we have leaves now!!

photos (bottom to top): 1) a new kind of tortilla! thank you cookie cutters!! sam will not stop eating breads if they are birdies, kinda fun. and the scraps get pasted together with peanut butter or cheese and eaten as well!
2) wonderful inlaws!!!
3) brotherly love. super cuteness!

a week: in photos

Julia

Julia



please enjoy this song written by David Cavan Fraser in honour of our dear little Julia.

Creativity in our Family comes in many exciting forms..

For the record, i don't consider this cupboard in the above photo to be 'creative' or 'artistic', however, i thought it was important, for the shallow profile the computer allows us to have, to show the messier side of life. So, in keeping things honest and open, our life is messy. As much as i value a tidy home, there are pockets of it that collect clutter. The items that have not yet been assigned a 'home'....they gather in these undesirable places (such as the cupboard above!!!) and haunt me. Ik. i just don't like these places, they scare me. Full of mystery mess. Ik.
On to the Creative Side of Life: Dave is making a BEAUTIFUL garden box for Julia's upcoming birthday!! Julia is interested in growing things, so we are encouraging this new interest. She has always known the plants growing in our own gardens, and she will point them out as we see them in other gardens as well.... she has a mind for green things and dirt. I like that.
Dave worked hard on this yesterday, there is a little left for him to do and then Julia will get to paint it. :) I can't wait!! :) What an amazing Hubby, who knew he was a wood worker along with all the other skills he has??? :)
I have been playing this a lot more lately. My favorite song has been Moonlight Sonata. lovely.
Julia made a centerpiece for the table yesterday. Pictured in the photograph above are the random things she found outside: a wood scrap, rounded brick piece and a silk leaf.... she was excited about creating it, so it is still on the table. I like to have an atmosphere in our home of safety for creativity. Meaning.... it's okay if it is 'weird' or 'unconventional' we let you make things and explore beauty as you see it!! :) There is so much joy in seeing a child make things with confidence because they are doing their best and enjoying it!! Now i don't do this for the sake of building 'self confidence' because that is just code words for Pride, and no one likes a proud, know-it-all, think-i'm-the-best kind of person - and that kind of characteristic is not pleasing to God either. That is not what i want to teach in this atmosphere. I DO want my children to feel free to explore creativity as God designed us for. I want them to feel confident that they can TRY new things, and fail in those new things (or succeed) safely at home.
And last but not least!! hahahahaha. Dave found samuel trying to flush the garbage can down the toliet while mommy wasn't home.... hahahahhahahahahahaha.

Again, i don't consider this artistic, but it is creative.... just imagine what sort of creative thoughts were forming in my 2 year olds brain as he went through this process.... "hmmm...if this doesn't work, maybe my cars will...or mommy's jacket... or my sandwich... wow what an amazing machine this is!! and to think, mom and dad only use it for __(you know, i don't have to write it)___!!!"

well, that's all for today. Julia's bday is fast approaching. I need to go set up a treasure hunt. I need to bake some horse cookies and Barn cookies to decorate the cake with.... so much to do... and it is all so much FUN!! :)

did i do that?

Oh dear,

Easter Sunday, Beautiful weekend of sunshine, and i haven't any pictures to show for it!! I am so sorry !!! We have gorgeous weather, and we have had tons of park time, out side time, Oma and Opa time, food time, walk time, chocolate egg time, etc etc etc. lovely. just lovely.

Now two more days of exhausting by myself parenting until dave has a few days off. Praise the Lord for that!! whew, i am sleepy after the 6 days of parenting alone (except for the last 1/2 hour of the day) that we do once a month. God definitely made families with the idea of mom and dad sharing the joy and the burden together!!

anyway....
have a glorious Easter!!! Praise the Lord!!!

su

The Chronicles of Sarnia

Endless winter is upon us, if anyone knows the whereabouts of Aslan, please, tell us and give us hope that this will end.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh no more storms!!!! pleaseeeee!!!

what we did today.

Every day that God brought sunshine to us this week, we have spent 2-4 hours out of doors, and WE ARE SO SO SO HAPPY!!!! i love the blue sky, the fresh air and the warm sun!! :) and so do the kids, i don't think they'd ever ask to go in, if they didn't need dinner or a bathroom. :)


this is a personal favorite of mine, i love the motion in the picture!! :)
SHE IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE!!!

My three puddle jumpers, and a swing set that fit them all! :)
baby pine cones!! :)
exploring the dirt. He had this stick shaped like a hammer and as he hammered the ground time after time, eventually he would spear a leaf and then run to me with the leaf dangling off the stick, as a present. hahahaha.
run run run run run.