Halloween

Am I the only one who feels as though this year is just blowing past?

Here it is...October 31st already.

The children had a wonderful night of Trick or Treating despite the cold. Sam went out as a zombie, Julie was a Spanish dancer and Jordan was a chicken.

Have you ever seen those inflatable costumes? We love them and have quite a few. This year Ian wore the inflatable Grim Reaper carrying a man. It's so funny to look at because while Ian's body is in the Grim Reaper part, his head is in the man part. I hope you can picture that because I know I'm not describing it very well. He covered his face with zombie makeup and looked awesome. I wore the same inflatable pumpkin costume I wear every year.

The children have enough chips and candies to last them until next Halloween!

I loved watching Sam and Julie helping Jordan up and down the stairs. She was able to keep up with them for the most part which surprised me. I'm sure they'll sleep well after all that fresh air and exercise.

What did your little people dress up as for Halloween? Did you dress up too?

I'm off to bed - I'm pooped!

Book Review: Don't Look Back

Twelve years ago, forensic anthropologist Jamie Cash survived a brutal kidnapping. After years of therapy, she has made a life for herself--though one that is haunted by memories of her terrifying past. She finally lets herself believe that she can have a close relationship with a man, when signs start appearing that point to one frightening fact--her attacker is back and ready to finish the job he started all those years ago.

Can she escape his grasp a second time? And will she ever be able to let down her guard enough to find true love?

Filled with heart-stopping suspense, gritty realism, and a touch of romance, Don't Look Back pulls you into its twists and turns to hold you there until the very last page.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~

While this book is the second in the Women of Justice series, it holds it's own as a stand alone book. Suspenseful and dramatic, this book will capture your attention from the very beginning and hold it right until the end.

The main character, Jamie, is a survivor who rose above her terrifying ordeal. She is a strong Christian, and I liked the realism of her character. I figured out who the stalker was before the ending, but that didn't take away any of the drama or suspense because I looked forward to seeing exactly how the story would play out and finish.

Romance, faith, suspense, drama... this book has it all and is a true page turner.

Be warned, some scenes are graphic and disturbingly detailed. Having somewhat of a weak stomach myself, I had to skim past these parts.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

5QF ~ October 29

This has been a very busy week around here - I've been working on potty training Jordan and she's doing wonderfully!

We started on Monday and she did her bidnezz right away. I wasn't expecting her to do it and figured it would take a few days, but no... I didn't have any M&Ms in the house to reward her, so I used a mix of praise and granola bars.

Just yesterday she pooped on the potty and I wouldn't be surprised if you heard me cheering all the way at your house! Today she's going on her own without me asking or reminding her. She even dumps the contents into the toilet and hands it to me to rinse out.

Brilliant I tell you.

Last night was our Halloween party for Girls Club and I wore my inflatable pumpkin costume. Jules went as a spanish dancer and looked beautiful. I did her makeup before we left and was caught off guard at just how lovely she is.

Tonight we're going to my mom's to carve pumpkins, tomorrow night the children are having a Halloween party with some friends, and then of course Sunday is The Big Day.

Are you ready for some Five Question Friday fun? I know I am.



1. If you could be a fly on any wall, which would you choose?

Anyone's really. I'm that nosy. I'm not particular, just nosy.

2. Do you budget your Christmas shopping or just get it done without budgeting?

We set a budget for our extended family that we follow pretty closely.

Ian and I start out with a set budget for each other, but he ALWAYS goes over. I tend to stick closer to mine but not him.

As for the children...I have no idea. Ian does all the electronic/gadget/toy shopping for them, and I tend to shop for clothes or pjs. Yep, I'm the practical one. I tell him how much I'd like to set aside for that and he does the rest. And he exceeds it every year. What can I say? He can't help but spoil the ones he loves.

I guess the short answer would have been we sort of have a budget.

3. What is the craziest fad diet you have ever done?

I've tried them all I think. Probably the Slimfast one. Man alive... I thought I was starving to death on that one. I've also tried the Grapefruit Diet as well as the Eat Only Green Things Diet.

Right now I'm on the Seafood Diet. You know.. I see food and I eat it...

4. Is there a TV show that you have seen every episode/season of?

I don't think so. I seem to always miss something. I would have said LOST but the final season was just ridiculous so I stopped watching.

5. What one song always pulls at your heart?

Jesus Loves Me. I get teary every time I hear it. We sing it at baby dedications and I lose it.

The song from Ice Castles... Looking Through The Eyes Of Love? Yeah, that one.

Oh and sweet mercy... the Christmas Shoes one. I have cried in the middle of a department store listening to that song.

(If I was being honest, I'd list the million other songs that make me cry but something tells me you have other things to do today than to read the titles of every song ever written)

That's it! Hope your little ones have a happy and safe Halloween!

Head on over to Mama M's blog My Little Life and join in on the fun!

I Hate Confrontation

Back in the day, I used to be very confrontational. I had no problem whatsoever telling someone what I thought without regard for their feelings. As my mom said just the other night, a thought would barely form itself in my mind before it was coming out of my mouth.

Um...thanks Mom. ;-)

She was right of course.

Rude cashier? I'd call her on it. Someone treating me unfairly? They'd hear about it. Did you just give me a dirty look? You're goin' down...

Then I grew up and mellowed out.

I still say all the things I want to say, but only in my head.

Nowadays, I avoid confrontation at all costs. Partially because I've softened over the years and partially because I have little people watching and listening to how I treat others so they know how to behave.

There are two types of people that I cannot for the life of me assert myself with: a hairstylist or a doctor.

I had an ongoing medical issue that lasted between six and seven months that my family doctor kept brushing off as being normal, and a part of aging. Each time I went to see him for this problem he treated me like I was an annoyance, and would speak down to me with frustration. Finally I pushed for blood work, an ultrasound and a referral to a specialist.

He pushed back and suggested we take a 'wait and see' approach.

I stated what I wanted yet again.

Finally he agreed to refer me and the whole time he filled out the paperwork he spoke to me like I was overreacting because my issue was no big deal.

Yesterday, almost four months later, I went to see the specialist. Apparently my issue is somewhat of a big deal and not so normal. He's ordered more detailed blood work as well as another ultrasound. He has his opinion as to what my ongoing issue was and it's so sad. While we don't know for certain that his suspicion is correct, a lot of my issue could have been addressed months ago.

I really appreciated how the specialist listened to my questions and answered them. He didn't talk down to me, he wasn't frustrated by me. He didn't rush me. He actually asked me to stop speaking so fast, a habit I have when I see my family doctor because he doesn't give me much of a chance to talk at all.

When it comes to my Ian or my children I don't have a problem speaking up for them. But myself? It was incredibly hard, and I just want to kick myself for taking so long to do it.

When I settle down and have a bit more information (I see the specialist in another 2 weeks) I think I will go back to my family doctor to talk about the specialist's findings and how he (the family doctor) made me feel when I tried to speak up for myself.

Or maybe I won't. Because I hate confrontation.

I feel like I dropped the ball on my own health because of my fears of speaking up.

Can you advocate for yourself? Do you find it easy or hard to do? How long would you wait before you insisted on a referral?

Tuesday's Treats ~ Apple Crumble

One of the things I love the most about Fall is apple picking with my family. We've gone to the same apple orchard for over thirty years.

Usually I never get around to doing anything with the bags of apples that we pick and most of them just rot which annoys Ian to no end.

But not this year! This year I tried my hand at Apple Crumble and fell in love with it.

This dessert is so easy and man oh man, is it ever good!



You'll Need:
8 apples
6 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of butter

Crumble:
4 teaspoons of butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of rolled oats

Peel and slice apples into a greased baking dish. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples. Dot with two teaspoons of butter.

Blend the remaining four teaspoons of butter into brown sugar. Mix and add flour and rolled oats. Sprinkle mixture over apples.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Serve warm or cold - it's delicious either way!

Job Interview Results & One Creepy Dude.

Thursday was the job interview I told you about on Wednesday. I was stressed out about what to wear but was able to find something in my closet. The agency told me to "dress sharp", something I haven't done in a long, long time. Willow ate one of my black heels, so my mom loaned me really cute pair of hers, as well as a pair of pantyhose.

Pantyhose. I think Satan himself created those things. I hadn't worn them in so long that I was surprised I could even remember how to put them on. I had one leg in and was working on the other when I lost my balance and crashed head first into the wall and fell down. My mom is much smaller than I am so the pantyhose didn't quite cover all of my butt, but I figured my pants would hold them up. (They didn't, but we don't need to discuss how they slowly fell down, taking my pants with them)

Next up....makeup. I managed to poke myself in the eye with my eyeliner, as well as the mascara wand thing. And I sneezed while putting it on, so as I am sure you can envision...I was a mess.

At least my hair looked good.

The interview was with Staples Head Office and it went very well. I didn't expect to get the job but I wanted to give it my best shot anyway. They asked a lot of tough questions, and I began to see that my time as a SAHM was going to make a difference. I felt like I said everything I wanted to say, and walked away feeling good.

I found out later that afternoon that they felt I interviewed well, however two other candidates had more of what they were looking for. I feet ok about it. It would have been beyond my abilities.

And so, the search continues. The next job will be the winner :-)

Thursday evening was Girls Club which was awesome. Lots of hugs and laughter. When Jules and I came home we took Willow out for a walk. When we were a couple of houses away from ours, a car came around the corner and hit the brakes and just idled there. I thought maybe it was someone we knew and they were stopping to talk. We lingered for a moment then continued up our driveway.

We were just reaching our porch when a man came walking along the sidewalk and stopped in front of our house. Willow went nuts barking and snarling. I couldn't believe it, it was completely out of character for him. The guy started to say something but I could hardly hear him. I think he said he wanted to talk to me about God, so I said "Oh no thanks! We're Christians!"

Oh my gosh, who says that? What Christian says that?

Meanwhile, Willow continued to growl and bark, and I was starting to feel really, really unsettled. I was trying to hold him on the porch and push Julie inside when the door swung open and Ian was there. He'd come to see what the heck was going on outside. I said goodnight to the man and practically shoved Jules into the house and locked the door.

If he did really want to talk to me about God, where was his bible? His pamphlets? Creepy dude.

This is a very long post, isn't it?

I have other things to tell you, but my fingers are tired and I'm sure your eyes are tired from reading.

Hope you had a great weekend :-)

The Neighbour's Dog

I got this in my email today and thought it was too cute note to share!

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard.
I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.

He calmly came over to me and I gave him a few pats on his head. He then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.



An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour.
This continued off and on for several weeks.

Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is
And ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:
'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep.
Can I come with him tomorrow?

Six Things On Wednesday

1) All day I thought today was Tuesday and it's Wednesday. I feel like someone stole a day from my week. This is not good.

2) I have a job interview tomorrow afternoon. It's in my field, however I suspect it's way out of my league. I am a mess tonight thinking about it. I don't know if I am more worried that I won't be offered the job, or anxious that I will. As I type this I am tucked in my bed, crying like the biggest crybaby you've probably ever seen, thinking about how much I will miss Jordan during the day, or who will watch the kids over Christmas break? And on and on...

3) Willow is lucky he's a cutie patootie because I was ready to list him on eBay this week. I took him to the conservation area on Saturday as usual, and he ran and ran and ran with Kali, his beloved. He swam for the first time and really enjoyed it. He somehow injured his back paws and they were bleeding. I don't know what caused it but the bleeding stopped shortly after we got home. Then the whining and carrying on started and went on all afternoon, all night, all the next day.... He wouldn't eat or drink anything either. I couldn't find anything outwardly wrong with him and I was getting worried about his insides, so I booked an appointment with the vet.

Long story short, he's completely healthy. Diagnosis? Love sickness. Nice. $77.40 to learn that he was missing Kali. We got them together last night and he was a happy dude afterwards. No whining, he's eating and drinking again, and Mama is happy.

4) I haven't really been baking much of anything lately. Not feeling all that inspired to be honest. Well, I did try Apple Crumble and will be showing that to you soon.

5) We're going to Ian's parents' house this Saturday to celebrate his Dad's birthday, and I believe we're going to visit the pumpkin patch as well.

6) I encountered the most annoying cashier at the grocery store on the weekend. I am certain he was new, so I tried to be patient with him. I asked him if the cases of pop went through for the sale price and he said "Maybe they did....maybe they didn't." I asked him if he could please check and he said "Maybe I will....maybe I won't." They were offering free pumpkins if you spent over $60 and I said something about not forgetting that I had a pumpkin in my cart and he said "It's not your pumpkin. It's my pumpkin. It isn't yours until you pay for your groceries."

I managed not to jump over the counter and strangle him. Because I'm nice like that.

That's about all I have to report. I've been a very lazy blogger lately because I've just been feeling so blah. I'm not one of those bloggers that only talk about the sunshine and roses, but I'm also not one that whines endlessly. Even though there are times I really want to. And inwardly there's Whinefest 2010 going on in my head.

Meh.

So I will end this on a positive note. I love my iPhone. I love Fall. I love my sleep and I'm going to go get some of that right now.

Be blessed my friends.

5QF On Sunday!

Yep. I'm late to the Five Question Friday party this weekend.

Not just late, but seriously late.

Mama M will forgive me because a) she loves me best and b) I keep letting her win at Words With Friends.

Ok, I don't let her win, she kicks my butt. Every single time. It's embarrassing, really.

Anyway, on to this week's questions!



1. What is your favorite Halloween candy?

Reece's Peanut Butter Cups. I love them so much I just want to lock myself in the bathroom and eat them all so I don't have to share them.

If you know me then you know my stance on sharing. It's overrated.

2. Do you fold your socks?

I used to roll them. You know, put them together, then fold one of them over the other and pull through until you get a ball.

I hate folding socks. Hate. I don't like how some go missing and then I have lonely singles. We have a few "sock spots" around the house that have mismatched socks in them and the kids go digging for two that match. Ian's socks are mostly black so I'll roll his.

Sometimes I get fed up and buy new socks.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

And now you know more about our sock-life than you probably wanted to.

3. What is something that you wish you had been warned about?

I wish someone warned me that life hurts and dreams change. That planning a marriage was about more than who balances the chequebook or how many kids we'd have. I wish someone would have told me about the ways we could hurt each other so I could have avoided my part. I wish I was warned that pregnancies end abruptly, that layoffs are realities, that I would have to fight tooth and nail for some of the things I wanted.

I also wish someone had warned me about the steal-your-breath love I'd have for my children, that I'd worry about them every single second they were out of my sight, that no matter how hard I tried to be a perfect mother, I would still have moments of failure, and it's ok.

4. What is the most significant difference between you and your significant other?

He is patient and I am not. He loves to be social and I'm a homebody. He trusts the Lord with all his heart and I struggle with questions and doubts and periods of silence.

5. What are three words you would use to describe yourself? (And, just for fun...if your significant other is around, ask him/her what 3 words they would use to describe you!!)

Loving, funny, encouraging.

I asked Ian this question last night and I think he said caring, fun and loving.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend :-)

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day - October 15th

**Re-Posted from last October 15th**

On February 27th, 1998 we lost our first child. We were heartbroken.

It amazes me how much my heart still aches for this little one, even after all of these years.

We feel it in our hearts that this baby was a boy. I don't know how we know, we just do.

I wonder what he would have looked like. Smelled like. Laughed like.

I wanted to bake cookies for him. To comfort him when he fell. To tickle him until he collapsed in a heap of giggles. To fold his little shirts. To tie his shoes.

I wanted to hold him.

I wanted to feel his hand in mine.

I wanted to hear him call me Mommy.

I wanted to feel his lips kiss my cheeks.

I want to understand why we couldn't keep him.

If you have experienced the loss of a child, know that my heart hurts for yours and that you are in my prayers today.

End Of A Great Weekend

While I'm sad that this wonderful weekend is now over, I feel like the days were well spent.

Yesterday I decided on the spur of the moment to drive a few cities over to a fabric store to see what kinds of prints they had. Julie decided to come with me, and after a quick stop at Tim Horton's we were off.

Just over a half hour later we reached our destination, only to find that the store was closed yesterday for the Thanksgiving weekend. It didn't even occur to me to call first.

We drove around for a bit looking at the little shops and houses and enjoying easy conversation and laughter. I try very hard to have one-on-one time with Julie at least once a week to keep us connected and yesterday was perfect for that.

We browsed a clothing store and she gave me her opinion on back-to-work clothes. I feel like I've been in a bubble for the last three years and have lost all sense of style. If it isn't comfy then I don't wear it. I felt a little excited about the looks for Fall...right up my alley.

We grabbed a quick lunch at McDonalds, went to our local grocery store and after dropping everything off at home we took Willow to the conservation area to run around.

When we were coming home Julie looked at me and thanked me for our time together and said "I can't get enough of you, Mom."

She melts my heart.

Today we visited Ian's parents and stayed for dinner.

In other news... I am now an iPhone user. And true to my weird addiction to naming all of my belongings, I have named my phone Javier. He's a lot of phone for me but I'm learning slowly.

I like that it's basically a little computer. With fun games. And a police scanner. And I can play Words With Friends with Melissa. It's amazing how many cool apps there are.

Now when people say "There's an app for that!" I'll know what they're talking about.

Anyway, our phones are up for renewal and Ian got the new iPhone 4G and so he gave me his old iPhone so I can get used to it, and in another month or so he'll get me my own iPhone 4G.

I don't know if I can handle that much technology. Seriously. I can't even switch the input for the tv so I can watch a DVD. I have to get one of the children to help a mother out.

I felt lousy all last week with the onset of a cold, and it's really starting to settle in. My nose is sniffly and I'm sneezing a lot.

Is it true that every time you sneeze your heart stops? I'd google it but I'm too lazy.

Ok, enough chatter for now.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend :-)

Checking In On Sunday

Did you notice the date today?

10-10-10.

And I'm posting this at 10:10 am.

Because I'm a dork like that.

Yesterday was a busy day. It started out with eye appointments for all of us, minus Jordan. It was a frustrating experience because two employees were being trained and it took forever to get us all registered. I was so happy that no one tried to blow air in my eye to check the pressure or whatever that does. I had it once in one eye and decided that was enough of that.

Because I'm sure you're burning to know, my eyes have only weakened a little bit, and I am sporting a new pair of contacts. The world is crispy once again.

Afterwards, Willow and I met up with Cindy at the conservation area. She brought two dogs with her this time and it was like a little doggy party. I think I overestimated my energy level after having a cold all week, but I enjoyed the walk. The trees were even more beautiful than last week.

I came home, popped a strawberry rhubarb pie in the oven, rested for a bit then headed over to my mom's house where we celebrated Thanksgiving with my side of the family. My mom invited two of her friends and it was a lovely dinner.

Today is all about baking apple pies and apple crumble and using up all the apples before they go bad. And a nap. I think there needs to be a nap in my day somewhere.

How is YOUR weekend going?

5QF ~ October 8

I am so excited for this weekend!

Why?

It's Thanksgiving, that's why!

I'm heading over to my mom's house in a few minutes and we're going to get started on the preparations for dinner tomorrow night. We're going up north to celebrate with Ian's parents on Monday. The children love weekends like this when they get to see all their grandparents.

I love Thanksgiving so much that I've decided we're going to have two this year - the Canadian one and the American one :-)

Umm...could someone who's American please let me know when that is? My belly I need to know so I can look forward to it.

Thank you so much for your encouraging and supportive comments to my last post. I can sometimes be a bit over protective when it comes to my little people, so it was very reassuring to know that you would have handled things the same way.

I appreciate you guys, you know that? I love that you read this blog, and it means so much to me that you comment on what I write and give me so much support.

Thank you.

Ok. Enough with all the sap and on to Mama M's Five Question Friday!



1. What do you listen to while driving?

I'll listen to the radio if there's a good song on. I alternate between four stations. Or I listen to a worship CD and sing along to that. Sometimes I get very carried away and start belting it out, hands lifted, freaky stares from the cars next to me...

I love to sing, but the good Lord did not gift me with a beautiful singing voice!

2. What is your least favorite thing about Fall?

I love everything about Fall. The crisp air, the changing leaves, Thanksgiving, stews in the crock pot, pies in the oven....

I wish it lasted longer... and didn't have Winter on it's heels.

3. What does your dream house look like, inside and out?

I'd love a fenced yard, a kitchen with a window overlooking the backyard, main floor laundry and four bedrooms.

4. Would you ever own a minivan?

I love my minivan almost as much as I love my children. We've had ours for about five years and I love it. There's room for everyone - including Willow! - and everyone's belongings. I like that I'm high up so I can see over cars at intersections.

I know of many people who would rather die than drive a minivan and I just don't get it.

5. Do you wash new clothes before wearing them?

No I don't. I love the new-clothes-feel. And they're usually already ironed so I'm good to go.

I have a thing about buying things that someone else has already touched (like magazines at the store for one example) so I'll take the one in the back. I imagine that I'm lowering the cootie-factor and therefore it's ok to wear before washing.

OK that's it for me today - I have to get moving here or I'm going to be late!

Have a super Friday!

Head on over to Mama M's blog My Little Life and join in on the fun!

Someone Is Bullying My Kid!

Last week Sam got into his first fight at school.

I was shocked. He is so mild. Such a peace keeper.

He came home from school and said his day was ok then went to his room. Shortly after, I got a call from the vice principal informing me of the fight. I'm sure he thought I was an idiot because I kept saying "My son? MY son was in a fight?" I was that shocked.

He said he couldn't give me names of the other children involved, but there had been an exchange of words that led to shoving, and that led to punching.

I felt the Mama Bear rising up in me. "Someone punched my kid?"

He said Sam's punishment was to serve detention for two recesses. Yikes. He lives for recess.

When I finished speaking with him, I called Sam upstairs to get his version. He said that the other boy was cheating at the game they were playing in gym class, and Sam made a comment to another student about it. The boy got right into Sam's face, swearing and chest bumping him.

The details are hazy at this point, but apparently Sam pushed him back and when they were in the change room, the other kid was yelling profanities at Sam and pushing him. Sam was in the middle of putting his shoes on when the kid pushed him, so he stood up and hit him with his shoe.

With.his.shoe.

Oh boy.

The boy retaliated with three punches: one to Sam's cheek, the next to his temple and the last to the side of his head.

Sam said he wasn't proud of what he did, but he just couldn't take it anymore. This kid had been bothering him for a year now, swearing at him, threatening him and pushing him, and he just couldn't take it anymore.

Oh my goodness. It took me right back to my own childhood when I was bullied every single day. I lived in constant fear and I hated school. I'd either take off running for home the second the bell rang or I'd hide in the bathroom until I was sure every last student had gone home. I would take the long way home to avoid my bullies. I did whatever it took.

My kid isn't going to live like that.

Ian and I talked to Sam about it and how he could have handled himself better. Ian showed him some self-defence moves. We said if someone hits him first it's ok to defend himself, just drop whatever he may have in his hands at the time and not use it as a weapon. We didn't punish him because the school already took care of that.

Turns out that the other kid got a one-day suspension.

Then on Monday Sam was holding the door for the kids in the class and this same boy started bugging him. Sam told him he had the door and to please just go back in line. The boy got up in Sam's face asking him if he wanted him to punch him in the face again. Sam said "just try it" and the kid backed off.

Today I called the vice principal to discuss the entire issue, and to give him some background on this boy from last year. I told him that Sam said he wasn't proud of what he did, and that he's becoming more withdrawn at home, which is a huge danger sign to me.

The vice principal took a bunch of notes and said he would speak with the teacher. I said that as a parent it's my job to protect my child, and as an educator it's his job to protect him while he's at school, and we needed to work alongside each other to eliminate this problem.

The conversation went well, he thanked me for calling and asked me to report any further issues. I'm prepared to take this as far as I have to, to ensure my son's safety at school. Bullying isn't something we can take lightly.

Being that I was constantly bullied as a child, it's definitely a hot spot for me. I've certainly moved on from it and don't carry it with me every minute of the day. But there are wounds. I want to protect my children from those same wounds.

Where do you stand on bullying? How far would you go to protect your child? I'm interested in your thoughts and opinions on this topic.

Book Review: Choosing To SEE

Mary Beth Chapman's life was not how she planned it. All she wanted was a peaceful life of stability and control. Instead, God gave her an award-winning singer/songwriter husband, crazy schedules, and a houseful of creatively rambunctious children. Most difficult of all, she would live through loss that she never could have imagined.

In Choosing to SEE,Mary Beth unveils her struggle to allow God to write the story of her life. She wrestles with some of life's biggest questions: Where is God when things fall apart? Why does God allow terrible things to happen? How can I survive hard times?

No matter where you find yourself in your own life story, you will treasure the way Mary Beth shows that even in the hard times, there is hope if you choose to SEE.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

My heart broke when I first heard of the untimely death of Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman's five year old daughter Maria. I wanted to read this book not for the gory details surrounding their heart breaking loss, but to learn how a family moves on from a devastating tragedy like this while clinging to their faith.

Mary Beth is painfully honest and open as she takes the reader through her life and dreams for her future. She wanted to marry a quiet stable man and have some children. But God had different plans for her life, plans that included an award-winning singer/songwriter for a husband, six children (three biological and three adopted), a devastating loss and a ministry for her to lead.

She fought it. She questioned it. She longed for something simpler. But she held fast to the Lord, and lived the life He willed for her with grace and authenticity.

With a beautiful foreword by her husband Steven Curtis Chapman, and a powerful prologue by Beth Moore, this book reveals a woman after God's own heart. Her story is one of submission, forgiveness, healing and a deep faith. She shares her struggles, fears and disappointments with such transparency, and I found myself relating to her in so many areas.

This book is about more than the loss of their daughter. It's about believing in what we cannot see, trusting that God has a plan for our lives, and the redemptive love that comes from loving and serving Christ.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Book Review: Have A New You By Friday

How many times have we tried to change our own habits, only to find that changing ourselves is even harder than trying to change someone else?

Now, what the bestselling Have a New Kid by Friday has done for families and Have a New Husband by Friday has done for couples, Have a New You by Friday will do for you. With his signature wit and commonsense psychology, Dr. Kevin Leman walks you through your own personal five-day action plan.

You will come to:

Accept the truth about yourself
Boost your confidence by identifying the lies you're telling yourself...and putting them to rest for good
Change your life by concentrating on becoming who you really want to be

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Dr Kevin Leman is a well known psychologist who has written several books in addition to Have A New You By Friday. He has also written Have A New Husband By Friday as well as Have A New Kid By Friday.

I don't believe that you can change you whole outlook by reading a book, nor can you do it in a mere five days. Still, I found this book more entertaining. Dr. Leman is very humorous, however he doesn't really share any new news.

The book is broken down into chapters,one for each day of the week. Monday covers what kind of dog we are. I am a standard poodle in case you are interested. I laughed at that because a poodle is my very least favourite dog.

Tuesday covers how our birth order shapes our personality. I am the youngest child in my family, however I do not possess the qualities of a last-born, rather that of a first-born. I don't believe your birth order determines your lifelong personality, rather your life experiences do.

Wednesday talks about how our earliest childhood memories shape our beliefs about ourselves. I don't know if this is true for everyone, but I see this in my own life.

Thursday is all about our love languages and reads much like Gary Chapman's book on this very topic. Again, in case you are interested, my love language is Words of Affirmation.

Friday is the day to make yourself over! Change your thought patterns by changing your self-talk and the power of positive thinking.

This book was a very light read and entertaining at points, but if you're looking for a true self-help book, I think a meatier type book would be more helpful.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

What Happened To Customer Service?

Yesterday I went to the fabric store. I love going there because it inspires me to be creative, but if I spend too much time there then I get overwhelmed and bored and end up leaving with nothing. Which is actually a good thing since I'm not spending any money that way.

But yesterday the fabric store was having a sale and everyone and their uncle was there. Man was it crowded. I had Jordan with me which is always nerve wracking for me, because she is a typical 2 year old and has to touch everything.

(Oh how I love her!)

I found some Halloween fabric I liked and went to join the lineup at the cutting table. Before I could even stop her, Jordan had grabbed a handful of fabric from a nearby table and pulled on it, bringing down about eight bolts of fabric onto the floor.

Being the calm and patient mother that I always am, I screeched "JORDAN NOOOOOO!"

But it was too late. I looked at the lady and apologized profusely while I tried to pick everything up.

Then she barked at me, "Just leave it!! That's why we don't like having little ones in here!"

!!!

I was shocked.

I looked around at all the people looking at me and I felt so embarrassed. Then she told a young girl to take over for her so she could lock up the doors. As she walked through the store I could hear her shouting "Fifteen minutes to closing, people. Fifteen minutes!!"

Once my fabric had been cut I went to stand in line to pay. I saw her going up to each person to tell them that they were closing in fifteen minutes and that they needed to start wrapping things up.

When one man pointed out that there was fifteen minutes left she said, "Yes, but we have to check everyone through the cash register and I'd like to go home sometime today you know!!"

When I paid for my stuff I asked for the woman's name and for the name and number of the manager then met up with Ian in the mall to tell him what happened. He got all cross on my behalf and when we passed the store I pointed the woman out to him. He asked if I got the name of the manager and I said yes and he's going to call tomorrow.

I love it when he does stuff like that. Gets my back. Defends me.

I don't want anything from the store, I just want the manager to know what kind of people are representing it.

Unbelievable.

Has anything like this happened to you? Would you have said or done anything if you experienced this?

It's Happening Again...

I'm having another great weekend :-)

Friday night we took the children to a farewell party for Ian's coworker. His children were performing at a local pub and it was lovely. Jordan danced with her daddy and it was such a precious sight to see.

Saturday morning brought rain, but it didn't stop Cindy and me from taking the dogs on another hike. Even though we ended up very wet, very chilled and with two very muddy dogs... it was an invigorating start to our day.

I dropped Wills off at home and headed off to get my hair done and I feel so much better! I have very thick hair and it grows so fast, so I looked like I had some sort of dark rooted nest on my head. But not now, my friends. Now I look fab-u-lous.

Snap.

Our wonderful babysitter came to stay with the children so Ian and I could go to see Resident Evil 3D. Great effects and the pop-out factor was rather high. I think I screamed a half dozen times and with all the jumping, I lost approximately a third of my popcorn. This new polarized 3D business is amazing, so much better than the old style of 3D, with the red eye/blue eye paper glasses.

When I say "polarized" I feel very smart. I'm not entirely sure that's what it's called...I'll have to double check with my Ian.

*Ok, I just checked and Ian said it is polarized. See? So smart.

This morning has been extremely lazy so far. Ian let me sleep in until 11, then brought me a perfectly made cup of tea in my favourite Eeyore mug. I've showered and had my cereal, and now I'm just lazing about. I'll be heading out shortly to run a couple of errands, but nothing terribly pressing.

Not a bad weekend at all.

How is YOUR weekend?

Last Weekend

Know what I'm going to talk about today, on the eve of a brand new weekend?

Last weekend.

I know, I'm late. But not really. It was just such a great weekend and I've been savouring it a lot.

It kicked off with Girls Night on Friday night. Jules and I baked and decorated sugar cookies. It was so messy but so much fun. She loves to get into my icing tips and sprinkles. Lots of laughing and talking together.

Here are our cookies:




So fun.

Saturday morning we went apple picking. My mom wasn't up for joining us this year, and my nephew had plans, so we went on our own. We've gone to the same apple orchard for the last 30 years and it's funny how things have always stayed the same.




This is what we were picking:



This is our tractor driver. I was trying to take a picture of Ian and the children on the tractor while holding my tea. The driver was looking right at me and started to drive off. Without me!! Talk about a blond not being able to do two things at once. I couldn't hold my tea AND my camera AND get on the tractor. Thank goodness for the 8,000 (or 15) people on the tractor that yelled for him to stop. What a dramatic disaster.



Note how he isn't looking at me now. That's right, Mr. Driver Man...don't you be lookin' at me now.

Jordan was really into picking this year. She got the concept right off the bat and loved it. It was a perfect day to go because the trees were full and many of the branches were low enough for her reach on her own.

I love this picture. Remember this post when I talked about how Ian heals the wounds of my childhood? When I see him holding our children, I feel my heart healing that much more.



I love that we have this yearly tradition.



So do the children.



While the children (and my biggest kid, Ian) played in the hay pit, I browsed through the store and just about DIED FROM EXCITEMENT when I saw they had rhubarb. I need to go back and buy some. It's a need people. Like air is a need.

On our way home we made a special stop.



Afterwards, I met up with my friend Cindy to walk the dogs.

In the evening we had our Family Night and watched Iron Man 2.

Sunday was church, followed by a visit with my beautiful mother and a family hike in the late afternoon.

I loved that weekend.

Lots scheduled for this weekend too. I wonder if we can make it as good as last weekend?

Here's hoping!