4 Months.. A Happy December.. and A Merry Christmas!

 A 4-month-old in my house again. How is it that the time can go so terribly FAST! I took these on the 10th (the day he "turned" 4 months) with every intention of posting them in the next day or two. Weelll...you could say those days kinda stretched into a few weeks.. Oh well. It doesn't change the fact that this darling child is growing sweeter, and more chubby/squishy with every passing day. Those darling blue eyes, that twinkle and sparkle with mischief, positively melt this heart of mine.
The child absolutely LOVEs his bath time, and is learning what waving his arms and kicking does.
#1. Makes the big brother giggle
#2. makes water fly everywhere, which, trust me, is a great thrill!

Lights. They are my new best friend when it comes to taking pictures. I might just add them to every photo-shoot from now on. I mean seriously...they are SO entertaining! :) 

And the pudgy little fingers... uhhh.. mommy-life is so rewarding in SO many ways. 

Dear child..how I love your frizzy/fuzzy curly baby hair. 

                            

Oh dear Jesus..how can I be so Blessed? How can these jewels be OURS? 

                            

Mommy-life is certainly not without it's trials though... we won't tell you how long it took me to get the big brother to get down there beside Hudson... how many tears we had to wipe, and stories we promised to read. I think he lasted down there for a total of 20 seconds. With a camera that takes 10 seconds to actually take the photo, once the shutter button is pressed.. it's trying. ALL I want is a few little photos of my boys at Christmas time!  I'm trying to figure out how to get pics, and not provoke the eldest to small anger fits... how much do you force it, just for what I want? And yet, he needs to learn to do what I say...but... and that can be taken to so many different area's of life. Kenden is really developing his own little attitude, that makes me want to pull out my hair and cry. Yet, I love to see it, and I know that he just needs some direction, as to where to go with it. So, I pray and pray, and hope, and as for wisdom  to know how to channel that.

Real boys love bacon! :)

His favourite Sunday night routine... helping daddy make "pop-pop". (popcorn.)  

Some beautiful Winter scenes out my window. LOVE Winter in the North.  

We are all getting excited about having a Christmas up here. Graham will be off work in a few hours (yay) and the boys and I are starting on the evenings snacks and supper. 

Wishing each of you a very Merry Christmas...!

May you experience HIS peace and JOY and love, as you reflect on the reason for the season. And, may we never forget what He gave up, to come to earth to save us...on the First Christmas. 

Why I tried Plexus (plus a little give-away!)

** Congratulations to Katherine! I will be shipping your 7-day SLIM sample in the mail, ASAP. :)

Why Plexus, you may ask?

It's a fair question..  a year ago, I never would have dreamed I would be doing what I am.  I had heard about this thing called "The Pink Drink" ...but never gave it serious thought..pretty much, my only thoughts where "whatever". Glad these people have something that they claim works...but me? Why would I spend money on something like this??

Well...why did I?  

It was after Hudson was born.. I was SO. Tired. ALL. the. TIME!  Always dragging, never feeling motivated, etc...etc... but, I thought it would all pass with time.  

That wasn't all. 

Graham was the same way...only worse. I felt like we would never have quality time again...unless it was soon after he had 14 hours of strait-sleep. (which, let me tell you, never happened. ) He felt itchy, and gross, in general. And I was MORE than ready to have my husband back. Maybe I would eventually snap out of whatever post-baby symptoms I was having..but Him? He didn't have a reason. Something was wrong..and I was actually starting to get a little worried. 

I decided I would look into Plexus a little more, and see what it actually does . Well, before I got the chance, we were in Oregon for one of my child-hood friends wedding.. when another dear friend, while catching up on life a little, mentioned how much better she was feeling...and how Plexus had given her so much hope. 

Hmm..I thought it was interesting that she threw in that little tid-bit about Plexus...shoved it off till I got home, and started researching it. Meanwhile, Graham is feeling extremely skeptical..but I was more and more determined to try it..even if just for HIS sake. I kept seeing things like "healthy blood sugar levels...weight loss...increased energy...clears brain-fog... " just to name a few. 

Once it came, and we were on it a week, I started noticing differences. Graham was no longer falling asleep in the evenings... I could sit through church without fighting sleep dreadfully..my sugar cravings went away...some of my extra stubborn #'s were melting off... My crazy emotions weren't all over the place anymore. Wow. 

I'm not here to say that it completely cures 100 % of lifes problems..but it has definitely been a life-CHANGER for us! I am SO grateful for this all-natural product that has helped so.many.people.  around the world. 

SO, I'm sure many of you have been hearing about this, and I don't know if you've been wondering what it is exactly, and how it works...or maybe you've been wanting to TRY the stuff?? (it's really quite yummy, by the way :)) But, I'm going to do a little give-away that I'm kind of excited about! 

Ready? :) 

Just watch this little video, and tell me something you learned in the comments below, or on my facebook post. 

I will announce the winner of a 7-day trial pack of SLIM 

on Wednesday, Dec. 17th. 

Looking forward to hearing from you. :)

18 Months

Once upon a time, there was born a little boy. The little boy stole his mothers heart. (well...the part babies can steal, anyway. :) )And every day since then, the mother was in awe of the small boy. How could she be so incredibly blessed. Not only to have a child, but one as sweet and cute and precious, as the one Jesus sent to her. 

Now, I'm having a hard time believing he is already 1 1/2!!? Where does the time go, anyway? 

He is such a little charmer these days..busy busy, running through the house. Some of his favourite things: playing with balls, and cars and trucks..and looking at (reading to himself) books. Right now, his absolute fav is "The Little Red Caboose". Love hearing his "choo-choo" noises. 

He also has to make sure the every time the train goes by, I pick him up, so he can see it go by, from the window. Sometimes it's  a little inconvenient, when I'm in the middle of something..(like feeding Hudson) but then I think about the fact, that every time I hear a train, probably for the rest of my life, I will remember my little boy, pulling on my skirt, dancing around saying "choo-choo", while pounding his hand on his chest. (saying "please") When I think about it that way, it's not too hard to stop what I'm doing, and lift him up to see the train. I know all to well, that time is not standing still, and before I know it...I won't even be able to pick him up anymore. 

He also goes basically NO WHERE, without the precious little bunny. You will see it couldn't even stay out of the pictures. Has to at LEAST be in a few. 

Oh, but I love him.

Graham's brother, Garett, came to visit us, the beginning of the month, and with him, he brought this amazing camera of his, along with a boat-load of talent. And, he captured these precious photos of our firstborn. Just so you are aware...all credits go to him. :) 

If anyone wants some photo-treasures, look him up! 

And now... here's my big boy. I could not seem to pick a favourite...once again. 

So, you get to see all of my favourites. :)

Those eyes...they just melt me in a big, messy puddle. 

Another one of his favourite things right now, is sitting on the little white chair, by the window, eating his snack of apple slices, watching it "now" (snow) 

I treasure this boy sooo much. I am so blessed, that Jesus saw it best to send him to our home. To allow me to be his mama. To teach him life lessons...about God, and His wonderful plan for our lives..as well as learning from him. He has already taught me so much. I've learned how truly selfish I really am.

 But, I've also experienced a love, that I never knew existed.  

Hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I did. But,  I guess I wouldn't expect that...maybe half as much. :) 

Happy week to one and all. 

Dedicated.

Yesterday was a special. There was a dedication at church... for our little Hudson.

I have been thinking about dedication quite a bit. Sometimes, as a mom, even though my boys are both very young, I wonder what will happen in their life time. It's easy to worry...to wonder..

- What will they become? 

-Will they be lovers and followers of Jesus? 

Will the be valiant?

 Will they be strong? 

(not in the physical sense)

 Will they be pure? 

Diligent?

 Leaders?

 Brave?

 Honest?

 Loving? 

Sensitive? 

Trustworthy? 

The list could go on..and I could write a paragraph about each question...with details to my questions.

What will they do for a living? Will they love music like their daddy? What part will they sing? 

What will the look like? Will they get married? Who will they marry?

I think about these things, (and so many others)  without racking my brain for things to worry about, and all of these questions flood my mind. I really do worry sometimes. And, I'm afraid that "sometimes" is a little more often than I care to admit.  

Then I start thinking I don't pray nearly enough, for them. For all of those things I mentioned. And THEN, I fear that since I don't pray as much as I should (which would be constant) that they won't turn out. As if somehow, I can pray them into being good men. Yes, I definitely think we need to pray for our children. And I do need and want to pray more than I do..but that alone is not what will save them. They will still have a choice. I do not have to pray them into Heaven.. I do not have to keep them safe at night. I do not have to make them grow. In fact, I CAN'T do those things.. I have to give them to Jesus.. to let my worries and fears rest at HIS feet.  I need to rest. 

Rest.

I know, that by placing them in our home, He is trusting them to our care, to nurture, to love, to pray for, to feed and cloth, to protect, etc... but they are ultimately His. So, will I willingly give them to Him? Dedicate them to Him..? Or will I pretend that I can't give them away, when really it's not my choice, anyway? He can take them when He wants..and someday, they will be making their own decisions, regardless if I want them to or not. 

Anyway, it was a beautiful reminder for me, to continually dedicate them to Jesus. 

That is by far, the safest place they can be.

I feel like I just let all my thoughts out there..not sure if they make complete sense or not..but there they are. and now it feels better. :)

I'm so thankful, that our loving Father sent these precious boys into our lives. Our hearts are full, We are overwhelmed..in so many ways.. I mean it's not always easy being mama. But the work is rewarding, and I could not feel more blessed. 

Welcome to the world, Sweet Baby Boy

It was early Sunday morning, when I woke up. Again.  It had been happening for the past two weeks..waking up, wondering if this would be the night/time we would grab our bags and head to the hospital, to meet the newest member of the family. All of those "other" nights, things would slowly fade away, after keeping me awake for 2-ish hours. This time, I knew within two minutes..it was different. This was IT! I quickly woke up Graham and told him he had better hurry..the way I was feeling, I didn't think we would have a whole lot of time to spare. At least I knew I didn't want to wait any longer than I had to, to get the car  ride over with.  It felt like he took extra long to get out of bed and ready to walk out the door. 

We got to the hospital around 2:30 - hardly 20 minutes after I woke up. The nurse got us to a room, and went to get my files...the computers were down. I felt so.much.back.pain and did not know how I would survive another how many hours, which I would be doing, if it were anything like Kendens' birth. She came back to assess things. I remember hearing 2 cm....and feeling like crying. Do NOT tell me that after all of the false labor I had, I was only at 2...and please don't tell me to go home. She went out, and I told my amazing husband/support, there is no. way. they will get me out of the hospital.

Things happened quickly, and just two hours after arriving at the hospital, at 4:32 a.m, August the 10th, 

Hudson Joseph

made his appearance, making us a family of 4, weighing 8lbs 8oz and was 19 3/4" long.   

Overwhelming Relief, Joy and Happiness, flooded my soul. At long last, the sweet bebe was born. 

Healthy and beautiful..oh-so-beautiful. 

There is nothing like meeting a brand new life.. getting to know the little person that grew inside for 9 whole months. So tiny, yet so perfect. 

Also, the dear husband of mine... he is amazing! Such a wonderful support and coach. 

I could not go through what I did, without him beside me. Love him So so much!

We were so privileged to have mom here. She was with us a week and a half before little Hudson was born. Bonding with Kenden, and keeping me from going insane, while we waited. 

Such a beautiful lady...I am so blessed to have her as my mother, and Grandma, for our sweet boys.

 I was so excited to see how Kenden would respond to a new little person in the house. 

He loves the little brother...but it's not always easy sharing mommy and daddy. 

We still have a bit of work to do with attitudes, etc... but in the meantime.. I look at these pictures over and over.. I cannot believe that I get to be mama to these two precious boys. 

Melt. My. Heart.

love those tiny little toes.

Thank-you, Jesus, for this precious gift You have sent to us to teach and train and love. 

He is so perfect, and our hearts are full of love and gratitude.

A little catch-up..and a night away

What would go through your mind, if you would get a phone call at 9:30 on a Friday morning..from your husband.. asking you to come pick him up from work...cause there was a "little accident". 

Ookaay. Like, what kind of little accident? Are you going to be ok? Do you just need to come home for a little rest...or are we talking "take me to the ER"? His reply.. "6 big sheets of glass just fell on me. Please just come get me. We will figure out what to do then. ."

 I try to stay calm.. get the little Mr. up after he just went to sleep...think about what I might need if we end up spending several hours (or the day) in the hospital. 

I kept remembering the time that he told me how dangerous he was learning glass could be. Like, if it falls, it can easily cut off your limbs...or.....well, we won't go there. Let's just say it's dangerous. 

But....if he's calling me, wanting me to come get him, it can't be toooo extreme of an injury. Can it, now?

It's a long story..one that I started posting about earlier, but never had the time (or rather the energy, when I would have had the time) to finish. Thus, the reason this post has to have catch-up. 

You see, it kind of makes a big difference as to how I feel about the rest of the post. 

We ended up just spending a few hours in ER. After getting an x-ray, we learned that he fractured his right scapula (shoulder blade)... that there would be 6-12 weeks of recovery.

He then told me his boss told him he should have been on the floor in pieces. 

What is an 8 month pregnant wife supposed to reply to that? You go from being so extremely grateful, to crying buckets of tears, thinking of everything that could have...or "should have" been. Of what I would have done... it makes you sick. Then it makes you so happy... so so happy that you think all of the aches and pains of pregnancy really are nothing after all. That you can handle it. Even if what he can do is very limited, and it means that you need to pick up the slack.. do those things that he had been doing for me, just cause I felt like I was getting so big and clumsy. You know.. I could do them after all. 

Things like cleaning the offices in town. Something I had kind of given up on helping him with for now.. partly cause of how I felt..partly because of the small, active son of ours, who loves to get into everything. 

It makes you think of life in a whole new way. What really is important?  It's so easy to wish for more.. to think that we reaally need certain things... then we can be happy. That to have fun, we need to go on a week-long vacation to ____________ . 

No. Really, there are some of the happiest moments, in the "normal day living" that we just don't think about... cause we are looking for "more". (I'm not here to say that vacations aren't good and fun. They are good. and it's great when you can make them happen...it just shouldn't take a vacation to "make your life happy. I don't know..can't seem to say what I'm thinking so I'll leave it at that. ) 

I have always loved when he came home from work...but now, it feels even better. I am always soo grateful that  he is home, safe and sound again.

Okay.. I feel like I'm just on a rant now. Things were kind of rough, especially the first few weeks, but we are grateful. Grateful that we could go through them together. And we are so ever thankful that our bodies are made the way they are, and that they can heal as quickly as they do. It's been 31/2 weeks now, and he is definitely doing better, although he still does get sore, tired, and has some nasty cramping in his arm.

Before all of this happened, we had been planning to go away for a night, before the baby comes. 

"this" sort of threw a wrench in the plans. I thought it was something we would just have to give up..although I must admit I was disappointed, but it wasn't the end of the world. I still had him with me.

Last Thursday night he came and asked me if I thought it would work to get away... we would be a little ways away from the hospital, am I too miserable, etc..etc... NO. I'm not to miserable for that!! Yes, I want to go, but...how? Never fear... this guy right here... he'll figure out a way. 

I love him soo much. Uhh.. he's handsome.

This here is the place he found.. delightful little (private) cabins out in the beautiful creation. 

The property was on Swan Lake

Such a beautiful, relaxing, peaceful evening. I love lakes..water. There is something so refreshing about it.

-

The Sauna...and Hot Tub. Welll...we didn't use them this time, for obvious reasons...but maybe another time, after sweet bebe, makes his/her appearance. 

38 1/2 weeks.

I simply love being married to this guy! I could have written a post a mile long on how amazing he is.. about all the things he did for me, when he was hurting so bad (like scrubbing my kitchen floor...cause I.just.can't.stand.dirty.floors) but we will save space for now I guess... This is already getting rather lengthy, I suppose. 

Sparkling Cider..and THE most amazing chocolate mousse. Yes, he really is super man. He makes such yum and delish treats. 

Thank you, Jesus for bring us together. And thank you for allowing him to stay here with me for a while longer. I am so, ever grateful!