{Inspiration Workshop} Sunshine!

This week's inspiration was {SUNSHINE}.

Here's how we've been making the most of the sunshine lately...

{Strawberry Jam}

Picked. Hulled. Smashed. Sugared Up.

Cooked. Bottled. Bathed.

Enjoyed.

My sister, my mom and I spent some time this past weekend picking, smashing, and cooking strawberries into 31 500mL jars. They are delicious. I'm looking forward to my next canning experiment experience. Peaches? Pears? Applesauce for sure when the time comes.

Do you put up preserves? What fruit/vegetables do you bottle?

Success!

Everyone loves to save money, right? I sure do. I've been watching those Extreme Couponing shows on TLC, reading blogs about money-saving, and articles on how to get the most bang for your buck. I had never really tried to save a considerable amount of money off my grocery bill, though. I expected it would be way too much work, or that the cashier would turn me away for using "too many coupons" or some other ridiculous scenario played through my mind, but today I had a great set of coupons, acquired with a little work, and a lot of help from MrsJanuary and we did a little Walmart shopping saving.

We managed:
1x bag Romaine Lettuce - $2.50 (-$1.50 coupon from cereal box) = $1.00
2x Fibre Plus Cereal - $2.97 (on sale) (-$1.00 coupon from free sample) = $4.94
1x cookies - $3.96
1x 4L milk - $4.47
6x ziploc sandwich bags - $1.48 (on sale) (-3x $4off when you buy two found at mrsjanuary.com) = MADE $3.12
1x Frozen yogurt - $4.77 (-$4.77 coupon from cereal box) = FREE
2x SmartOnes soup - $1.37 = $2.64

Before Coupons: $33.26
After Coupons: $13.99 (saved 58%!!)

Have you done any great couponing lately?

I hope all you mothers had a lovely mother's day. We spent the day at my parents, celebrating both mother's day and my dad's birthday with steak, shrimp, and ribs, salad, rolls, and great company.

The Wiggle loved playing with the bubbles in the yard, and spent a great deal of the day squealing with delight. Which is a delight for me.

No pictures today, though, since I forgot my camera at home.

...speaking of cameras, I've been thinking of making the dslr plunge...if you have one, what brand/features do you love?

Small Victories

♥♥♥

Sometimes, it's all you can do to celebrate the Small Victories.

A is able to get out of bed this morning. After a weekend of back spasms so painful he was nauseous, a 1/2 hour trip from the apartment to the car, and muscle relaxants that cause extreme drowsiness (read: 45 of the last 47 hours spent sleeping), the pain is managable enough to make it to the living room.

Keep him (and the Wiggle & I) in your prayers - it's hard to live with Daddy in the next room, unable to play, or help, or make us smile.

God is in my Cheering Section

Do you ever get tired of all the work you do going unnoticed? Of your behind-the-scenes efforts being outshined by those in the spotlight? Of working tirelessly without much hope of recognition?

I've been there. Scratch that. I AM there.

I work for my church two mornings a week. I don't get much recognition for the work I do, although I know what I do is appreciated greatly - especially by those with whom I work in direct contact on a regular basis. That's not what I'm talking about, though.

I'm talking about the day in - day out, all day and all night job of being a parent. Do your kids ever look you in the eyes and say, "Wow, Mom! Thanks for doing my laundry!" or "I really appreciate the effort you put into making nurtritious meals for us so we grow strong and healthy." or "I know you don't love cleaning the bathroom, but thank you for doing it anyway, so that we can learn about the importance of taking care of the things God has entrusted to us."

Most days, it doesn't bother me that my two-year-old (almost) doesn't show many signs of gratefulness. Other days it's all I can do to feel like what I'm doing makes any difference. But I know that what I do today won't necessarily show it's effects or get it's respects in the short term. I do know that the Wiggle will grow up knowing that I care about him, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally. It may be decades before he really realizes how much effort I put into making sure he has the best childhood I can give him, and even if he never does, God knows.

The Bible Study I attend recently talked about the Truth "God is Always Watching." He knows how hard I work. He knows how much I hate cooking, but put the effort in for my family. He knows how it breaks my heart when the Wiggle bites his tongue or stubs his little toes, and how frustrated I get when he throws his sixth fit in forty minutes.

God knows the good and the bad and he's in my cheering section. He wants me to succeed and rejoices with me when I do. He extends his grace when I mess everything up, allowing forgiveness, and usually another try with the exact.same.circumstance all over again. And with Him on my side, I have all the recognition I need. I mean, if the God of the Universe is watching me with delighted interest, why do I need a pat on the back from people around me?




Linking up with Company Girls Coffee

William's Nursery: Before & After

Things have been busy around here.  And the computer is in the bedroom now, so I'm not sitting at it all day - a good thing for my family, not so great for my blog, but family first, right?

Speaking of family, here are some promised before and after photos of William's room (the only one that's really done - and truthfully I still have a couple of things to hang on the wall and an extension cord to rig up so those lamp and cd player cords aren't slithering up the wall begging to be tugged on by little hands.


BEFORE:

 We took down the bunk that was tucked in the "nook" - we found lots of icky stains, and a couple of quarters stuck to the wall.  The paint was over ten years old, and there were a LOT of holes in the walls from screws and nails and tacks.


AFTER:

 We cleaned, patched, primed, and painted walls and ceilings, hung the shelf (IKEA), and the Green Engine (Andrew's from when he was a kid). The toy storage shelf will be painted eventually, but it's been too cold out, and too crowded inside to tackle that project.  Maybe next spring.


Slow and steady wins the race.  






Right?

I've been in a bit of a funk all day long, and I'm deciding that rather than dwelling on the things I can't afford (clothes that fit), can't achieve, or can't escape (packing. ugh.), I'm going to think about the good things in my life. 

I remember as a teen, when my younger sister would get angry or sad or frustrated, the phrase you'd hear around our house was Choose Joy.  Our emotions are real, but they're not always right.  We can choose how we react to situations.  It is our decision to make - we can slouch and grouch and moan and complain, or we can Praise Him for the good things He's given us.

Here are some of the good things I've been given: 

These guys, who make every day a joy.  I love being a wife  to the greatest man on earth and Mommy to the cutest kid time has ever seen.

And cooler weather that makes coffee and apple crisp and soup even more enjoyable than before.

And a great job doing something I love for the church I'm called to.

And teaching AWANA with a fantastic group of leaders and kids, using the talents I've been given.

And finally connecting with some people I can call friends up here.

And windows flung wide without the house feeling like it's drowning in a swamp of humidity.

And the assurance that no matter what comes our way, He is on our side, and He will care for us.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Matthew 6 :26-27

Friday Photos - One Year

Wishin my little man the happiest of birthdays, and all of God's greatest blessings for the next year.

Happy First Birthday, William!  Your Mommy and Daddy love you so much and are so proud to be your parents.

Our first family photo - August 20, 2009

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

December 2009

First Christmas

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

I'm so excited for my birthday!

Friday Photos...on Saturday

This Kid...

can really drive me crazy.  

(Since when do 10-month-old children throw temper tantrums!? So not cool.)

But then he turns around and pulls one of these:

and it's all good again.

Embracing the Grace and Letting Go

Life is a wild ride.  Ups and downs, hard work and coasting, sometimes.  You never can see what's coming around the next bend.

If you had asked me in December where I thought I'd be in six months,this is certainly not the situation I'd have described. 
Living in a friend's townhouse, waiting for it to be sold.  Jumping every time the phone rings, wondering if it will be the call to give us our 60-days notice to get out.  Cleaning out Mom and Dad Stewart's house, preparing for renovations and re-touches to make the upstairs a separate living space for Andrew, William, and I.  Actually getting excited about it. 
In December, I was sure we were going to continue to overspend our budget and end up in debt over our heads - even further than we already were.  Instead, we've been able to pay off more than $15,000 in debts in 2010 - and we're only 1/2 way through May!  Blessing after blessing - many completely unexpected - has arrived in our mailbox and our bank account and paid down credit card, car, and school debts - even with major car repairs and a significant payment of one type or another here and there. 
Things haven't always been easy.  We've had times when the food budget is empty and there are still ten days left in the month.  We've shouldered the disappointment at having to move. Again.  (My 8th move in 3 years!) But we've embraced the Grace after each failure and God is proving himself faithful over and over again as we remain faithful to him.  I've started looking forward to Sundays again.  My patience proves stronger than my anger - and it's all Him.

I think that a huge part of the change we've experienced comes from embracing the grace of God in our lives and letting it spill over into our relationships with people.  When we embrace the grace we're able to let go of hurts and fears, of anger, resentment, bitterness, and hard-heartedness.
When I decided not to be angry or bitter about all of the "shinannigans" at the school where I worked last year, things started falling into place.  I have been given the ability to forgive in what seems like an unforgivable situation.  Because of the Grace.  And in being faithful to that decision to forgive, He has been faithful in pouring out blessing after blessing.

I can only encourage you to Embrace the Grace and Let Go of the Garbage.  It'll work wonders in your life.  It certainly has in mine.

I'm a Scheduled kinda Girl living an Unschedule-able Life

Normally, I can be prepared for the "unexpected" work phone call.  CP Rail is like that.  We deal with the 24-hours-on-call stuff and celebrate small victories like landing a "regular shift" once in a while - something with a guaranteed weekend.  Like this week.  Andrew got "forced" to a Honda job, here in town.  Three to five hours a day, 8 hours of pay, and Saturday/Sunday as the weekend. 
Earlier this week, though, the OLD boss called, and asked Andrew to possibly do a relief shift today.  An ex-colleague got married last night, and the house might be short-staffed.  Andrew said, "probably, let me know the hours."  We found out the hours.  This morning. at 9:02.  The hours?  9-9 today.  A friend was supposed to get back to Andrew to let him know the details.  But forgot.  And lied about to save his own butt. 
So I got dressed up, made up, cleaned up, only to miss Bible study and church, and to be left carless and carseat-less for 12 hours with no food in the house, and a bunch of cleaning to do before a showing of the townhouse between 6 and 7 tonight that we've gotta be scarce for.

Plus, I burned my tongue, the underside of my tongue, and the back of my throat on the perogies I managed to scrounge up for lunch.

I am not good at dealing with the very unexpected.  When I have plans, I'm not able to quickly and easily shift those plans.  I get angry.  I shouldn't, but it's how I deal. 


What a grumpy day.




**UPDATE** Mom (and Dad?) Stewart are taking us out to Swiss Chalet to get us out of the house.  (Thanks Mom!)  I guess I'd better get to that cleaning.

moving. again.

We got notice today that our friends who own the house we live in are selling it.  They're not able to swing it financially any more, and so we are in the market for a new living arrangment.  Again. 

It makes my heart stick in my chest, because I hate the process of finding somewhere suitable for our family.  Weighing kitchen size and natural light and walking-distance and costs.  Pros and cons lists for every place.  STRESS.

God has a place for us.  I guess it's just not here anymore. :(

We've Been Sick

...So here are a few pictures to tide you over until I've got all the sheets washed, bathrooms cleaned, and toys disinfected.

William likes to scoot backward under the couch.

New Favourite Toy -- The Jolly Jumper. (And Blue, the dog.)