Ten Random Things

My mind is all over the place today and I'm not having much luck forming a blog post tonight that makes sense.

So, I'll tell you ten random things that are on my mind.

Ready?

1} Yesterday was one of those rare days when I felt like I was rocking this mom gig. I was on top of everything with the littles, full of patience and we played a lot together. Today? Not so much. I was very tired and cranky most of the day and I hated that. I managed to get the littles to nap at the same time and closed my eyes for a bit as well and that helped me to feel better.

2} I have some really sweet and loving friends that have been reaching out to me lately, reminding me that they love me and are praying for my family. These simple gestures mean so much. They don't need to know all of the details of what we're going through right now, they just reach out. Such blessings.

3} I've been having recurring dreams about giraffes. I've never been a fan of the giraffe, but after dreaming about them for several days in a row I've become quite fond of them.

4} Tonight I met up with one of my favourite people ever for tea and to visit, and we ended up talking for just over two hours. *H* and I have been friends since the 9th grade.

5} I'm thinking about writing a post about some of the not-so-great things people say to someone who is searching for a job. I try to be kind and think that they're just trying to be helpful, but sometimes it's all I can do not to roll my eyes right in front of them. I'll tell you this, if someone you know has been laid off and is searching for work, the kindest, most helpful thing you can say to them is "we're thinking of you, and we're here to help if we can". Don't ask them if they've found a job every time you see them - believe me, they will tell you when they have. Just be encouraging and let the person know you're thinking and/or praying for them. Don't mention it every time you see or talk to them. Trust me, those things will go a long way.

6} I wish it wasn't so hard to move to the US. I love Canada, but I've always wanted to live in Florida. I really like it there. And I'm longing for a fresh start.

7} I think I'm over the worst of my caffeine withdrawal symptoms from giving up pop for Lent. Just the other day I heard that Lent didn't include Sundays. In my 30 years of being Catholic I had never, ever, heard that before. I'm not going to drink any pop until Easter Sunday. It will be a glorious event for sure.

8} I miss being in a small group for bible study. I used to be in one and loved it, but it's been a few years since I've been a part of it and I'm struggling without having that in my life. I'm praying about it.

9} I'm on some medication that makes me hungry all the time and it's so frustrating. I try so hard to stick to three meals a day and limit my snacking, but it's so hard. I don't need to gain any more weight, thankyouverymuch.

10} The new cast for Dancing With The Stars was revealed today and I'm really excited for it to start. Still a couple of weeks away though. Ooh! You know what else happens in the next few weeks? The clocks go forward! Come on Spring!

Ok, there you go. Ten random things from my head.

Counting Mine {181-195}

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Thessalonians 5:16-18
This past week I've been really trying to stay focused on the things the Lord has been blessing us with as we continue to navigate the events occuring within our family these days.

Ian and I were talking earlier this week and he has been encouraged (challenged??) to appreciate and be thankful for these blessings without adding a "but" to the end of the them. So easy to say "this is such a blessing, but..."

No more "buts".

Certainly keeps me in the moment and shows me where He continues to be with us. I can see where He is opening doors for us. I need to be grateful for those open doors and wait patiently for Him to open the rest.

Patience is not one of my spiritual gifts.

:-)

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181} the way my grandmother would remove her earring before answering the phone
182} an ice cold beer on a hot day
183} Ian's superhero shirts
184} Jordan swinging, her eyes closed and face lifted to the sun, smiling
185} family picnics in the fall
186} church bells
187} piles of laundry, sorted and ready to be washed
188} long dinners with great friends
189} the cuddly hug Ian gives me in the mroning just before we have to get out of bed and start our days
190} kindness at unexpected moments
191} dogs riding in cars with their heads hanging out the window, ears flapping in the wind
192} the way Jordan has to stand on her tippy toes to reach a spoon from the drawer
193} when Ian lets me put my lipstick in his suit jacket pocket so I don't have to carry a purse
194} capturing that perfect moment in a photograph
195} Julie's beautiful and strong heart for others
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If you are counting your own blessings and blogging about them, will you leave me a comment with the link to your blog, or share them with me at katieb38@hotmail.com? I'd love to know how you are being blessed through your journey!

Week At A Glance

Today I'm going to show you a few pics I've taken on my cell phone this week.

I've seen this idea on a couple of blogs now, and thought I'd do it here too since Saturday is a slow day.

Let's go.

Sitting like a pro and sporting an adorable onesie from his Auntie Amanda
.

All he wants to do is stand up now, and he's beginning to try to cruise. So exciting.

He's going to take off crawling any second, I just know it.

Spying on the neighbours, just like Mama taught him to.

Riding along on the way to an appointment. Looks like he's holding on for dear life and praying.

Another adorable onesie from Auntie Amanda.

1am and wide awake. I think he was afraid he was going to miss something exciting.

Any guesses as to where this onesie came from?? Yep.. another one from Amanda.

I won two donuts this week, so yesterday after school Sam, Julie and I stopped so they could each have a treat before heading home.

Jordan and I hit up Chapters this week too. I read while she played with the train table.

What did I read, you ask? This book, because no matter what I try, Matthew still sleeps like crap.

There you go. A quick glimpse into my week.

Happy Saturday :-)

5QF ~ February 24

Last night was so mild out that Jordan and I sat on the porch together for a bit. Today? Snow and slush. I'm so over this Winter business. Had I watched the news this morning I would have found out that all the school buses were cancelled and let Sam and Jules stay home in their pjs. When the buses are cancelled the teachers make the kids watch movies all day. They can do that at home, as far as I'm concerned.

Ten months until Christmas Eve. Just sayin.

It's been a fairly quiet week with the exception of Wednesday: I spent the day at my mother's house with Jordan and Matthew, had an appointment at 4 and then met up with my friend Cindy at 8. Not much on the schedule this weekend which is nice.

Being that it's Lent, I've decided to give up pop. I don't normally observe Lent, however the children attend a Catholic school and I wanted to be able to support them. Two days in and the caffeine headaches are murdering me.

To death.

Still, I will keep going.

I decided to give up the word "jackass" for Lent as well, but that only lasted as long as dinnertime on Wednesday. I was super hungry and when I get that way I get crabby and well, that particular word sort of slipped out.

Mattie is on the verge of crawling. He gets up on his knees and will rock back and forth but hasn't figured out he can become mobile yet. In the meantime, he'll do this slithery belly move to get to the things he wants. He'll also stand up in his playpen, holding onto the edge, for a long while. He loves pears and ice cream.

Other than that, there's not really much else to report.

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Being that it's Friday, it's time for Mama M's Five Question Friday blog hop.



1. What's your favorite way to spend down time (alone or with a significant other)?
Reading or surfing the net. Sleeping ranks pretty high on the list too.

2. Are you the kind of person that wants things more as soon as you know you can't have it?
I have certainly been this way at times in the past, but I try to focus on what I have and just enjoy that. I tend not to want a lot of things as I have all the things that matter already.

3. If you were given $1000 to spend on yourself, what would you buy?
A plane ticket so I could fly to Chicago in June to spend the weekend with my sweet friends.

4. Do you ever go out to eat by yourself?
Not yet, but it's on my list of things I want to do.

5. What company would you want to do a blog review for?
Chrysler! Ha!

Ooooh... I'd like to do a blog review for a Sandals resort or a Disney cruise.

That's it. Have a great Friday!

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

Christmas In February

One of the simple things that gives me a thrill is seeing the postman's little mail car pull up and stop in front of my house.

Like he did this past Monday morning.

What did he have, you ask?

Well, he had two packages for yours truly.

See?

So exciting!

The top package was from my sweet friend Amy from Mac or Cheesy.

Girl Guide cookies! I have heard much about the wonders of the Thin Mint cookie and Amy convinced me to let her send me a box. When I say convinced I mean she twisted my rubber arm.

Thank you Amy! They were delicious!

And the next box came from my sweet friend Melissa from My Scrumptious Treats.

Let's look inside :-)

Something for the children too!

Eeeeek!!!

These mini ones are Jordan's favourites...

And these are my favourites...

This was the biggest bag of M&Ms I've ever seen. It's resealable. Resealable!

Julie's favourites...

And mini packages in each of the children's bags.

What fun!

Amy and Melissa - thank you so much for your kindness! I love you both to bits and pieces! Thanks for loving on us like this!

xoxo

Date Night

Things got pretty exciting around here this past Saturday night.

Ian and I went on a date.

I think our last date was in April of last year.

Shame.

My mom gifted us with an evening out for our birthdays last month, and it worked out that this past Saturday was perfect. We were seriously in need of some Ian and Kate time.

Sam had planned to go to the movies with his friends, and Mom came over to stay with the girls and Matthew.

It was wonderful. Just Ian and me. Adult conversation, peppered with talk of our wonderful children.

Plans for our future once this season ends.

Lovey eyes across the table.

Holding hands.

And lots of delicious food.

For starters, I ordered this three cheese dip appetizer. Oh my, no words to describe how delicious this was.

I can't remember what this was called but the chicken was incredible. The pasta had peas and bacon in an alfredo sauce. So good!

Ian ordered wings. They were so spicy that I could feel my eyes watering!

We ordered cupcakes for dessert.

Ian had a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting.

I had a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. I've never had red velvet before and wanted to try it. It tasted like a regular cupcake that was reddish inside.

It was such a lovely evening and my belly was full long after I went to bed.

Hopefully it won't be another ten months before we have another date!

I Won!

It's that time again.

Roll Up The Rim To Win time!

Ian brought home a steeped tea for me this morning after driving Julie to school.

I love their steeped tea.

So good.

When I finished it I rolled up the rim and...

...won a free donut!

Definitely a good way to start the day!

Counting Mine {166-180}

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Psalm 107:1
Thank you for reaching out to me with so much love and kindness these last few days. It means so much.

xo

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166} sleepy children with full bellies
167} fun answering machine messages
168} discovering a fellow believer in the workplace
169} the refreshing shock after jumping into cold water
170} the heavy, dreamless sleep I have when I have a cold
171} the pride in Ian's voice when he says "this is my wife, Kate"
172} my name
173} that last cold diet pepsi tucked at the back of the fridge
174} the quiet stillness in the house before everyone wakes
175} birds perched together, side by side
176} a clear night with lots of stars
177} cutting into a piece of fabric
178} my "Kate Space", a small desk in the corner of my bedroom that is all mine
179} when Ian calls me Katie
180} going into the weekend with a clean home
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If you are counting your own blessings and blogging about them, will you leave me a comment with the link to your blog, or share them with me at katieb38@hotmail.com? I'd love to know how you are being blessed through your journey!

Counting Mine {1-15} Counting Mine {16-30}
Counting Mine {31-45} Counting Mine {46-60}
Counting Mine {61-75} Counting Mine {76-90
Counting Mine {91-105} Counting Mine {106-120}
Counting Mine {121-135} Counting Mine {136-150} Counting Mine {151-165}

5QF ~ February 17

I haven't been in the mood to blog much this week in case you haven't noticed. Everything feels like an effort these days and something has to give. I strive to be positive here but it's becoming more of a struggle and that shows.

I don't feel like I can be truly honest about what I'm feeling like and that's hard. I've put a lot of effort into growing this blog and it isn't as private as it used to be. People I know in real life read what I write - although some deny it strongly which I will never understand - and that means I have to censor much of what I discuss here.

Writing about only the good stuff makes for a lighthearted read, although not an entirely honest one. But if I write about how hard things are right now then it becomes a drag and who wants to read that?

Life is really, really, hard right now and there is so much more going on that I haven't talked about because I can't. My heart is breaking and my feelings are so raw. I cry a lot.

I continue to be humbled by the people who have reached out to me (and my family) in ways that I never would have imagined and have really touched my heart. I could live to be a hundred and not be able to repay their kindness. And then there are those who I thought would have been a support to us but have chosen not to be. It's beautiful and sad all at the same time.

I don't know what to do with this blog. I don't want to pretend to be happy all the time, and I don't want to turn people off with negativity. I don't know how to balance the two extremes right now.

Please don't feel as though you have to comment on this part of my post. I'm just talking some thoughts out.

Let's move on.

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So it's Friday, which means it's time for Mama M's Five Question Friday blog hop.



1. What do you do when you are really upset to calm yourself down?

Ian will usually make me a cup of tea and that often helps. For the times I'm really upset, I cry. In the shower, in my room, in the car. I'll pull out my personal stash of colouring books and drink my tea, colour and cry.

Then I pick myself up and get back in the game.

2. Do you go all out for V-day or is it just another day?

It's never "just another day", but at the same time, it isn't a really "out of the ordinary day" either. There is a lot of love in our family and that is demonstrated on a daily basis.

We exchange cards and have chocolate and such, but we don't make it a national holiday or anything.

3. Are you more or less productive when Hubs is away?

Probably more. Everything falls to me, so I have to make sure I step it up. All the meals, clean-up, diaper changes, bedtimes, dog walking, locking down the house so the killer doesn't get me, etc.... I'm the only one.

I always try to make sure the house is clean and tidy for his return. Who wants to come home to a mess???

4. What is your favorite time of day and why?

Lately it's been 9pm. While Ian puts the girls to bed, I take Matthew upstairs and get him ready for bed. Once he's sleeping, I either spend some time reading my bible and praying, or watching my shows. It's quiet me time.

5. What is your go to karaoke song?

I have never done karaoke but I know what I'd sing. I've always known. It's Raining Men. Oh yes. That would be my go-to karaoke song.

But.... then I think I might like to sing Someone Like You by Adele. Yep. That would be a good one too. I'd make my hair all big and put on some fancy Adele-like makeup and sing my heart out.

Although the last time I sang that song Jordan asked me to stop because I was "breaking it".

That's it. Have a great day!

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

Malachi 3:3

I came across this story recently and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind, so I thought I'd share it with you today. Maybe it will speak comfort to you as it did to me.

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"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
Malachi 3:3

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle
of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says:

"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."

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Ian and I are definitely feeling the heat of the fire these days. Yet I find so much love and comfort in simply knowing and trusting that the Refiner and Purifier will not take His eyes off of us until He sees His image in us.

We continue to try to endure this season well. These are hard days indeed. There is more going on than what I have shared here on my blog, and we are getting very tired, very quickly.

Thank you so much to those of you that continue to pray for us. We appreciate it more than we could ever say.

Wishing you a beautiful day full of His blessings.

Isaiah 41:10

Isn't this picture amazing?

I love it, and it makes me feel so comforted.

Praying you feel the Lord's peace and presence with you today and always.

Kindergarten Registration

Things were very exciting for Jordan 'round these parts today.

Today we began the registration process for her to attend Junior Kindergarten this fall!

She's been longing to go to school for months now and loves to pretend like she has homework to do. She'll pull out her crayons and colouring books and sit at the table with Sam and Julie while they do theirs.

Ian and I took her over this morning to sign her up. I'd forgotten how much paperwork is involved!

While I filled out form after form, Ian took Jordan to the gym so they could watch a class and see what goes on.

She was pretty excited.

I was hoping that we'd be able to take a quick peek into the kindergarten classroom before we left. I've stayed in touch with Sam and Julie's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. B, and was happy to see her today. She not only let us peek into the class, but she gave Jordan a full tour.

I'd forgotten about the little desks and chairs.

And the smell of paint and fun.

And different activity stations.

And the little sink for little hands to reach.

She was so shy! I couldn't believe it. I loved watching her trying to take everything in.

So yeah, she's excited.

I have to go back tomorrow with a copy of her immunization record, and then that will complete her registration. We'll schedule a classroom visit for early September and then we wait. And listen to her talk about school. Over and over and over... ;-)

It's strange. I thought I'd be sad, but I'm not. I'm really excited for her. She's ready for something more. We don't get out a lot, so she doesn't really interact with other kids her age except for Sunday school.

Now, once the Fall hits and I have to actually leave her there, that's when the tears will come!

At least I still have Matthew to keep me company!