Our Weekend Away

We just returned from a weekend vacay of sorts. Our fifth wedding anniversary is coming up shortly (I still can't believe that five years have come and gone so fast) so we decided to get away for a bit and spend some much needed alone time together.

My mom and dad took the girls for the night and we headed out to Country Charm Resorts. It is a couples only resort that has 10 luxury cabins that surround a man made lake. We chose one of the cabin's that had a home theatre room in it.

It was so terribly nice to get to spend some time alone. In the madness that is everyday life, it seems like time can fly by and I feel like we haven't even been able to say hello to each other without being interrupted by one of the kids or the phone or the dog or something else altogether.

Here are some pictures from our cabin...

Happenings

We have been busy lately - I can't think of anything specific that has taken up a lot of our time but it seems like the days are flying by faster than ever.

The weather here has finally broken and we have been taking advantage of the milder temperatures. We have been skating and tobogganing and have very much enjoyed going out without having to put on our ski pants!

Work continues to go well for both Greg and myself. I am finishing up my December month end and gearing up for year end which starts in a week. I have a lot of things to get done in the next week but I still am finding time tomorrow to go shopping with a girlfriend from work over the lunch hour (you gotta have your priorities in order). Greg moved to a new department at work and is still in training for his new position. His schedule is much better now and we know his work hours a long time in advance.

Happy 2009!

Another New Year and another opportunity to take some time to reflect on the past year and anticipate the one ahead. We had a wonderful 2008 and look forward to all that 2009 has to offer.

I always like to take a few moments and review how the past year went and to take a hard look at some of the things that I would like to have changed. It's like taking stock of your life and weeding out the negatives in the hope of gaining more positive. It's not always an easy process because for me, it involves looking at myself and my relationships with others and evaluating what needs to change. It can mean making some difficult choices and removing contact with some people or simply stepping back with others. It can mean making more of an effort with someone else and it certainly means trying to fine tune myself (I am a continuing work in progress after all!).

I won't share all of my resolutions (as some of them are private) but there are a few that I will share if you care to read about them:

• I will stop worrying about how I might screw up my girls and instead focus on how I loved my girls each day.
• I will finish decorating my house and finish off all the small things that need to be done.
• I will continue to love my job and be grateful for the fun that it is. I will work each day as if I am working directly for God.
• I will have a better attitude for teaching Sunday School (anyone who knows me, knows that I am not a teacher by nature).
• I will leave the cleaning and laundry and chores and live in the moment with my kids.
• I will let go of past hurts and see those around me for who they are - one of God's children. I want to be accepted for who I am and must therefore do the same for others. No, they might not always meet my expectations but I'm sure that I don't always meet theirs.

I also took some time this year to reflect on my marriage. I am continually grateful for my husband who loves me unconditionally and who is here day in and day out loving me and our girls. Loving another person and standing by them is not always an easy task and here is 2009's ten secrets to a happy marriage:

• God has you here to serve one another. Love acted out is serving.
• Women need respect and nurturing. Love your wife so she knows you'd lay your life down for her. Continue to date her and admire her. Share a hobby - find something you can do to have fun together.
• Laugh often.
• Be patient. Love crumbles quickly under the weight of unmet expectations.
• Spend more time trying to fix yourself than your spouse.
• Keep short accounts. The Bible says, "Do not let the sun go down while you are angry." Make it a habit to forgive.
• Determine up front that divorce is not an option.
• Learn about love languages. Not all people show love or receive it the same way. You want a back rub and your spouse wants a clean kitchen. The love languages are fairly simple: acts of service, time, physical touch, gifts, and words of affirmation. Learn them. Love is better received when it's in the language that person speaks.
• Words of affirmation are a love language for all men.
• Men are born to be leaders. he cannot lead unless she gives him the confidence to do so. If you love your husband, build him up. Confident men do not seek love outside the home. (Courtesy Karen Kingsbury)

Certainly this is not an all inclusive list but each year, I try to find a starting point and work from there. I've had other lists that I've put up in the house (I'm a visual person) and I find it helpful to have the reference point.

We wish you all the best as 2009 unfolds. May this year be a blessing to you and your families!

Christmas

Another Christmas come and gone. I hope that you all had a wonderful time with family and friends! We are still recovering from our holiday season - it goes by so fast and is so exhausting (especially for the kids).

We were all spoiled again as usual - our girls especially! I am still trying to find a place to put all of the new things that our loved ones so thoughtfully purchased for us. Greg has been spending a lot of time with his Play Station trying out all of his new games, I have been enjoying wearing my new clothes and the girls have been spending their free moments playing with their new toys.

This year, Santa brought Emily a Rose Petal Cottage. For those who don't know, it is a life size playhouse for girls (and boys too I suppose) and Emily and Danica have enjoyed playing together in it. It's quite funny to see them playing "house" together and I get some small glimpses of the next few years as their bond as sisters continues to grow.

We had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time with our extended family. We had numerous suppers and visits (my waistline is living proof of how much eating we did). We even had the opportunity to meet our new nephew, Tate. He was born at the end of October but as he lives very far away from us, we did not have the chance to meet him until now.

Emily and her cousins had lots of time to play together as well. I am always pleased with how quickly the kids fall back into their play time together. I can still hear Bennett calling for Emily!

Our best family shot (unfortunately)

Tate and Auntie Julie

Taking a break from gift opening

Cookies and milk ready for Santa - unfortunately Santa had to wait until after 10 pm to stop by as one excited little girl would not go to sleep!

Keizer wondering if this was finally his present...

All ready for church

Danica and Rosie hanging out

We tried hard to get a picture of all the kids together - unfortunately, these were the only three who co-operated

Tate with Uncle Greg (you have to wonder what he is thinking)

Success!!

Emily had her singing challenge this past Sunday and she did a great job! She sang, did her actions and most importantly - there were no fish lips to be seen. Of course, we had discussed the whole fish lips issue and if you ask her what the rule was for Sunday, she would tell you that no fish lips were allowed.

This will most likely be my last post before I break for the holiday season. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of our blogging friends and their families all the best over the holiday season and in the New Year. May the peace of our Lord and Saviour fill your heart this season.

Blessings!

Greg, Julie, Emily and Danica

I have reservations...

This past Sunday after church, the Sunday school kids met in the sanctuary to practice their songs that they are going to be singing this upcoming Sunday.

All the kids were lined up and they all started to sing and do the actions to the songs - all of them but my child that is. My child instead chose to turn her back to the front of the congregation and stare at the kids singing behind her. When she did finally turn her attention towards the front again, she started making fish lips.

On another note - I am extremely grateful for a heated, indoor parking space at work. Could it be any colder???

Miracles Happen

Just over a year ago, I was sharing a meal with a dear friend of mine. I was nearing the end of what was a fairly difficult pregnancy with Danica and we were discussing some rather bad news of hers. She was just starting the process of seeing a specialist because she was "broken" (in her words) and it was not likely that she was going to be able to conceive a baby on her own.

The lunch that we shared and the conversation that came from it touched my heart immensely (I posted about that lunch briefly here - The van Leeuwen Clan: Good Friends) and I have spent that last year and a bit praying daily for this friend and lifting her up to God.

One day this past spring, I received a phone call from her that filled my heart with joy - she had taken a pregnancy test on a whim and of all things it came back positive. Since then, I have been blessed with being able to share in her pregnancy.

On Monday, at 5:30 in the morning, God's plan came full circle and little Maxwell (Max) Rorke was born. He weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces and was 21 inches long. I cried at my desk at work after getting the phone call that he was here and that he was healthy. He is the cutest little thing and my heart actually aches with happiness for my friend.

Miracles really do happen...