "baby hug?" He shares his blankie, tries to give the baby juice...it's too sweet. I know he doesn't fully comprehend it in any way, but it warms my heart to see him already starting to be a caring big brother.

Life is good.

Waiting on Him

I'm reading "Jesus Calling" as part of my devotions in the morning and I thought today's was worth sharing.

Waiting on Me means directing your attention to Me in hopeful anticipation of what I will do. It entails trusting Me with every fiber of your being, instead of trying to figure things out yourself. Waiting on Me is the way I designed you to live: all day, every day. I created you to stay conscious of Me as you go about your daily duties.
I have promised many blessings to those who wait on Me: renewed strength, living above one's circumstances, resurgence of hope, awareness of My continual Presence. Waiting on Me enables you to glorify Me by living in deep dependence on Me, ready to do my will. I also helps you to enjoy Me; in My Presence is fullness of Joy.

The Scriptures to read along with it were:

Lamentations 3:22-26
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

I really need to learn the art of waiting on Him - each day, each hour, in every circumstance. The second sentence of the devotional really hit me: "It entails trusting Me with every fiber of your being, instead of trying to figure things out yourself." I try to hand things to God, but then often take them back. I know that God's plan is so much better than mine, I think it's the control thing that gets me. It can be scary not knowing what's coming next, but what should be an even scarier thought is doing it on my own.

Today I'm going to start trying to wait on God "in hopeful anticipation."

Happy 1/2 Birthday baby boy!

Tuesday was Ethan's 1/2 birthday - he's 18 months old!! Wow, the time flies!
I figure that once a year isn't often enough to celebrate, so I usually do something special for 1/2 birthdays too :)

On Tuesday morning, Ethan and I made a birthday cake! He loves helping me bake - it's adorable. He pulls up a chair to the counter and starts opening every drawer he sees.

We made gluten free/dairy free/sugar free chocolate cake. Sounds a lil bit gross, right? It's not. My friend passed along this great recipe that uses black beans instead of flour. It freaked me out at first, but it's delightful! Check out the recipe here http://healthyindulgences.blogspot.com/2009/05/healthy-chocolate-cake-with-secret.html if you're interested. There are a ton of great recipes on the site.

Here are some pictures of our baking adventure!

After a day full of playing, napping, and A LOT of eating (he MUST be growth spurting...again), we all headed to Skedaddle - an indoor playplace in Milton. We had an absolute blast!

I'm having a hard time posting pictures these days, so I'm going to do it in a separate blog entry.

1/2 birthday boy cont'd

1/2 Birthday boy cont'd

After a couple of hours of play, we were famished!
Ethan had his first pizza (or zizza as he calls it)! Of course, it had to be gluten/dairy free, so we didn't join in the expensive zizza party...we went with sweet potato-black bean burritos.


Then came dessert...

Such a fun day celebrating our precious gift!

Happy Birthday, Momma!

Happy birthday to my wonderful mom!

Since becoming a mom myself, I have grown to love and appreciate my own mom in so many new ways.

I love that she puts family first. I love that I can just show up on a bad day and she knows exactly what I need. I love that she doesn't pretend she has it all together. I love watching her be a Grandma to Ethan. I love that when she says she'll pray, I know she will.

Mom, I'm thankful for the love you've shown; the tears you've cried with me; the thoughtful advice you give when I ask; the prayers you've said (many more than I'm sure I'll ever know),and the joy of being not just your daughter, but your friend.

Happy birthday, Mom!
I love you!

As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be

My little boy is growing up.

It's a good thing.
At least that's what I keep telling myself. Andrew always tells me, "That's our job as parents - to raise our kids into adults." That may be our job, but it's not really something I want to think about - not when my baby is not even a year and a half.



Ethan went pee on the potty tonight - for the second time. It's so exciting! I freak out and give him high fives and cheer and all that lame stuff moms do. Then it hits me how quickly he's growing up, so I cuddle up and read some stories and then turn off the light in hopes of a good snuggle. He started breathing deeply and I thought he might be asleep, so I settled in a bit more - praying, reminiscing, and enjoying some good Momma-baby time. The next thing I know, I have a little hand on my face. I look down and he says, "Bed?" and points to his crib. Ouch. Please don't let the snuggling days be over yet.



My baby is growing up. He's probably considered a toddler now. There are times I miss the baby days, but I am loving getting to know my little man more and more every day. He is developing such a personality...strong-willed, funny, and boy does he know how to push my buttons. He's got a lot of his daddy in him :)


I'm so blessed to be his mom.

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Sis is getting married this week!

http://www.lovablelittletreehuggers.com/blog.html

A Peaceful Retreat

Mom, Rach and I went to Ste. Annes, a beautiful spa in Grafton, ON a few weeks ago. We spent 2 glorious days in our bathrobes - savouring girl time, walking around in our robes, enjoying being pampered, and indulging in fabulous food.

I enjoyed their food so much, I purchased their cookbook! Here's my favorite recipe.

Granola

Ingredients:

1 c. raw & slivered almonds

1 c. raw & sliced almonds

1 c. pecans - chopped

1 c. hulled & unsalted sunflower seeds

1 c. hulled pumpkin seeds

1 c. unsweetened, desiccated coconut

1/2 c. sesame seeds

1 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. unsalted butter

1/4 c. honey

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Method:

• Preheat oven to 325 F. Cover large baking sheet (I used 9x13 pan instead) with parchment paper.
• Combine all nuts, seeds, coconut and spices in a mixing bowl, with the exception of the cranberries.
• In a small sauce pan, melt honey and butter together over low heat. Pour over nut mixture, combining well.
• Spread evenly onto baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned to your liking, turning after first 15 minutes.
• Add cranberries and continue to bake for another 5 minutes.
• Allow mixture to cool thoroughly and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Taken from: "Everyday Recipes from Ste. Anne's Spa" 2009

ENJOY! I love it with yogurt and fruit, or on it's own...it's so tasty.
Here are a few pics from our little getaway.

I love my mean mom

I heard this today and thought it was cute - and true in so many ways.


Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Mean Mom told me: I loved you enough to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.


I loved you enough to make you go pay for the bubble gum you had taken and tell the clerk, "I stole this yesterday and want to pay for it."


I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.


I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.


I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.


But most of all, I loved you enough...to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it.


Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too. And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.


Was your Mom mean? I know mine was. We had the meanest mother in the while world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.


Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less...

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash, and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.


She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really tough!


Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. The had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.


Because of our mother, we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other's property, or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault!

Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was.


I think that is what's wrong with the world today. It just doesn't have enough mean moms!

What do I love?

"I love that show..."

"I love Smarties..."

"I love Brad Pitt..." (I know, I totally just aged myself)

We use the word "love" SO loosely in our society. At youth group, I'm always hearing a girl talk about how much they love a movie, a pair of pants, or Justin Bieber.

Thinking about that today, I've been thinking about what I really love.

♥ quality time with my hubby

♥ waking up and reading books with Ethan before I get out of bed

♥ watching our parents be grandparents

♥ the blessing of a church family

♥ my relationship with my mom

♥ friendships that can pick up where they left off, despite time and distance

♥ how God reveals Himself through His creation

♥ open-mouthed, slobbery kisses from my sweet boy

♥ sharing in youth ministry with my husband

♥ my bond I share with my sister

♥ watching Ethan learn

♥ good talks with close friends

♥ Andrew's borderline obsession with making me smile

♥ the way that God provides

♥ dance parties in the kitchen with my little man

♥ enjoying a quiet cup of coffee before the rest of the house wakes up

♥ the awesome example that my parents' marriage is to us

♥ Ethan putting his hands out to hold ours and saying "pay, pay" (pray) before we eat

There's much more, but I have a sweet little boy who just woke up and needs some lovin.

What do YOU love?

Reflections of 2010...

This time last year, we were new parents of a beautiful baby boy, I was on maternity leave, and we were renting a house.

As we turn the page to 2011, we have a 15-month-old who keeps us incredibly busy and continues to bring us incredible joy, I own an online natural parenting store, and we own our first home! What a year!

Over the past 12 months, I have continued to fall more in love with Ethan and more in love with my job as a mom. I was made to be a wife and Mom – I’ve been saying this since high school, where my economics teacher would make fun of me and tell me I couldn’t live off of love….I’m proving him wrong. I have never felt so fulfilled and so at peace about where I am in life. I can’t imagine being back at work and leaving Ethan every day; I would be missing out on so much! I love that I have the privilege of watching him learn new things every single day – I’ve watched him take his first steps, learn his first words, and figure out life as a one-year-old. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I own a business! What the heck?! How did that happen? This time last year I wouldn’t have thought I had it in me…sometimes I still don’t know. But, with immense amounts of encouragement from my wonderful husband (and some incredible family and friends), I took the plunge and am now the very proud owner of ‘Lovable Little Tree Huggers.’ Starting my business has enabled me to share my passion for cloth diapering, baby-wearing, and natural parenting with friends and strangers alike; it has given me a sense of independence, and it has given me the opportunity to meet some great new friends and other stay-at-home-Moms. I love what I do, but most of all I love that it allows me to stay home with Ethan and savour the joys of motherhood.

Not only do we now own a business, but we bought our first home in 2010! After essentially giving up on the fact that we would ever own a home in the area we're currently living, things just about fell into our laps and we were able to buy a house that we have quickly made a home. We are excited about renovating our kitchen and powder room in 2011 and about making more family memories in our first family home!

As we say goodbye to 2010 and remember all of the excitement and memories made, I also feel a sense of loss and mourning. In 2010, a dear friend passed away very suddenly, sending my life into a cloud of sadness and many, many tears. Life didn’t seem fair. He was far too young and had so much potential…he was going to do great things. I grieved for his parents; I grieved for his brother and sister; I grieved for my parents and for other friends affected by his death; and slowly over the last couple of weeks, I think I have started to grieve for me. There are many, many memories that I look back on and am thankful for, but I feel like there were also many memories waiting to be created. As I begin 2011, I remember my friend. I remember vacations together in our childhood, I remember conversations with him that went way over my head, I remember the first time he met my son, and more than anything, I remember his laugh. I cling to the fact that he is with God and he is at ultimate peace…sometimes that gives me peace too. Until I hear his laugh again, I’ll remember his life, and in his memory I will cherish every day I am given.