Moms day off!!!

Caroline and I have been wanting to plan a girls day away with some of our hard working mom friends in our life group. So we fianalky picked a day, put it out to everyone, no one replied so we went ourselves! And we realized this was probably one of the only times we have actually got to get away without the kids! It was wonderful!!! We left at about 10:30 in the morning went to the mall to do some shopping, I scored some sweet deals on shoes for the girls (funny how the one day we have no kids, we are only thinking of the kids!) but I also got myself a couple "pre" birthday tank tops! 

We grabbed coffees and then headed downtown. I was driving Steve's truck and normally would have gone underground, but would have taken off the top of his truck had  I tried! So parked right near the ocean. Caroline and I walked the wharf, checked out the cool nick knacks and then browsed chapters, coming out to me realizing as  I stared at a parking meter that I never paid for parking!!! "Doh" it was in this moment I realized I took my hubby for granted! He does those things for me... And I apparently don't get out much! Came back to a $40 ticket, or $20 if I pay right away... Such a bummer! 

We paid parking them went back up to cactus club for lunch! On the way home we were laughing because both our throats hurt... Weve never had so much time to talk! It was such a special wonderful day with a very special girl! 

Meanwhile as I text home to see how things are... Steve texts me this photo saying she popped out the screen door and was making a break for it. Also she walked across the living room!!!! The time mommy leaves! But she wouldn't do it again, so he couldn't get it on video. 

The next time I checked in, I get this photo.... Saying they drove up Mt. Tzouhalem to hike around! So crazy! We have only been up once and it is a cliff edge overlooking the entire Cowichan valley. Needless to say I was a bit worried, but he called once they were done to say everyone survived! Thank God! 

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who wanted me to have a get away today and held down the fort at home... It looked like a bomb went off when I got their, but he did good! 

The Week

Always going for lots of walks and adventures with my beautiful girls! Amara climbs everything and found a hole in a log that she went right through! Crazy girl! She is happiest outside exploring! 

My beautiful girls

Adessa had pajama day at school on Thursday. She was counting down the days and had her Jammie's and teddy picked out a few days before. They had a teddy bear picnic, withfreezies! Pretty cute!  

Also had the dentist this week. The girls were very excited! Their teeth are all perfect, no cavities! Makes for a happy mom! 

This is Steve's X-ray... The dentist was so intrigued by all the screws in his face. Both cheeks just covered in them! So crazy! Such neat opportunities for Steve to share his story and his faith. 

Amaras happy place at home... Smothering poor Meeko. I think he secretly likes it, even though he groans. He is such a wonderful puppy! I think these two are going to have a very special bond! 

Steve took us out to his new job site in chemainus. A 4000 sq ft home being built for a single man. Pretty amazing!!! The view is going to be spectacular! 

Every once in awhile I get to meet up with this lovely lady Sharon for a visit on Thursday morning. Twice I've met her at a coffee shop, but Amara (aka-screech) is at the point where I can't really take her in public places! So Sharon met me this past Thursday for a lovely walk in Duncan, where Amara can go in the stroller and we can just walk and talk. And then this wonderful friend ran to get me groceries while I picked up my crew of kids from preschool! Blessed to have her! 

Today was very busy, woke up for church, got the house cleaned up a bit, went to church came home cleaned like mad and then went back to church for a wedding shower while my wonderful husband vacuumed and washed floors. 

We picked him up and then drove out to the burdges for the afternoon. Because this evening there was a showing on our house... The reason we were cleaning so much on a Sunday! We sat by there awesome new propane fire... Benefits of a fire without the smell! Love it! We ate yummy food and went for a walk. Always a lovely time at the camp. 

Steve and I have been fighting a bit more... Stressed out with so much going on. We need a vacation!!! Or just a weekend with nothing going on. 

Sharon sent this picture... She is the blogging queen and the inspiration for my continuing with a blog. She documents everything and then prints off her blogs for their family to always have! I love it.

Today Steve's parents were at my parents church in okotoks because their good friends the ulrichsens we're having their grandchildren dedicated. They had a nice catch up and then sent me this photo! So nice! Wish we were there today, really missing my family. 

Week Recap

I have been trying to work out a bit this week... but a girlfriend posted this earlier in the week and I laughed so hard, because this is my current dilemma! 

So proud of my Danika. She has been working hard, and reading her chapter books every night and it is paying off. 

 

Good Reminder

This week instead of our regular pizza night, I made a Calzone... basically a rolled up pizza. It was pretty good! Loads of carbs! 

There were extreme tides at the ocean all week and low tide was right after school. So a few times this week we treked down to the beach to explore. The girls found all sorts of neat things, but the coolest was a moon snail... he was MASSIVE! 

Amara has a lollipop... oops!

This girl loves going on adventures in her stroller

So many hours spend exploring

Danikas school does a fundraiser every year for their spelling tests. You go around the neighborhood and have people pledge you money according to how many words you get right. I really don't like doing that yet, so Danika was only pledged $10 if she got them all right... and SHE DID! So proud! 

After school one day, we went and sat in the school field so Amara could crawl, Meeko could chase his ball and the girls could ride their scooters in the basketball court. It was lovely.

She is growing up too quickly!




Adessa started screaming one day when she saw this bad boy hanging from the bathroom fan! He was dead... but massive. I still get the heebies thinking about him! We had to wait until Steve came home to rescue us before going into the back bathroom again!

Today, Danika got to go to The Romper Room in Nanaimo for rock climbing for her friends 8th birthday. They left at 9 am and didnèt get home until 2 pm. She had so much fun, but said her arms were killing her! 

After Danika came home from Nanaimo, we dragged the poor girl right back in! When we went to the City Harmonic concert in Nanaimo while my parents were here we entered a draw to win an iPad with TWU. And WON! They sent us a gift card and we headed into the mall to go pick out our new iPad mini... so awesome! Amara was so restless so the girls took her out walking. She talked the whole way through the mall, it was adorable!



After the mall, we hit up Costco... Steves favorite place! One of the guys working at Costco was trying to convince us that we needed a new car. It was pretty tempting with this little cutie pie squealing with joy in it!

Hello to you too, my new friend! Steve is out at the pub watching UFC tonight, so I think I will go and get acquainted with my newest time waster! 

Too Much

Someday's feel like too much! Too much fighting, too much cleaning, too much cooking, too much laundry, too much crying/whining, too many times that I just.blow.it!
The past 24 hours have felt like that... many days feel like that. Girls in my bathroom last night when I ask them to use the other two in the house.. I don't have much that is only mine, so please respect that. I hear squeals, the oldest comes running saying  that she flushed the toilet and at that same moment Adessa knocked my contact lens and case down the toilet. Fighting girls all evening, their room that seems to have a self destructive button every moment of every day. Amara who didn't want to sleep last night and was up until 10pm and then wouldn't nap this morning. Milk flying across the kitchen from the middle one... baby one pulling daddy's coffee cup off the table, splattering everywhere, children not listening. Upset daddy leaving in a huff. SIGH
Some days.... I feel like I just want to curl into a little ball and not do this -mothering, being a wife, cooker, cleaner.
But in and through it all God's grace is enough. I blew it last night and blew it over spilled milk this morning. I was able to apologize to my girls, but sadness was still in those big brown eyes as she walked out the door. Why can't I just hold my tongue sometimes. I have so much, so many wonderful blessings. But in those moment I am so thankful for being a child of the most loving, gracious father. He is gentle and Kind, His words and Spirit are enough. And as I breathe words of forgiveness the peace the surpasses all understanding washes over me. I love that no matter how badly I blow it with my duties here on earth that I can be covered in His redeeming forgiveness and grace, over and over.

"I will blow it but to repent and return, turn to the Cross. To not resist the turning. To submit to the Spirit blowing in again and always again. This is the only way to take wing." (Ann Voskamp) 

"Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

May Long

Amara got into the watermelon I had cut up and we were just watching her. She was so proud of herself standing up eating watermelon and squealing! She is so cute!

 Sunday morning Steve took Danika out fishing instead of going to church. They had an amazing time. The weather was perfect and Steve said Danika had her fishing rod and jigged for Cod the entire time without complaining. 

They were out there for about 3 hours, and the weather starting turning, so they prayed to God that they would catch the big one and they said as soon as they said "Amen" their rod bent in half! And they reeled up a 25 pound Ling-cod! Pretty amazing story and such a neat opportunity to share with the girls how God  cares about every part of our lives, even the little things like catching a fish!

Looks like we are going to be eating lots of fish n'chips and fish tacos! Yum!