Merry Christmas Daddy!

The kids and I were out shopping a few days before Christmas when Sam spotted something. "Mom, we should get that for Dad! He will love it! It's his favorite!" He was so certain that I had to give in. We bought it, carefully wrapped it and put it under the tree.

Hmmm..... what could it be?



Ta Da!.... a Mario and Luigi shirt!!



The funny thing is... Jeremy doesn't play video games at all.
BUT...
Sam was right...
He did love it!

I'm Too Smart to Fall for That One!

Sometimes I think the kids figure I have "Stupid" tattooed on my forehead! Just yesterday I was making supper when Sam came into the kitchen... "Mom, I have to tell you a spit secret. Dad taught me. Come here and I'll whisper in your ear."

Ya... sure thing Sam!!

Another First for Sam

So... The lashing rain as of late has kind of put a bit of a damper on our "Family Week O' Fun" so today we changed our plans slightly and took Sam to his very first movie... Tangled in 3D. What a blast! It sure was fun to watch him reach for the lanterns floating in front of us. And, just so you know, he did eventually take his 3D glasses off... at bed time.




Maybe you are wondering what Maarti did while we were at the movies? Well, she had a ball hanging out with Gramma. Not sure exactly what all they did, but it must have been tiring. We caught Maarti having a little snooze once she got home.

Ho Ho Ho

Jeremy has had a few days off this week so we have been enjoying some family time! First stop... Minter Garden Centre! They have a train set up in their green house and lights strung up everywhere. It's not really that terribly impressive... unless you are two and four... then it's totally awesome!! Can you believe we spent over two hours at a greenhouse? Gramma and cousin Anna joined us and we spent our time looking at the displays, playing on a swing, riding the train and of course visiting with Santa himself.





On our way home we stopped at a grocery store to pick up something for lunch and guess what?... the bank across the parking lot was having their grand opening. We didn't win the draw for a GIC, but we did end up with a free meal out of the deal.. they were serving turkey and stuffing wraps! Yum! Gotta love days like these!

What's in a name?

Tonight, before bed, we read to the kids out of their little devotional book. The topic was on insults and calling people names. When it was over we talked about it.

Me: Sam, what is a nice name you can call your sister?

Sam: Umm... Maarti or Sweetie?!

Me: Those are nice names. And Maarti, what is a nice name you can call your brother?

Maarti: Joseph.

Oh well... at least Sam got something out of it and he wasn't offended at all by Maarti's answer. He actually thought she was hilarious and laughed for a good long time at that one!

Some Christmas Cheer

This morning I noticed Maarti blowing kisses into a pillow case. It was so cute and I just had to know who she was saving them for. I thought maybe they were for Daddy or Papa, but I was wrong... apparently they are for The Little Drummer Boy.

Absence Explained

So, in case anyone was wondering where I was for the last two weeks of November (when I dropped off the map with the blog)... I was entirely stressed out!! I was asked to speak at our church's ladies Christmas event... it was only for 7 minutes, but that was enough to make me feel sick to my stomach for several days. Anyway... it's done now. Thanks to everyone who prayed for me throughout the process. I really felt like God gave me words and then gave me the peace to share them.

If you're interested... this is what I shared:

I have always wanted to be a stay at home mom and now that I'm here I have wondered if perhaps the term “Stay at home Mom” was a bit deceiving. Being a mom sounded fun and what could be better for this home body than Staying at home? To be honest when people ask me what I do I'm really tempted to answer them with a more accurate description of my occupation... My name is Leanne and I am a wiper. All day every day I wipe things: little hands and little faces, I've nearly graduated from little bums, but I still do some of that too, I wipe floors, counters, the table, the dishes, I could wipe little finger prints off the windows but I gave up on clean windows a long time ago. So there you have it... that is what my life looks like these days. Thankfully I am married to an awesome assistant wiper, Jeremy, and we are totally in love with our two wipee's: Sam who is Four and Maartina who is two.

When Marilyn asked me to consider sharing with you on the theme of giving from a mom's perspective I thought that I probably had a few stories I could share since Mom's just are givers. But, as different situations have come to my memory I have started to wonder if perhaps in God's economy giving is actually equivalent to receiving. I daily give things that are small and in return I have received gifts that are big.

The first example I thought of was when I gave birth to Sam and I should clarify that I don't think giving birth is one of those small things I was just talking about. After almost two full days of labour I ended up having a c-section. I had one short moment to look at my son before he was whisked away to the NICU where he stayed for a week. I remember the doctor coming into my room in the morning telling me not to go and see Sam for a little while because they were doing a spinal tap. They were concerned he had a brain infection. It was a scary time for me and I wondered several times if we were going to lose our son. And that is when I received my first big gift as a mom. I found that my fear was replaced with peace when I was quoting scripture. Jeremiah 29:11 was a verse my mom had often reminded me of growing up and it was the one that first came to mind as I awkwardly held Sam trying not to disturb all the cords and monitors he was hooked up to. “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” That experience solidified in my mind the power of Scripture and the importance of hiding God's word in my heart.

Another small gift I give my family is lunch, and on one occasion while I was preparing lunch I received big gift in the form of a humbling life lesson.

I was busy in the kitchen and Sam was playing on the floor. He said "Look at this Mommy." I said "okay", but then carried on with what I was doing. A couple seconds later I heard: "No Mommy... look at me with your face!". It was one of those moments when time slows down and a light bulb comes on (and I'm pretty sure that the light bulb's name is the Holy Spirit). I realized that my kids aren't the the only ones who need me to "look at them with my face". My husband, my friends, my family, God... Multi-tasking is a great skill, but not in relationships... Multi-tasking is, in fact, the enemy of relationship and I need to be 100% present.

The next random phrase that popped into my head was "Bare foot and pregnant in the kitchen". That statement is typically used when talking about the controversial idea that women should stay at home and have lots of babies, but in that moment, I had to wonder if perhaps that phrase was penned by a mom who had experienced a moment, similar to mine, and realized that this journey of motherhood, from start to finish, is "holy ground". God is very much present in my day to day activities and he is using our kids to strip away my selfishness and show me areas in my life that I need to surrender to Him. I am so thankful that God wastes nothing to make me more like Jesus.

Prior to kids I worked in the development department at Power to Change. When we did fundraising campaigns part of my job was to put together reports that calculated our ROI – return on investment. One of the best ROI's that I have had in this phase of life has come from playdates. I, out of desperation for some adult conversation, typically host 2 or 3 playdates a week. My friends come with their kids and while the kids proceed to wreck our house the mom's settle in with a cup of coffee. It is sometimes hard to have a decent conversation with all the chaos of young children around, but somehow we manage and those times around my kitchen table are rich. These moms are my go-to girls for support. I know that some of you love three year olds and three is your favorite age, but I have to be honest, Three almost did. Me. In! A lot of my playdate girlfriends were also experiencing three and I appreciated their understanding. I also love knowing that they'll still be there for me as I gear up to do three again in the new year! These girls are also the ones who ask how our marriage is doing and offer to take the kids so Jeremy and I can go on a date. They encourage me to see the bigger picture when I am frustrated with the challenges of parenting preschoolers. They offer meals when we've had the flu go through our house. They help me to appreciate my kids more. They ask if I'm in the Word and encourage me by telling me what God is teaching them. All that for just a cup of coffee and a messy house... that's a great return on a small investment!

When Jeremy and I were engaged we determined that we wanted our marriage to be marked by generosity and not hold on to things too tightly. We find it is a constant struggle in a world that is obsessed with stuff and living for self. I often go back to some wise words that my mom shared with me early in our marriage... “continue to be givers, because you cannot out-give God”.

It is so true... we cannot out- give God. In every situation where I have given something big or small He has come back with something much more valuable. Sometimes it is easy to complain that moms give and give without receiving anything in return but as I have reflected I have seen God all over this stage of my life. He is very present and he is very generous in the gifts He gives. His generosity makes me think that perhaps things that we consider small He considers very significant and the gifts He gives in return are His way of letting us know that He is pleased.

In Beth Moore's Bible Study, Believing God, she refers to something called a Godstop. The Stop in godstop is an acronym for “Savor the observable presence.” It's about learning to recognize God when he makes himself known to us. As I have been reflecting in preparation for what I would share I couldn't help but notice that every time I have given something I have had an opportunity to savor the observable presence.

And so here we are, on the doorstep of Christmas or what many people call the season of giving. I hope you have a blast with your Christmas giving, I also hope that you will recognize God when he goes out of his way to make himself known to you. I have no doubt he will over the next few weeks... Stop and savor the observable presence.

I Want to Go to Preschool...

and I want to hide in some corner out of sight, but not out of earshot! I got this urge the other day after a little conversation with Sam. He had come home from school, it had been "J" day, and he had brought a Jungle Jam CD for show and tell.

Me: How was show and tell Sam?

Sam: Good.

Me: What did you tell your friends and Ms. Renee about Jungle Jam?

Sam: Well, I said it was for listening to in the car and you have to keep your mouth shut!

Thank You Twisted Lily Photography

So... we just got back from celebrating Christmas with my family. We tried to all get together for actual Christmas, but it just wasn't working so celebrating this last weekend was the next best solution. We had a fabulous time and were so thankful that Katie came out to take our family photo. Of course it wouldn't be right to take a family photo without some of Dad's tractors as props!

Thanks Katie... loved our short visit and love our photos!

Thank You JP Photography!

Here are a few of our favorites from our fall family photo shoot! Judi did a great job of capturing our family! We may have a hard time deciding on which one will be our Christmas card photo.

When I Grow Up...

Sam: When I grow up I want to be a Superhero. What do you want to be when you grow up Dad?

Jeremy: I'm not sure.

Sam: Well, you should be a police officer and then we can both save the day!

Jeremy: I think I might rather be a firefighter.

Sam: That's great and then when people are in trouble in the air you can use your bucket truck to help them.

Trick or Treat...

Because one of you was wondering where these pictures were:





- The kids had a great time.
- Jeremy always loves an excuse to put on his monk costume.
- I'm doing my best to ration all that candy.
- Yes, there is a candy tax at this house!

A Special Visitor

We have been pretty excited around here about the arrival of Baby Joelle two weeks ago and finally today we got to have our first playdate with her and her beautiful Mom! The kids are in love with this precious little girl. Maarti looked so proud holding Joelle, and Sam was totally intrigued by her toes! "I love her little toes, they're so toe-y!"

I know Joelle looks a little unhappy in this photo, but don't believe it... she was a perfect angel the whole time she was here!

Easy Perogy Casserole

My friend Kate has put out a plea for easy, healthy recipes. This may not be the most healthy, but it is a step up from hot dogs! It does take a while to bake, but the prep time is 10 min. max. I usually serve it with a salad.

Perogy Casserole
1 med onion
farmer sausage
1 can mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 kg bag perogies (or slightly less)

Fry sausage and onion together and set aside. Grease casserole dish and dump perogies into it. Cover perogies with sausage and onions. Mix mushroom soup and milk together; pour over perogies. Top with cheese and bake at 350 for about an hour. Enjoy.

Oh, That Girl

Since Christmas is just around the corner...
and since I am trying to be a little more on the ball than I normally am...
and since I want to send out a great Christmas letter...
We had to get a great family picture.

Enter my good friend, Judi.

We met up at the cutest little town that has cutest little old candy shop and we promised the kids we could get a treat at the end if they were good listeners. (That was a bit of a lie... they were going to get a treat even if they were little rats! I had this idea that huge lolly pops would look super awesome in our candy store photos!)

I still haven't seen the pictures, but I'm sure Judi took about 300, so, chances are at least one will be Christmas letter worthy!

Now the problem... the kids each have a lolly pop that is approximately the same size as their head! The usual procedure is to limit the amount of candy they can have and when they forget about it we throw it out! I thought today just may be that day, but Maarti seems to have a sharper memory than I have given her credit for. On our way home from dropping Sam at preschool Maarti, put on her most manipulative sweetest smile and said one sentence over and over (and over and over) again: "Mommy, I want to wick a wah-wee pop!".

Ah well... at least she was cute about it!

That's Dangerous Territory Kid!

So I was folding a mountain of laundry when Sam asked if we could do a craft...

Me: Well, not right now... I haven' t finish my jobs and it is going to take a while cause no one is helping me. (Yes I sometimes resort to guilt as a motivator... get over it!)

Sam: Well, that's not for boys.

He then was subjected to my thoughts on division of labour in our home.

Firemen to the Rescue

I've been wondering what I could blog about and have been coming up blank... thank goodness our local Fire Halls had an open house tonight!! Blogging problem solved!! We had a great time. They had draws and demos and fun things for the kids. It was really well done... the only thing that could make it better is if Sam wins the draw for a ride to school in a firetruck!

So Excited!

Quick! Look outside! Does anyone see any pigs flying around out there?!... 'cause my big brother actually just took my advice and started a blog!!

Truthfully, this isn't the first time he's tried out some of my ideas... I'm just super excited cause this is the best idea I've had that he's gone for. Welcome to blog-world Dan! Can hardly wait to see all your future posts and learn from all your wisdom!

Now I just have to convince my sister to start. How 'bout it Suz?

Name Change Pending

I'm thinking of changing the name of this blog to "Stuff Sam Says".
Here's the latest:

At the dinner table Sam enthusiastically interupts what was probably a pretty disjointed conversation anyway... "I just need to tell Jesus something! Dear Jesus, can we have a car with no roof on it? Amen"
Me: What did He say?
Sam: Well... He said "Uhh... Yeah... That's a great idea!"

And then just this evening:
Sam: Mom, I like your golden ring. Did you buy it?
Me: No, Daddy gave it to me.
Sam: What a nice guy!

Recent Conversations From the Crazy House

Yesterday at the dinner table:

Me: Sam when you have Grandkids are they gonna call you Grandpa or Papa?

Sam: Mom! I wanna be a super hero, not a Grandpa!

And Today:

Sam: Mom! I just spit water out my nose in the bathroom! Isn't that so cool?!

Me: Not really.

Sam: Well, actually, it is Mom.


Sometimes I feel like all I blog about is Sam and I feel a little bad about it, but I know that Maarti's day is coming too as she is talking more and more. Right now one of her most frequent phrases is "Sammy did it." Little sisters just know...

One Last Week of Summer

We just got back from our summer holidays. I have to admit it was a little bitter-sweet knowing that our opportunities to take holidays during the school year are all too quickly coming to an end. BUT... it did help to look at the rainy forecast for home and realize that we had managed to get one more week out of summer!

Jeremy's parents and brother joined us for some of the time and we spent our days in the boat, on the beach, in the pool, biking, visiting winerys and orchards, visiting friends and eating ice cream. We also spent a lot of time playing "Hide and Seek". It really is amazing how long kids can enjoy that game in a hotel room that only has three places to hide!

And what would a holiday be without a good book? Jeremy's Mom finished this book on day two of our holidays and then passed it to me. I had been wanting to read this book so ditched the book I had brought and laughed and cried my way through this one. Loved it! Mary Beth Chapman is a woman I can relate to. She talked about getting married and realizing that she had married Tigger... and she was Eeyore. I get that!! Their story has much sadness in it, but also much hope.

Anyway, now were home and back to routine. I'm so thankful for this little family of mine and for all the memories of last week!

A Shift in Thinking

I have never been one to have a lot of school pride. I liked my school, but I know that there are lots of great schools out there so why argue that mine was the best? I will say one thing though... Prairie does put out the best magazine! Servant magazine is the only thing that comes in our house and gets read cover to cover.

The last issue had an amazing article about retired missionary, Helen Roseveare. She recalled a particularily horrific experience she had while serving in Africa and how God spoke to her in the midst of it. Two things really stood out to me:

1. "AmI Worthy?"
At one point she questioned "Was it worth it? Eleven years of my life poured out in selfless service for the African people and now this?" God's tender response to her was "My daughter, the question is not 'is it worth it?' The question is 'Am I worthy?' Am I, the Lord Jesus who gave His life for you, worthy for you to make this kind of sacrifice for me?"

2. "Can you thank Me?"
In the midst of a terrifying attack by rebels Helen sensed God whisper "Can you thank Me?" her immediate response was "No" as she felt it was too much to bear and then she realized God was really asking "Can you thank Me for trusting you with this situation?" She went on to say "Amazing. God trusting me? It was as though He said: 'Yes, I could have prevented this. But I have a purpose. You cannot understand now, but are you willing to be a part of My purpose?"

I have been pondering these thoughts for the last few days. I love how just a slight shift in thinking can cause a person to look at a situation from the other side. Perspective really is a powerful thing.

Contemplating Passion

Sam: My knees are telling me I shouldn't go to bed. What are your knees telling you Dad?

Jeremy: My knees are telling me you better get in bed or there will be consequences!

Sam: Actually, I think your knees are telling you that you want to go skiing.

I'm not sure when knees started talking around here, but I did find it interesting that at four Sam already has one of Jeremy's passions figured out. It made me wonder what the kids would say about my passion and what I'd like them to see in my life. What I'd like them to see is a person who is in love with Jesus and living in a reality that is bigger than anything that I could have dreamed for myself. I believe that God has a destiny for everyone, but we at times are so hung up in our insecurities and fears and unbelief that we don't step into it. This is one of those things I'm passionate about, but like Jeremy's skiing, I want my kids to recognize it because I live it, not just because I talk about it.

I guess that could be confusing...

Sam: Mom, what are these cookies for?

Me: I'm taking them to Mrs. Marie's baby shower.

Sam: So you're going to put them in the tub for the babies to eat?

Happenings of the Week

This last week has been long! I should have lots to share here, but my husband has (very wisely) forbid me to blog about puke and poop, so um yeah... that doesn't leave me with too many options. I think there are only two little stories from the week aren't in those categories!

1.) I was heading out the door to visit with a friend who's been in Europe all summer and of course the kids wanted to come. Jeremy explained that all we would be doing was talking and it would be boring. Sam's response: "Mom, can I go boring with you next time?"

2.) Earlier in the week Sam crawled into bed with us at 6:30am and had a suggestion: "Maybe Dad can ride his bike to work today and we can go to Starbucks?!" I thought it was a brilliant idea, but am a little concerned that at four he's already a fan of Buckies!

Lake Day!

Guess what we did this morning?!












What a fabulous time at the lake! AND, in case you were wondering, I was there!... and even though I don't have pictures that prove it, I do have a sunburn that does!

Happy 4th Birthday Sam!

We had a great time celebrating Sam with a Go Diego Go party.

The first party I remember was my fourth and my mom did a fishing pond so I wanted to do the same for Sam. When the little kids saw the M&M's in the bucket they wanted to fish with their hands, but for the most part it went over really well.



The fishing pond was right before opening presents and all the kids were so preoccupied with their candy that they weren't all crowding around Sam trying to "help" him open his gifts. (That was my idea... Strategic planning at its finest!)



Go Diego Go cupcakes... the internet is a life-saver when it comes to themed birthday parties!



Gramma and Sam - sitting in the shade waiting for the guests to arrive.



Swinging - Maarti's favorite pastime.



So I thought I would start a tradition and interview the kids on their birthdays. It will be fun to look back at this in a few years. So here goes:

Favorite color: Orange and Blue
Favorite show: Go Diego Go
Favorite song: Kumbaya
Favorite Bible Story: Jesus gives food to everybody
Favorite Food: Hot dogs & meat & ketchup & fish
Favorite thing to do: eat candy
Favorite Game: Wii
Favorite car: Hot Wheels
Best place to play: The park
If you had a pet what would it be? Cat
What would you name your cat? Mustard
What do you want to be when you grow up? A roller skater in a parade.
What is the best place to holiday? Papa and Grandma's house

Blueberry Season

There is nothing better than blueberry picking with the kids on a nice summer day. Maarti is crazy about blueberries so I'm sure way more went in her mouth than what went in her bucket!



It was so fun to have Cousin Anna join us at the berry farm... she was super excited about all the blueberries that were in reach!



I worked really hard at getting a picture of Sam, but everytime I told him to look at me he said "I'm too busy!". He was really serious about filling his bucket... he picked about 4 lbs. all by himself!



Finally! His bucket is full and he can take a minute to give me a smile!

How to Beat the Heat (Slip 'n Slide Edition)

The other day the kids encountered a slip 'n slide for the first time. When I was a kid I think we just went for it, but now I see there are a few different ways to enjoy it:

1. The Cautious Approach (aka "Do Not Let Go of Gramma's Hand Under Any Circumstance")



2. The Common Baseball Slide



3. The Huge Splash



4. Forget Sliding... just sit in the cool puddle at the bottom! (Please note that this method is extremely annoying to older brothers who are waiting at the top of the slide!)



However you decide to use your slip 'n slide just make sure you stay well hydrated!