Winter Wonderland...

On mornings like this I am 100% ok with the fact that our boys are crammed into a tiny bedroom together and our storage room looks like it's going to explode.Look at this!

Not a house in sight and yet we live in the middle of the city!

Beautiful, just beautiful.

I'm gonna make a pot of decaf,put on my Third Day and Josh Groban Christmas CDs and just enjoy the snowy scenery while Sawyer has his morning nap. Mmmmmm...

HALLELUJAH!!!

I know, I know, another video, but just let me explain...

In 1994-1995 I went to Caronport for my grade 12 year and got to sing in the choir. At least once a year we would join the college choir and sing the Hallelujah chorus and the sound was incredible. I had heard the song before but somehow to hear it in that huge auditorium with all those voices...well it just felt like a little taste of heaven. I often had to choke back tears as I sang because it was so emotional for me. A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook yesterday and oh, it just tugs at my heart! Christ proclaimed in the middle of Macy's in Philadelphia! I wish I could have been there! This Christmas I'm once again struggling, balancing our North American Christmas traditions with the desire to glorify Christ in all things. Like my Mom commented re: the video on Facebook, "a little bit of heaven on earth to start off the CHRISTmas season! PRAISE GOD!!"

If you're happy...

..and you know it clap your hands! His very first time clapping his hands! I think this might just be my favorite video EVER!

Six years old...

Trinity turns six today.

I can hardly believe it. I remember that day like it was yesterday...

Trinity has had her own way of doing things, even before birth. The little stinker was breech (bum first through the birth canal) and refused to turn. I was going to my Ob-Gyn that morning (9 days before my due date) to talk about birthing options... there I was in the waiting room with Mark and little Riker pacing around and panting and all the while Mark and I being in total denial about what was happening. When I finally got in to see my doctor he took one look at me and said, "you'd better get yourself to the hospital before your water breaks. You're in labour." "oh," I said, "that's what this pain is!" So off we went to the hospital, calling Mark's parents on the way so that they could come and get Riker and calling my Mom so that she could leave from Alberta to come stay with us.

I was SO thrilled once our little girl was born! I treasured every little pink article of clothing, every doll, every hair pretty. She's such a girly girl. LOVES to dress up, loves romance, loves to sing and dance, loves to care for something. And yet, she's such a contradiction. She likes to get dirty, to wrestle, to beat on her brother, to spit and be gross. She's just Trinity.

I'm so proud of her. I love listening to her as she works through the beginning stages of reading, how she's learning to spell, how she explodes with excitement, how she can articulate her feelings. I love how even though she's growing up and gets so may big girl gifts for her birthday, she spends an entire afternoon playing with the baby doll that her friend gave her.

I love how she has no concept of money and will give it away on a whim or buy something for someone else just to be nice. I love how she loves to hug and snuggle and shows affection to the people she knows and loves, I love how she adores her older and baby brother each in a different way.

I hope she has a rockin' day (as we say)!

Quote of the day...

...by Trinity.

"Mommy, I've got a birthday and I'm not afraid to use it!"

(she's turning 6 tomorrow)

My baby is 8 months old...

Some things about Sawyer at 8 months old...

• he is still a very shriek-y little man! He shrieks at everything and cannot be taken anywhere where he may need to be quiet. Seems to be a common thing with our kids!
• he is still an immediate family only kind of guy. He's enjoyed his Grandparents and other relatives for tiny bits at a time, but on the whole prefers Mommy or Daddy and lets it be known by the way his little face scrunches up and by his little (big!) sobs.
• he LOVES music! Last Sunday he was all quiet in the foyer of our church but as soon as I walked into the sanctuary where the singing was he grinned and started to wave his arms like crazy and shriek.
• He loves to be read to. He already has a few favorite books that he, of course, shrieks while we read. Sandra Boynton's Snuggle Puppy and Guess How Much I Love You are 2 current favorites.
• he still isn't moving around but is crying less when we put him on his tummy. He's mastered the art of pushing up with his arms, now we just need to get him up on his knees!
• he loves toys that are bowl shaped with items in them. He has a Fish Bowl passed down to us from friends and he LOVES it! He shakes it like crazy then takes out the fish, shakes them and throws them around the living room. The interesting thing is that 90% of the time he picks out the goldfish first. Weird.
• he loves hair. He'll often just run his hands through my hair and he likes to rub Riker's head too. If we're out somewhere and I'm talking to someone he'll often reach out for their jewelery or hair.
• Sawyer's happy day is when the flyers come to the house. He loves to whip the paper around and make it noisy. Much shrieking ensues!
• he loves to be kissed and nuzzled and snuggled. He's very squishy and lovey and hugs and kisses back lots!
• cars have become a new favorite toy. The other day I gave him our little plastic shoe box full of cars and he entertained himself for a long time.

This has made me smile all week...

...thanks Trinity

Halloween and stuff...

I've had just a whopper of a cold this last week with my sinuses and ears still feeling plugged today and , needless to say, I've been a little behind in things! Time to update the ol'blog again....

Halloween. Not my favorite holiday. I buy the candy and pass it out to the kids who say Trick or Treat at my door. I ask that my kids choose positive things to be (no scary or evil costumes) and I (or Mark or both of us) will take them Trick or Treating around the neighborhood. I'll even help them eat some of the candy after. Yeah, I know, I'm a helper, what can I say? I don't celebrate anything per se, I just go through the motions and do the minimum participation possible. That said, you'll understand why I didn't bother to torture my baby by putting him in a costume and just helped the older two. They did look super cute though and got WAY TOO MUCH candy, chips and chocolate from Trick or Treating. I've been helping out though and so has Mark and eventually we'll just junk the rest or freeze some maybe. Anyway, here they are with many layers tucked underneath for warmth...
Our little Bride and Obi-Wan Kanobi (from the Clone Wars)In other news...
Sawyer (in between his bouts of horrible sickness (snotty everything, cough, chest congestion)) has learned to kiss and it's adorable! He's so lovey and will give you a huge squeeze, nearly ripping off parts of your neck, and then start smooching your cheek. So cute! The snotty, drooling versions are less fun, but hey, I'll take what I can get!