Painting with Aleana...

makes for quiet moments

and
beautiful masterpieces!!

Go Lite Go!!

This is a bad picture of my Go Lite Blue from Philips.

I shine this in my face for 15mins every morning and before the time change I would also do it around 4-5pm when the sun would set.

Has it made a difference?

I definately think so. My low tone (feeling down and like crying all the time) days are by far fewer and I feel more awake in the mornings than I used to. Highly recommended for anyone who may be suffering from SAD.

The best part for us was that Will's extended covered the cost.

We were very thankful for that!!

March 17th

Boys exploiting St. Patrick's day to their full advantage.

Fleetwood Park - Two Weeks Ago!!

Marriage of Hearts

321)

I was reminded again yesterday...

how fragile this union can be.

When worker husband returns home,

I welcomed him more exurburantly than usual.

The joy is real and I feel thankful

for even that.

What makes it work?

How great I am?

How great he is?

No, it's allowing the Great I AM

in and remembering how

awesome He is.

Without that,

we are just broken glass

that will crack even more under

the weight of sin.
Yes, we are fragile but with Jesus

we are made like Rock.

322) I am thankful for my cacti. Aleana gave it to me for my birthday considering my allergies to pollen. Matthew commented that I could use them to spank him and that it would do a good job. Um, no, I don't think that would be appropriate some how.

UMMM - I love Turtles!!

So this picture is from my birthday. Aleana made me a turtle magnet. She also bought me a birthday pin that I was to wear all day - it was quite hilarious and reminded me of her zany ways. I hope to do a post on my birthday yet - I have been told that I should not neglect my own birthday, so okay I will get to it.

Today's post is about animals I am thankful for and the number one favourite that I am thankful to the LORD for is ....

300) Turtles!!! I love turtles because first of all they are beautiful in a quirky way. They are slow but very percise and intentional. They swim like they are doing ballet in the water. The way they migrate is amazing. When people personalize (is that even a word?) turtles they can be very cute and loveable and are rarely mean and nasty. Those are all the reasons I love turtles.
301) Lady bugs - they are good for your garden, are very pretty and I love red!!
302) Dragon Flies - aren't their wings just gorgeous?
303) Eagles - we see them every day we drive to school and admire them every time. PS - there is a nest on 168st.
6. 304) Falcons - I love for the same reasons as eagles - just so regal and the soaring they do is to be admired, oh to be that free!!
10. 305) Sparrows - because they remind me of God's care and love - thank you LORD!!
14. 306) Peacocks - the mini zoo down the road from us just bought a male and female and they are so proud!! The blue is amazing. I'll post a picture soon.
18. 307) Bunnies - just so cute!!
22. 308) German Shephard cross Huskey. This is Matthew's favourite dog and he rambles it off so often. When I grow up I'm getting a .... It's really a beautiful breed.
26. 309) We have a fish named Nemo - can you guess what kind that is?
30. 310) I like frogs too because they come in all sorts of colors. As long as they are not sitting on your plate.
34. 311) Monkeys - I have some of them in my house - aren't they just fun to watch?
38. 312) Cocker Spaniels - we grew up with one, named Mischa and she was the gentlest, kindest dog I have ever known. She was always loyal. The only time I know she bit anyone it was because she was being abused by a certain older male member of the family who shall remain nameless.
42. 313) When we go to the aquarium I love watching the otters - they are hilarious the way they communicate affection to each other. They hold "hands"!!!
46. 314) Dolphins - they can sing!!
50. 315) Killer Whales - I was very blessed to see them in the wild on a leisure sailboat with Will's Dad back in 1996. They swam right under our boat!!! It was so exhilarating!!
54. 316) Platypus - so unusual, the only animal that lays eggs and then nurses it's young. Amphibian or Mammal? I think it's in both categories
58. 317) Apes - brilliant!! Even though we may have the same DNA, I do NOT believe that humans evolved from them. Interesting that we have similar DNA - God is our great Creator.
62. 318) Sheep - alot of references to our the good Shepherd in the Bible so when I see sheep I am reminded of His care. Sheep are really dumb by the way - and skeetish. They need calm water or they will run all over and try to drown themselves. "He leads me beside the still waters" - I love the comparison. Without a shepherd we would drown. That is very true.
66. 319) Squirrels - they are excitable and the kids love them!!
70. 320) Giraffes - are way cool because of their long necks. In their necks they have blood valves that are very unique to them. If they did not have these valves every time they would bend over to eat or drink the blood pressure on their brains would cause extreme damage like hemorahage or brain explosion, (pretty much the same thing). Isn't God amazing?
74. I'd like to hear what your favorite animal is and why? Please share and we can glory in our creator together!!!
75. 
    

Back in Time

When I was 4-6, we lived in Inuvik, NWT. I have many memories of living up there because it was so different than anything else that I remember of my childhood. When I saw this commercial the other day - I was stunned. It bought back alot of memories because frankly the place has not changed at all. The school at the beginning is the same and those stairs the children are climbing, I remember climbing. The catholic church in the shape of an igloo is still there and the multi colored row homes are still there. Seeing the darkness, seeing all the Inuit people, seeing the parkas and scarves wrapped dozens of times really made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Kind of hard to believe considering that it was probably -20 when they took that footage.
I don't remember ever being cold because when you are kid, the warmth you feel comes from being with the people you love and having a place to call home.
This commercial will bring different feelings to you - let me know what they are. Does it make you feel cold? Does it look really primitive? What do you see?
Sometimes I wonder if those two years with little sun has contributed to having Seasonal Affective Disorder - :)
Enjoy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abkIIypRWv4&NR=1

February 25 - Peter's Birthday

The Teddy Bear cake Aleana made.

Hockey!

Hum..are you sure this is the right size?

Cake time!

Yummy! Delicious!

Where's Peter?

Where ever you are - We love you son!!

Soccer!!

Peter, may you be blessed with many more birthdays with your family and in God's family.

Love, Mom

Bowling for Dad's Birthday

A bowling we did go...
a bowling we did go...

High

Ho

The dairio

A bowling

we...

did

go!

Sorry Peter (who is very upset right now that there are no pictures of him on here) but when Dylan is around we sort of forget about you. Peter was there we just don't have any pictures of him :(.

And here is the famous score sheet Will had to take a picture of - he doesn't think he has ever bowled over 200 before but I remember that he has. Regardless, he had to have a picture.

We had lots of fun, no matter our scores - thanks Grandpa and Grandma!!

Long Time Coming - onto 280

I haven't posted a 1000 gifts blog in awhile because I have been uninspired. I was going to try 20 things that I am thankful about our home (without sounding like I'm bragging). I hope that I can do that!!! This will actually be good for me because with all the new measures we have been taking to lower my exposure to dust mites, I have been quite ungrateful lately :(.
I am thankful to the LORD for...

1) The window in my laundry room - it's nice to have daylight in there and see the road- what can I say, I like to watch people.
2) My blue bedroom - the ceiling lines are perfectly painted and it gives me pleasure to look at them.
3) The smell. I will never be able to smell it (unless I go away for over a month which won't happen for at least 20 years) but everyone else does and seeing how every home has it's own smell I am thankful that we have one.
4) The vacuum portal (can't think of a better word) that Will put in, in the kitchen under the cabinets so I don't have to bend down after I am done sweeping. It's a small thing but everytime I use it, I am thankful.
5) Our new deck that we have already enjoyed alittle on sunny days this past month.
6) Our large yard (in our eyes) - one of the main reasons we bought our house.
7) The neighborhood and neighbors that are quite supportive and friendly.
8) The little nicnacs that are hanging on my wall that my Mom made or gave to me.
9) My south windows that I can look out and admire the neighbor's garden
10) For the same windows to see birdies washing in his bird bath
11) Lots of day light coming into the house
12) That on dark days we have more electric light than before - we have been slowly replacing all the light bulbs with stronger ones. Yah!!
13) A clean, sparkling bathtub - great for taking long baths!!!
14) Our huge kitchen table that can become even more huge for company!
15) The door alarm that alerts me when any of the doors are being opened. We don't actually have the house alarm hooked up because surprisingly that whole idea stresses me more out than having an intruder. This door alarm proved itself quite useful when Matthew was three.
16) All of the toys that can keep the children occupied for hours.
17) My pot drawer (thanks to Will again) so I didn't have to bend over - do you sense an aversion to bending over?
18) Our new hot water tank. For the very reason that when it blew last month and we had a whole day at home with no water - that was not fun!!! I really really love our tank.
19) The new laminate in our family room - it was team work getting that laid down, but went really smoothly. We sure see the dust now. Good-bye dust mites!! Zap Zip Zap - Gotcha!!
20) And finally the one I've been saving for the end which probably doesn't count because I've mentioned it before but I don't care - The people in it!!!

Can you find 1000 gifts? Join me ...

Guessing Game Answers

I "guess" I have to post the answers since someone played the game. Yah!!!
1) Yes, that is White Rock
2) That was great guessing!! Or you just have great eyes. Yes, that was Peter peeing in the tidal pool. When you gotta go you gotta go!!! Plus, I had Ethan protecting the scenery :). When Will took that picture he had no idea what we were doing - tehe.
3) So the trick that made the pictures change orange was I took the picture through my polorized, perscription sunglasses. We also took a picture with Will's sunglasses but that just made the scenery look darker.
4) The time is about 5:15
5) The final picture was a "fort" but I loved the guess better - a bridge to another world of the imagination - that's beautiful :)
Til next time folks!!!