My two babies: Miss. Grace & Mr. Linden

As mush as my days feel rushed, stressed, constant screaming, someone threw up, someone has to go to the potty, someone wants a drink or wants something to eat.  There are also days where I just take it all in.  I think to myself "Do I really have four amazing little people in my life?". "Does God really think I can do this".  "WOW am I blessed" (I do have other wonderful thoughts.. but there are too many to list) ☺

This particular afternoon Ava and Gabriel were somewhere in the house (and not killing each other ~ figuratively).  Linden was basking in the sun overlooking the deck off the kitchen and Gracie was completely fixated on him.  She is such a little mommy.  I know most little girls are but I can see her spirit and heart is soo sweet and gentle.  It is beyond adorable watching her with Linden.  WOW my two babies.. my youngest girl and my youngest boy.  Completely wonderful.

Don't they just melt your heart?  I know they melt mine! ☺

Caffine Detoxification!

The new and improved.. less caffeinated me!  OK... so lets step into the proverbial confessional booth ... I drink anywhere between 3 - 6 cups of coffee a day.  Yes.. sadly you read that correctly.. 3-6 :(  But I have to justify it.. (of course!).  It is my snack.  My treat.  The time I take for myself to sit and enjoy my cup-of-joe (I love you joe)! ☺☺

Today marks day 4 of only have 1 cup a day (in the morning).. come on people I have 4 kids 5 years and under!! But I have to admit.. yesterday I had 1 and a bit... I needed it!!  My retuital cup of coffee at 3pm.

I`ve also started to go to bed early.  This is early to me.. in bed and to sleep by 10p  I have NO TROUBLE falling asleep or sleeping for that matter (even when I was drinking coffee).  And may I add it NEVER bothered any of my breastfeed babies.  They all slept through the night by 8 weeks.. and all got into the routine of in going to bed by 7-7:30p and not wake up until 6a.

The reason for these two big changes in my life is one) to become more healthy and two) to assist me in loosing weight.  From what I`ve read and from the awesome `professional advice`that I have been given... changing these two aspects in my life is a good start.

Today I am feeling more rested and thank you Lord I do not have a headache!

Side note: yay me for my consist posting this week... pat! pat! pat! (on my shoulder) ☺☺

May 5th... eeeek

May 5th will mark a big big new step for me... eeekkk I am not ready to talk about in depth yet.. but when I'm ready ya'll will hear about it.  I think I'm partly being 'secretive' because I'm not sure if I can do it.. and I don't want to fail.. and I certainly don't want to fail in my blog world.  *sigh* 

So think of my May 5th.  Pray for me May 5th.  Encourage me on May 5th.

That's it.. that's all...... stay tuned

I "heart" you blogger.com

OK.. just a quick note to say that I totally love this new blogger.  I am not sure if I did something to my settings or what (but I don't think so).  I love the word type fuctions and how easier and faster it is to upload pictures!
LOVE it blogger ☺☺

We believe what we believe..and so we do what we do...

We are winding down here as far as school goes.  I've flipped through Ava's curriculum and we are 'right on schedule' (at least my desired schedule).  We will be done by the end of May.  This has been one of the most exciting experiences and time in my life.  I can not believe I taught Ava to read, to count by 2's, 5's and 10's.  To tell time.  To write her first name and last name.  And sooo many other things.  I am truly amazed..  At myself for following what we believed the direction God was taking our family in.  At myself to stand up to all the naysayers.  To keep our home in order, have a home birth, struggle with my weight and just life happening all around us.

I did it!  We did it!  Ava you did it!  Thank you God for guiding us!  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Ok... so we are not done quite yet.. but I am still excited!

I also experienced another first.. I was always told by other homeschooling families that the older children will inevitable teach the younger ones.. and so I thought to myself.. "Nahhhh that won't happen here... "  Well check out the pictures below.  They're true.  They are not staged.  Grace by her own will wanted to sit with Ava while she did her seat work.  And Ava very willingly and happily to have Grace in her lap and explain to her what she was working on.  Now that is life people!  That is how things sink into your brain.  When you can explain something to someone you know you've got it! And understood it YOURSELF!

Amazing!

I AM A PIONEER WOMEN....

Hear me ROOAAARR... or in my case.. watch me boil water!

OK... so because of this CRAZY April snowstorm our power went out this morning.  Let me explain.. we live IN THE BUSH.. but we have the best of both 'worlds'.. we are only 10 minutes to the city (if you could even call it that.. I think that is enough detail where I live because frankly I like anonymity ☺).

So I didn't take out any bread this morning and I knew it wouldn't have thawed in time for lunch ... what to do, what to do?  So I ask the kids "What would you guys like for lunch?"... a unanimous "PASTA!!" hummmm ... ok I thought to myself.. how do I swing that request??  Well since I got the wood stove going this morning and the fire was ROARING.. I thought to myself.. why don't I try to cook the PIONEER WOMEN way!  So I got my pot full of water and plunked it on the stove.. I thought it would take a hour or so to boil so I thought to put it on right away... that was at 10:30a ... well I was very surprised to find the water boiling in about 20mins (wow... pretty cool I thought to myself)!  So I cooked up some pasta.. and lunch was served by 11a ~ a bit early in comparison to our 'schedule'... but the kids ate a warm lunch on a snowy-power-outage day.  I am feeling like a proud mama for sure! 

What would a pioneer women do while she waits for her water to boil... snap pictures of course!! (ok so I'm not a true pioneer women.. but hey.. lets face it we will in 2010 people!)

Jay and I have often talked about 'going off the grid'.. if you are not certain what that entails.. it is this.. relying on solar and wind power that is brought into your home via a windmill (a tiny one not a ginormous one!) and solar panels either on the roof of your home or on 'legs' off to the side of your property.  It is brought into your home and stored in very large batteries.. very very similar to car batteries.  It is then converted from DC power to AC power and is fed into your electrical panel ~ COOL EH??? sooo Cool!!  And we are already on a well so that solves the water issue.. and violia we are OFF THE GRID DUDE!  And you know what NO MORE HYRO ONE BILLS!!!!  Haaaaa heeee!  And you are doing the planet good ~ lots of good.  We have researched it a bit.. it does require a large amount of money to get set up.. but in time it does pay for itself.  Only time will tell with Jays work and if we stay here if we go ahead and do it.  OOOhhh how I would love to live off the grid.  Would you?

Blessings.. oh and in case you haven't figured it out.. our power is back!  

January or April.. you decide!

This is what I woke up to this morning... confusing isn't?

But the way I see it.. is more 'water' to fill up our wells.. we didnt' get much snow this winter and it hasn't really been a wet spring... so if I have to get my well filled by snow.. so be it!

Sunrise Breakfast

Can a sunrise breakfast get any better? Humm I'm not sure if it can right now.. this is about as good as it gets! Feeding Linden his cereal while the sun kisses his little face, I could look at this all day!

Young Fogey: Yup That's Me!

I stumbled across something today. A definition. A choice of what their home embodies. A choice of how one lives their life. Of course this 'definition' is on the lite side, a bit frivolous some would say. But it was actually deeper for me. Yes, I am a follower of Jesus Christ and that defines me first and foremost. Yes, I am first generation Canadian/Italian. Yes, I am steeped in family traditions. Yes, I will lay everything I have before my guest (nothing is too good to show someone how much they mean to me). And so by living my life this way and wanting my home to look a certain way, yes I am a 'Young Fogey'. I am thrilled that these two words have been put together to create this new term. Yup ~ I'm young (at least I like to think I am!) ☺ and yet I'm a fogey!

After saying all this I am actually referring to home decorating, a way of life, a way we want to raise our children.

Sitting by the radio in the evening and listening to a program or songs ~ yup! That's me!
Setting the table with a pretty tablecloth, linens and some flowers ~ yup! That's me!
Enjoying baking, creating home cooked meals for my family ~ yup! That's me!
Prayer before a meal ~ yup! Me (us) again!
Taking out my china, crystal and all things lovely to entertain my friends ~ yup! I've done that!
Aprons ~ yup! Ohh yes!


This is only one side of me. But it does encompass what I (we) are about. 'Old fashion' values. 'Old fashion' ways of doing things. 'Old fashion' morals. 'Old fashion' way of raising our children. That doesn't mean I don't like or that I don't watch television. Or that I don't sometimes allow the kids to just take their dinners downstairs and we have a 'picnic dinner'. Or that I don't buy a box or cookies or we go out to a restaurant. It just means I prefer to do things and live my life in a bit of an old fashioned way. I (we) are people of our word. If we say we will help a friend move or renovate... we mean it. If we make plans, we stick to them. I am a person of integrity, or deep passions and truly want happiness for all. I do not covet my friends or families possession, I am genuinely happy for them.

All these things I've done and more. I enjoy being the best homemaker that I can be. I enjoy having my home clean. I enjoy baking cookies for my children. I enjoy old furnishings mixed with some new. I enjoying living the way our parents lived.. but our new way.... the young fogey way! So without further adieu here are some photos of my 'young fogey' home:

What we do when Ava & Gabriel are gone skating...

Grace Lilly, our youngest girl and Linden Isaac, our youngest boy... sharing some special cuddling time while Ava & Gabriel are out skating with other home schoolers and Nanny.

She'll be there for him to hold his head... even when he can't do it for himself!

I pray they are forever friends! Precious moments captured in a photo. Love you both!

One cent! Five cent! Ten cent! Dollar!

♫♫"Cent! Five Cent! Ten Cent! Dollar! Dollar! Dollar! Dollar! Dollar!"♫♫

Doesn't homeschooling look fun? That's because IT is!

Our first & our last: Where does the time go?

Our first born. Our first experience with children. Our first girl. All our firsts. Ava you are precious in soo many ways that you may not understand now.

Our last baby. Our last experience having a baby in the house. Our last boy. All our lasts. Linden you mark so many special moments in our lives as well.

Ava Elizabeth, 5 years old. Our first born baby girl. Linden Isaac, 5 months old. Our last born baby boy. How blessed we are!!

I am overwhelmed with the feeling of Gods blessings on our family. Four children. All healthy, two girls, two boys (not that that matters), all given as a gift to Jay & I from God. Thank you ~ for all the moments I have with them. Thank you ~ that I am lead by God. Thank~ you.

Our Easter

Happy Easter to everyone. We had a wonderful weekend. A weekend filled with helping friends with renovations (if you can't help your friends who can you help?), spending the days enjoying this crazy hot weather (not that I'm complaining), going to watch The Passion Play at our church, and finally Easter dinner with our family and rejoicing that the Lord has risen! This is our Easter;

Happy Easter everyone!