The Polhamus Family

A Good Morning

2013-05-10T14:50:00.001-04:00

(Written by Dad two weeks ago while Mom was at the CN Tower stair climb)

“Good mornin’ Dad.”

“Good mornin’ Ella.”

Ella is always the sweetest morning greeter. With her gentle sweet tone, and oft mispronouncing of words, Ella snuggles in beside and sooths the soul to start the day. I would keep her four years old for a couple more years if I could. Every girl has been different at this age, but all have been most pleasant and a delight to be with.

I don’t understand why everyone has to line the upstairs hallway just because it’s morning. Board games, Lego, books and everything else you can imagine fill the long pathway past each of the kid’s rooms towards the stairs. The problem is that these kids are early risers, while I am the one who works the night shift. By the time I’m up, they are pretty famished and bored. Such good kids!

Jaclyn is out this morning, our little food beggar Jed with her, so it’s up to me to begin the day. As I pass the boy’s door, the dog spots me. Like the sound of an arriving train, Justus’ tail clanks the bars of his nighttime cage. “Rooorooooo…” I can’t resist when he sounds so sad, unless he has just whipped me with his tail or stuck his nose into my food, then I can resist.

“Release the hound!” I say to Ella.

“Release the horse…” She responds. I can only assume she picked that up where she got the rest of her 10-year-old vocabulary and need to make fun of people. She thinks she is a 10-year-old girl and a boy and a princess all at the same time.

“Ella, can you open the shutters for me?” I ask. “Sure!” she replies as she skips over to the first window. From her tiptoes she can just barely reach the top row.

“I will do the top row El, you do the bottom.”

We go around the ground floor opening all the shutters, making it morning, revealing the mess I had forgotten we left here last night.

“Who made all this mess!?” I asked Ella. She just chuckles as she finishes the last bottom shutter. We begin to tidy up some things.

“Mom should be home any minute. Let’s clean up a little, then we can have some breakfast.”

Ella is such a helper. She runs the stairs six or seven times to bring things up to our room while I sweep a little. “Elijah, you put the shoes away. Charity, you let the dog out and feed him breakfast. Ella, you take these things up to my room and put them on our bed.” Together we tag team the mess and in a couple of minutes the clean house buried underneath is revealed.

“Mom’s home!” A voice calls out from up in the roost that is the girl’s front window. We are always alerted as soon as someone we expect makes the turn onto our street. Mom and Jed return with a coffee and some breakfast for me. What a sweet woman. She’s so sweet! As we sit in the living room and she and Jed start to tell us all the details of their adventure. She begins with, “Wow, there were so many people puking halfway up the CN Tower!” …just as I unfold the last corner of packaging from my Sausage McMuffin. Yum…

The children are chattering and the dog’s feet patter around the kitchen. No one is ever alone in our kitchen any more. As soon as you enter either a curious little person with an inquisitive pleading smile accompanies you, or a mammoth mooch with ears perked and drool dripping. You can guess which one is the dog.

“Up! Up!” Lily stands beside her high chair, sensing the coming meal. Her sweet little language is tonal. She has a sweet soprano twist up at the end of each word when she is being lovely, and a low-pitched grunt as she is being… difficult. It’s as though we got all the traits of each of the previous seven children jammed into this cute ball of love-hate. She is a chatterbox and sleeps in like Keona did. She raids the cupboards and climbs things like the triplets did. She loses her mind and smashes things with rage like Elijah did/does. She eats like an abyss, begs food and can take a hit like Jed did/does. She cuddles, plays with boys toys and flirts with her sweetness like Ella did. And then, with all of that, somehow she got my eyes and Jaclyn’s hair and build. She sings and tries to whistle. She yells, “DA! DA! DA! DAAAaaaaaaa!” When I come home. Everything she wants she points to, looks at you, and says, “sare” which of course means “share”. As soon as we taught her to share she started guilt tripping everyone else to share with her.

Breakfast is served! Everything we have that doesn’t take any work is available this morning. Some get donuts, some get pizza buns from last night, some get anything they can convince us to let them have. It’s so late anyways that we are having lunch in a short while. At least, that’s how I justify it as I sit on the couch and check Facebook.

Morning is special here. I love it. And as we settle into our Bibles for a little nourishment, or into our cups of tea and coffee for a little fellowship, we all enjoy a sweet start to the day together.

Thank you Lord for our home. Thank you for mornings together. Thank you for loving and teaching us to love.

He Cares About Me – I See it in the Details

2013-04-01T22:14:00.000-04:00

You may notice the dates in this post are from February… I wasn’t ready to publish this post when I wrote it, but I promised God that if he took care of everything and brought me through this trial that I would give Him the glory. So, when I remembered praying that the other day, I felt like I needed to publish this post. I’m so thankful for a God of details who looks after me. There aren’t a lot of pictures. It isn’t a “pretty” post. It is a LONG post. It’s more of a journal for me to remember and share God’s goodness.

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“If we would remember the miracles God has done in our past, we would not so easily worry and fear when we face new challenges.” – Unknown

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. “

- Isaiah 55:8

January 27th, we were surprised by a positive pregnancy test. This would usually be an exciting time for us, but I knew it wasn’t a normal pregnancy. Figuring that it was a miscarriage, I booked an appointment with my doctor and prepared myself for the news. I was sent for an ultrasound and I could tell from the screen that there was nothing. No baby. Nothing. I called Scott, confirming what I had thought- that it was a miscarriage. Two days later, I went back to my doctor and she did another blood test. My HCG levels were going up. They had doubled from two days prior. Slightly confused, I decided to try not to think about it over the weekend. I was still bleeding, but now thought that maybe there was a baby… maybe I was just off on my dates.

February 11th , I was sent for another ultrasound. Another ultrasound with the same results… nothing. I mentioned to the technician that I had thought it was possibly an ectopic pregnancy due to the bleeding. She checked my tubes- nothing. In the meantime, a nurse came out to the waiting room, knelt down beside me and said, “This may be a strange question, but what’s your background? The other nurses and I were all watching you and making bets as to what your ethnicity is.” If she knew how often I get asked that question, she wouldn’t have thought it was so odd. It was kind of nice to laugh. To stop thinking and wondering for a few minutes while I laughed with the nurse before I went back to sitting in the corner of the waiting room anxious to find out what was going on.

My doctor was dumbfounded. She offered me the comfort that it may be too early to see the ectopic pregnancy, it may be a “molar” pregnancy, or it could be a rare type of uterine cancer. She sent me off with a promise of a referral to an OBGYN and the warning to go to the ER if I feel anything isn’t right. I spent the night reading everything I could find about ectopic pregnancies, choriocarcinoma, and molar pregnancies. My symptoms all fit an ectopic pregnancy… but I doubted it because each ultrasound had shown nothing. The next morning I woke up to excruciating pain. I had dealt with dull cramps for over a month now. but this was different… it felt like I had been stabbed in my right side and my back ached so badly I could barely get out of bed. By lunch time, the pain had subsided and I decided to wait for a call from my doctor’s office. No call.

The next morning I woke up dizzy. I felt disoriented and the cramps were coming and going. I wanted to wait for the call to go see an OBGYN, but at the same time, I knew that if this was an ectopic pregnancy that they had missed- I could be bleeding internally and well on my way to going into shock. My instincts said that I needed to go to the hospital. Thankfully, I have a husband who encourages me to trust my instincts and he pushed me to go to the ER and get checked out. I spent an hour in a waiting room, entertained by all sorts of people. A man laying on the floor, yelling for his wife to call the police because no one at the hospital cared about him. A nurse that told him there were people in the back who’s hearts had stopped, and people who had stopped breathing, and that his leg pain would have to wait. He yelled at her and told her that he was going to die from the pain. Her exact words, “Well, when you stop breathing… come and let me know.” That set him off. She walked away and he pitched his beeper thing-a-ma-jig across the waiting room. Slowly, everyone moved away… A man with a purple finger. A lady with something lodged in her throat. An old couple that held hands the entire time they sat in the waiting room. Time passed, and I worried. I worried that they wouldn’t figure out what was wrong. I worried that after bleeding for a month straight, there was no end in sight. I worried about a baby. I hoped that everything would be ok. If there was one… I finally asked God for help. I asked Him for answers.

I was eventually called in and seen by a doctor that couldn’t have been much older than me. That’s never encouraging. I’m a fan of old doctors. Doctors that look like they could be my grandpa… This young guy saw my blood test results and said, “Oh good. Your numbers are going up!” Umm… where have you been for the last 5 minutes while I was explaining the situation? Numbers going up, without a baby, is a problem. He then proceeded to ask me if I wanted him to request an ultrasound. Have I mentioned how much I loathe young doctors? I digress…

I went for an ultrasound after drinking 2 litres of tap water, and an answer to prayer came. The technician listened to my story and said, “I’m going to do my very best to find answers for you.” Then I was sent back to the waiting room, where leg-pain guy had been moved back into a wheelchair and was still yelling at his wife to call 911. I texted my hubby to try and pass time. He had everything under control. I asked him to get the girls to put some rice on. Already done. I asked him to put the chicken in the oven. “Right on it,” he said. Scott, is my best friend. When I needed a hug, he squeezed me tight until I let go. When I wanted to vent, he listened without trying to fix things. When I started to worry, he prayed with me and reminded me that God knew exactly what was going on. When I was so unsure of everything, he reminded me that I could be sure of him. That no matter what happened, what the outcome, what the trial, he was there. He always is.

So I got called back in and waited to hear from sniffly-nose, kid-doctor. He looked at his chart and very matter-of-factly, told me that I had an ectopic pregnancy in my right tube and I had two options… 1. An injection of methotrexate or 2. Surgery… I texted Scott right away and told him that what I thought had been confirmed and asked him to email our go-to doctor about the options. Our doctor-friend is another answer to prayer… I feel so blessed to have an experienced doctor, who is like a grandfather to us, who we can call with any health questions. He told us that the drug is an experimental chemo drug that kills the immune system. Ok.. easy decision then. He reassured us that if we waited and my tube ruptured, which it would eventually, that my life would be in danger. Unfortunately, there was no hope for the baby. At about 8 weeks there was no heartbeat and no options. Scott arranged for our moms to come take care of the kids so he could come be at the hospital with me. I am so thankful for family. What would we do without our families? God is good.

I had an IV put in. Several times… I sat there going back and forth between worrying and praying. I put on my best front and then Scott was there. A comfort washed over me as I saw him walk around the corner. He came over and kissed my forehead, and suddenly everything seemed alright. It was alright to cry, it was alright rest, it was alright to talk about how scared and upset I was.

Then came the next answer to prayer. I was sent into a room to wait for the doctor and when he came in, I couldn’t have been more relieved. First off, he wasn’t a kid! He was the doctor who had done my emergency c-section with Elijah when we had lost his heart rate. He was the doctor that had taken care of me when I went in with my miscarriage. He was the doctor my midwife raved about who had been trained in South Africa by midwives before coming to Canada. Three different traumatic events, in two different cities, at two different hospitals, at completely different times, and God chose to use him. He sat and talked with us. He didn’t give us any options like the kid-doctor. He said that I’d need to have my right tube removed. He knew our background and my history. No experimental drugs. He said that this was the best option. He sat and explained things and stayed to answer any questions we had. He squeezed my hand and then headed out of the room to prep for surgery “Right away”- those were his words. I waited for the nurse to leave the room (who happened to be a 200lb black man who had taken care of Elijah and Jeddy when they were in the hospital for asthma attacks- another answer to prayer! He is an awesome nurse and I felt like I knew him.) and that was when I lost it. Scott saw the tears start and he held my hands and prayed with me. There was a chance of needing a full c-section type cut, there was a chance of needing a full hysterectomy, there was a chance of needing a blood transfusion. So many if’s… and even though God was working in and through all these people for me- I was scared. I called and spoke with each of my kids and told them I loved them. I can be quite the worst case scenario type person. So for me, there was also a chance that I wouldn’t wake up.

We went up to the OR lobby and I waited in the hospital bed. Scott stood beside me and made me laugh. He joked with nurses, told everyone how many kids I had just to get a laugh out of reactions- he did a really good job at keeping me distracted. He kissed my forehead once again before they wheeled me away and in I went. The anaesthesiologist told me to name each of my kids as he put me to sleep and next thing I knew I was waking up and asking the nurses for my husband. I didn’t know why they were laughing at the time, but apparently I woke up every few minutes and asked for him and then went back to sleep. He came in the recovery room and made fun of me. I kept asking if everything was ok… Another answer to prayer. Everything went as well as it possibly could have. My tube HAD ruptured- which explained the excruciating pain. Had I not gone into the hospital when I did, I could have died. There was minimal internal bleeding and they were able to do everything through laparoscopic surgery. Three little band-aids were all I had to show for it. My iron didn’t drop at all, I was able to go home that night, and I only had to take pain meds for a day. My emotions have gone up and down a bit. This may not have been how I envisioned my child-bearing years ending- it was very abrupt and final. But the Lord knows that I sometimes, most times, need that. There were no ‘what if’s’- everything was very cut and dry. Which was another answer to prayer…

I don’t do well with what if’s…

My family - Easter weekend

I am so thankful for the promise that Christ’s resurrection brings!

God is so good.

I’m so thankful for His hand of protection.

And I’m so thankful for all of those little details and answers to prayer that let me know He was there.

I Heart Faces: Best Face of 2012

2013-01-09T15:49:00.001-05:00

It’s so hard to choose ONE photo when I have taken hundreds of my own family, along with thousands of other people and their families. So I’ll just say that this is one of my favourites. :)

My little Ella-boo hates sitting still for pictures…

I convinced her to go for a walk with me one day during the fall. It was windy and freezing, but she co-operated for this shot. The very next frame she was pouting – but at least I got one!

Lily’s 1st year

2013-01-02T14:07:00.001-05:00

We didn’t forget to include Lily in our review of 2012… She just didn’t have much to say. :)

I loved putting together this quick overview of her first year…

click to enlarge

2012 in Review

2013-01-01T13:03:00.001-05:00

Ella

My favourite part was going to that park in London… and going down the slides and swingin’ on the swings. And the horses… Riding on the horses was my favourite too.

(the park that was her favourite! lol)

Jeddy

Getting a new dog because I like to play with him. Going on rides at Wonderland. Getting a new church. It was fun going to North Bay. I liked going out fishing, catching the frogs, and roasting marshmallows. Our baby getting to turn 1. And going ‘bogganing (yesterday) cause it was fun and the big bump at the bottom of the hill went, “Waboom!” and bumped us in the air!

Elijah

On the girls’ birthday, (which was one of my favourite parts of the year) the four girls were having a party… So that means that there were going to be lots of girls. So many that they freaked me out! So when the Browns came, me and Jeddy asked if we could go to their house with them. (Of course, the girls were at the party) They said, “Yes!” So then I wasn’t scared anymore.

Another one of my favourite parts of the year was deputation. We went to lots of churches! I liked going to North Bay. we had some friends there that we hadn’t seen in years! So we slept at their house. And we went fishing with Mr. Brooks! In Niagara Falls and London, we stayed in hotels. It was fun! We got to see the Streeters too! One of my last favourite parts was when we started a new church on September 30, 2012. On the first day, Me and one of the boys met eachother. His name was Luke and now he’s one of my best friends.

We went tobogganing yesterday. I was scared at first. Then I went down. Jeddy chickened out. I went down for the 15th time and when I got up at the bottom, a boy crashed into me and flipped me. Then we saw some friends!

2012 is over now and 2013 is just starting!

Prayer

I’m so thankful God has blessed us with another year. We’ve had so many joys throughout the year. My favourite part of this year was our deputation, along with starting Hope Baptist Church. Traveling all over Ontario and seeing friends from camp- another favourite. Seeing Niagara Falls for the first time was awesome! Watching the mist and boats… Dad got a hilarious new hat!

Another favourite was when we all went to a surprise birthday party for Nana. We decorated the house and I saw some family that I don’t think I’ve met before. When we were standing by the door waiting for Nana to come in, I noticed the hundreds of pairs of shoes and I thought, “Wow! That’s a lot of shoes!” We also had one of Mom’s favourite kinds of cake- Costco cake! Dad went to pick up the cake at one Costco but it was the wrong one. So he had to go the other Costco! I don’t know where they are… He still made it to the party on time.

I gradually thank God for all these joys in my life as we open up to a new year in 2013.

Eve

My favourite part was Niagara Fall. I liked holding the Birds at Bird Kingdom. I made new friends at the church there too. I also liked going to Lindsay in the country. I made friends there too and I liked playing with her in her club house. I also liked going to North Bay. We had a great tea party! I liked seeing the bears there too. I liked going to the church in Belleville. I met two friends there too. I liked when new neighbours moved in. We actually have girls our age to play with. And I like our new dog, Justus! He is so huge- I like everything about him.

(Eve’s pictures from her very own camera!)

Charity

One of my favourite parts of this year is having a baby sister that I can play with everyday. She is so cute! She even cuddled me the other day. I also now have a loud, large, baby Great Dane. He is a lot of fun to chase and grab a hat from! Distributing flyers and starting our church was… interesting. During deputation, I made a lot of new friends. I even have a new penpal! For the first time ever, I went to Niagara Falls! It was fun to walk by the beautiful falls, and we got to ride ponies! I also made it to the finals of the lassoing contest at the church. There are many more things to tell, but I think I have done enough. I had a lot of fun at Easter though… when Prayer flipped right in front of the window at Dollarama and everyone was staring. I love you, Prayer! Goodbye 2012… Hello 2013!

Keona

2012 was a truly amazing year. God blessed us so much. We’ve done so many things! I went to my 1st youth conference. We went on deputation and started a church. (It was my first year as a “PK!” – pastor’s kid) We went to Wonderland, North Bay, and so many other places. Lily turned one. I went to camp Y.E.S. as a “kid” for the last time. (This year I will be a “teen”) I went into my last year of school before high school. (So many “this was my last year” events)

Once again we had an amazing December, filled with joy and blessings – AND – tobogganing! Yesterday, for New Year’s Eve we went sledding on a huge hill at a golf course, and the Pallants (some friends from church) came too! It was amazing how it happened. They like in Markham, yet they came down to Pickering looking for a place to go sledding! So we got to sled with them for a half an hour. During that time, I went a hill on a different type of sled, it tipped, and I backwards summersaulted onto my head – which hurt – a lot. Then, as I was trudging back up the hill, with my sore head down, Eve comes sledding down the hill out of nowhere on a “death machine” (a disc). As I tried to leap out of her path, and my right knee went up and hit her in what I thought was her shoulder, it turned out to be the side of her head. OOPS! – sorry Eve. Oh, there’s one more thing, Mom missed it all! But apparently she can still picture it in her head – and she laughs every time.

Another thing in 2012 that I wouldn’t have to write down to remember – In earlyish December all of us were getting our very own day to be sick. Well Sunday turned out to be my day, and as I was standing there getting my hair done, feeling a little sick, and quite weak, everything started to grow fuzzy, and then dark, and then everything went black. Other than my sight, there was no difference in the way I felt so I thought it was my imagination… so I waved my hand in front of my face… I couldn’t see it! So frantically I told Mom, “Mom, Mom! I can’t see anything! I think I need to sit down!” So I sat down. Everything began to come back, then disappeared again, then returned again quickly. I thought I had passed out, but apparently I had remained conscious the entire time – about 5 minutes. It was the first time I had blacked out – I’ll never forget it.

I just remember one more thing – My Birthday.

The triplets and I decided that we would share a party, invite over 30 girls, and paint nails, drink tea, eat cake, and lots of junk food, and hang out with all of our friends. Some people couldn’t come, and some lived to far away to invite, but we had a great time.

My actual birthday was on a Sunday, and we were in Hamilton for our deputation that day. The churches we visited made me feel very special and I had a great day.

(at camp)

I thank God for making 2012 such a great year for us, and pray that this year will be too!

Christmas Day

2012-12-28T07:12:00.000-05:00

The excitement is over. The tree and decorations are packed away until next year.

And today… I took a nap.

On Christmas morning, I got up at about 6am to put the turkey in the oven. I had seasoned it the night before so there was no need to turn lights on or make a big ordeal. I went downstairs half asleep, popped the pan in the oven, and with my eyes still half closed I stepped around the corner and bumped into a little body. In the pitch black.

“Whatcha doin, Mom?”

I screamed. The dog barked. Scott didn’t even bother to shout and see if it was a burglar or something. When I got back up to bed and my heart was still racing, he asked what the screaming was about. At least the dog had my back…

On to the fun part now!

These kids were spoiled. Under and around our tree was refilled 5 times. We spent literally hours watching them open presents over the last few days. Some of us enjoyed it. Some fell asleep during it. Scott… :P

We had family and friends over for dinner once again. Have I mentioned how much I love hosting big dinners? The girls were a huge help! Keona made bread, Charity and Eve cleaned and vacuumed, Prayer helped me peel and chop two bags of carrots and 10lbs of potatoes, and Scott cleaned the bathrooms! Which totally makes up for sleeping through presents.

My mom and mom-in-law were both a huge help in the kitchen as well! Between us all we managed to feed 25 people and still have lots of leftovers. God has been so good to us, how could we not share what he’s given us with others?

Enjoying the family time is always my favourite part. We had tea, the guys played some video games, and the kids enjoyed all their new gifts. Lily was getting slightly fussy. I think Danica may have been wondering what her problem was here…

I hope everyone had an equally wonderful Christmas with people they love.

Looking forward to the New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-25T07:51:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve

2012-12-24T21:45:00.001-05:00

We have been counting down to Christmas but the kids have also been keeping track of “sleeps” until Christmas Eve. The tradition at our house is to open gifts today!

The boys had asked if they could wake us up whenever they get up in the morning… surprisingly, I was up before them!

You know the girls are getting older when they want to eat breakfast before opening presents!

We were all excited to watch Lily open her presents, but all she wanted to do was eat Cheerios. After her second filling of them she was more cooperative.

Elijah had been trying to guess what his present was for over a month now! His sneaky big sister had wrapped a DS game and a Lego platform inside our giant atlas…

He may have tackled her out of excitement…

The presents we buy are changing. There are less toys and more clothes. The girls asked for accessories, clothes, and books. Keona wanted an apron and her own bake ware. She had here eye on some quilting material a few months ago and was so upset when it sold out before she had saved enough money. Little did she know, that I had already ordered it for her… That was one of my favourite surprises of the day.

Charity wanted a baseball cap. Sometimes I shake my head watching her because she is such a tomboy! Scott reminded me the other day, that when we met I lived in boys basketball shorts, baseball tees, and jerseys… I love how different they all are.

Eve got hair accessories and crocheting stuff. Ella got new markers. (Big surprise there!) She also got her first Bible. Prayer got art supplies. Jeddy got his remote control car. Lily got a singing tea set. Scott is pleased that it teaches her to say ‘please and thank you’ and that it plays slow music. Now she sways calmly to the music instead of wiggling her little bum to her “Wheels on the Bus”… :)

Everyone couldn’t wait to get into their new things…

One of our advent calendar events had been a walk around the neighbourhood to look at all the Christmas lights. I had told the kids to choose a favourite while we were out. Today’s event was to vote on our favourite and then go say “Merry Christmas” and drop off a Tim Horton’s gift card! Scott and I stayed in the van with Lily. I think the lady may have been slightly surprised when she opened her door and saw 7 kids standing on the porch!

Lastly, a little comparison…

We are so blessed. I was especially reminded of that today as I watched my kids open all their presents, and then again while I relaxed with a tea and enjoyed a quiet day at home surrounded by my favourite people.

“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans--and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused--and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself.”

― Sigrid Undset

Christmas Countdown

2012-12-20T06:46:00.000-05:00

Last year we failed miserably at the whole advent calendar thing. I mean sure… so we had a baby, moved, did 3 separate overnight stays in the hospital…

I was so excited about trying again this year! I decided that instead of making all of the events/activities in advance- I would make them up each day as we go along. This has definitely helped us stick to it! Last year I had planned outdoor activities on days when it ended up raining so we just cancelled the whole thing!

Everyday the kids have a little card or envelope with number of days left to Christmas on it that they have find somewhere on the main floor.

Whoever finds it gets to read it out loud.

We started with just a simple announcement of the fun activity for the day. Number twenty-five was a “mini Christmas dinner”. Sadly, the turkey had a funky smell to it and we had to throw it out. SO we ended up having chicken legs with stuffing and cake for dessert!

We played hide and seek in the dark. I carefully wrapped and hid 8 mini boxes of cereal. We went on a late night walk to look at all the Christmas lights. We painted Christmas-coloured nails and had Mario Kart tournaments.

We had movie nights with popcorn, homemade doughnuts, and gingerbread houses.

We went hunting for dog wood and carolling at a senior’s home.

I may have spent the entire carolling time standing out in the hallway with my cranky baby. My little fusspot who then turned into an attention-loving angel after the singing was done…

We had homemade pizza and surprise visitors. I have made up lame riddles leading to the rest of the surprise…

Though you found #12

you haven’t found me!

I’m all wrapped up

but not under the tree!

You’ll find me where the drying cloths are,

hurry up now- I’m not a car!

Yeah…

My sister was always the poetic one.

The kids got a good laugh out of it and requested more riddles!

When the gingerbread house that we made was finished in one sitting- I thought maybe we should make another one! I made the mistake of bringing all the kids to the store with me and we may have left with the stuff to make an entire gingerbread village…

Not quite sure what Prayer found so hilarious? She finds everything funny…

They decided to make a Christmas scene and use Lego men as people, lightsabers as ski poles, and icing sugar as snow!

I had way too much fun doing this with them!

I don’t have pictures of everything we’ve done, and I’m ok with that. I have been doing these thing with the kids. Thoroughly enjoying each and every event. Cuddles on the couch with hot chocolate late at night may be my favourite.

We haven’t done anything extravagant or expensive. I have spent under $20 in total. Meanwhile, the kids are already asking if we can do this again next year! They wake up every morning excited to see what the days’ event will be. We still have a few surprises up our sleeves… ;)

“If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money on them.”

~Abigail Van Buren

Phonograms, Birthdays, and a Runaway Dog

2012-12-12T19:18:00.001-05:00

I have missed blogging! There are so many little stories that I will forget because I haven’t written them down. So many things the kids have said…

Like Prayer declaring that she was “sweating like a hotdog in the desert!”

Or Ella practicing her phonograms…

Sa, like ‘sat’.

Se, like ‘set’.

So, like ‘sock’.

Su, like ‘wasup’.

I blame her father for that one.

Ella’s turn to add the star.

Lily now says, “Dum” (some) when she wants us to share food. “Lub ooo!” (Love you) “Mum! Mum!” As soon as I walk in the room.

12 months

Her sisters have taught her to go up and down the stairs. It’s quite hilarious to watch her crawl backwards while trying to find the top of the steps with her toes!

Keona taught her to feed herself. It keeps her busy and happy, but it’s incredibly messy…

Did I mention that Lily turned 1? Cause she did!

It was also my little brother’s 13th birthday! My little brother who just passed me in height…

The cake may have been a tad bit sweet for her fruit, veggie, and grain taste buds…

The kids decorated the tree! I did nothing this year. And other than the 6 candy canes in a row across the bottom branch (courtesy of Ella) they did a really good job! As they said the next morning, “Mom, you didn’t even redecorate it!” :)

The dog has grown.

A lot.

He ran out the front door the other day and jumped on a neighbour’s kid. I shouted at him and called him back. He ran the opposite way. I apologized to the father, who seemed to find it funny, and then proceeded to try and catch my 75lb puppy. He eventually came over to me and walked back home. We’ve been doing some serious training since that little incident.

I cut my bangs! Not so exciting, I know. I wanted to do something new with my hair, but I settled with dying it black to hide all the white and cutting my bangs because I’m too chicken to cut my hair. This is the longest it has been since I was… 10?

Gotta love iPhone self-portraits!

I’m incredibly excited about a new type of photoshoot I’ll be offering in the new year! I have my first official “Birth Photo Session” scheduled as soon as momma-to-be goes into labour! I’ll be portfolio building for a bit, so if you or someone you know wants their baby’s birth documented- contact me!

The kids are done school until next year! I would post the picture of Keona’s “happy dance”, but I can’t force myself to do it. I made her promise me that she’d never try to dance in public again… haha!

Begging his sisters for icing, or cake batter, or something like that!

I am enjoying my kids. Sure they drive me to the brink of insanity some days… but I love them to death. I wouldn’t trade these days at home with them for anything. Did I ever blog about the time that I had told the kids to be quiet while I was making a few phone calls? I was trying to leave a message for our dentist when a full-out brawl broke out right beside me. I finished my message, set down my phone, and proceeded to tell the kids off for being so inconsiderate. (Forget the fact that they were on the floor wrestling- I was trying to make a phone call!) Anyhow, after ~~telling them off~~ correcting them ~~loudly,~~ I picked my phone back up, only to realize that I had never hung up. Must have made for an interesting message.

Anyhow, December has been a great month with the kids so far. God is so good to us! I’ll share about our “advent calendar” in the next post! :)

Oh, did I mention that Scott was writing something the other day with a pen (!) when he admitted to looking back at a word, expecting to see a red squiggly line underneath it, and thought, “Oh, I spelled it right!” You know you’re using your iPad too much when… :P

Wouldn’t be a complete post without poking fun at Scott!

Love ya, hun!

Phonograms, Birthdays, and a Runaway Dog

2012-12-12T19:18:00.000-05:00

I have missed blogging! There are so many little stories that I will forget because I haven’t written them down. So many things the kids have said…

Like Prayer declaring that she was “sweating like a hotdog in the desert!”

Or Ella practicing her phonograms…

Sa, like ‘sat’.

Se, like ‘set’.

So, like ‘sock’.

Su, like ‘wasup’.”

I blame her father for that one.

Ella’s turn to add the star.

Lily now says, “Dum” (some) when she wants us to share food. “Lub ooo!” (Love you) “Mum! Mum!” As soon as I walk in the room.

12 months

Her sisters have taught her to go up and down the stairs. It’s quite hilarious to watch her crawl backwards while trying to find the top of the steps with her toes!

Keona taught her to feed herself. It keeps her busy and happy, but it’s incredibly messy…

Did I mention that Lily turned 1? Cause she did!

It was also my little brother’s 13th birthday! My little brother who just passed me in height…

The cake may have been a tad bit sweet for her fruit, veggie, and grain taste buds…

The dog has grown.

A lot.

Gotta love iPhone self-portraits!

Begging his sisters for icing, or cake batter, or something like that!

Anyhow, December has been a great month with the kids so far. God is so good to us! I’ll share about our “advent calendar” in the next post! :)

Wouldn’t be a complete post without poking fun at Scott!

Love ya, hun!

Most Nights…

2012-12-12T00:51:00.001-05:00

Most nights I come up to bed and work on the laptop for a bit. I may edit photo sessions, prepare things for the church, send emails… that sort of stuff. Around midnight I usually scan Pinterest, take a Scrabble turn or two, spend some time in prayer, and then drift off to sleep.

Last night, I had approximately 125 Christmas cards left to fill out, envelopes to address, photos to edit, emails to send, CDs to burn, laundry to fold, a room to clean, gifts to wrap, and I’m sure that I’m forgetting something else… and when I came up to bed and went to put something in the little girls’ room, my baby was sitting in her crib staring at me. We made eye contact and she gave me the biggest, goofiest, toothy grin. I couldn’t resist picking her up for a quick hug. You may have heard that Lily isn’t a cuddler. She says, “Huuuuuu!” and leans her head on your face for about 2 seconds flat. But last night, she snagged her blankie out of the crib as I picked her up and snuggled up under my chin. I carried her into my room and sat in the rocking chair. I whispered to her while she nursed for a few minutes and then she snuggled right back onto my chest again. My mind momentarily started reminding me of my daunting to-do list - but I ignored it.

I pulled her blankie over us and rocked my baby. Every few seconds she would look up at me and smile. I must have kissed her head a hundred times. She’d push her feet off my lap every so often to keep me rocking her, and then snuggle in even closer when I did. Eventually she started to drift and I laid her down in her crib, handed her the pink puppy she likes to hug while she sleeps, and watched her drift off. It was exactly the reminder I needed, that it’s ok to slow down sometimes. It’s ok to enjoy the quiet one-on-one moments with my baby, at midnight, while 20 other things wait.

My baby is getting big…

Beautiful Light & Baby Tantrums

2012-11-06T07:08:00.000-05:00

When I have too many things going on in my head, I tend not to blog. It’s almost like it would be work to sort out my thoughts and decide what I should blog. Not to mention, I have been slacking with my picture-taking.

My photography website got a facelift and is up and running!

But I haven’t made our Christmas card yet…

I have practiced the piano for over an hour today!

But there is school work waiting for me to grade…

I have a (mostly) clean house.

But I don’t know what I’m doing for dinner tomorrow night…

I have planned the girls’ music schedule for the next two months.

But we still haven’t gone apple picking this year…

Isn’t that just the way it goes? It seems like I’m continually having to sacrifice something for what I believe to be more important at the moment. So here I am trying to keep my priorities in order. I’m currently sacrificing an hour of sleep… :)

God has been so good; not that it’s a huge surprise! Jeddy got baptized 3 weeks ago. He was Scott’s first baptism.

It was so hot in the pool room! My lens fogged up immediately and I didn’t have enough time to clear it before Scott started baptizing.

We have been so encouraged by everyone praying for us and by our new church family. It’s amazing how we can fee like family with people we’ve only just recently met! God has answered several specific prayers that I had leading up to the church starting; and for that I am thankful.

Proud of their school projects!

I took the kids out to a new location recently to take some pictures. It was some of the most gorgeous light I have ever seen.

I wanted to get a picture of the girls playing their instruments but couldn’t quite figure out how to fit it all in the frame.

Charity started moving her sisters around, “You stand here, and you here, and you here… and I’ll stand… here!”

As she jumped in front of them all.

I love my girls.

Ella went with me to do some shots at another spot behind our house…

I have yet to do the boys’ pictures. I had planned to do it the same day as the girls’… but Elijah was holding Justus’ leash, and Justus decided to go for a run… Elijah fell forward and our “puppy” dragged him several meters across the ground before I could stop him. It was hilarious and I kinda wish I had taken a picture before I went to help him. But I was a good Mom instead! If you can call laughing hysterically, while I try to yell at the dog- a good mom.

Lily’s pictures are also waiting. She is currently cutting 4 teeth, two of which have broken through, and she refuses to co-operate with anything.

11 months old

Her new favourite word is “Up!” Which in the middle of the night, turns into, “Uuuuuuuuuuuuup! Up!!!” She crawls over to us, reaches her arms out and demands, “up”. She also hits me in the morning and tells me “up”- which I think translates, “Get out of bed and make me breakfast. Now.”

She can stand on her own, but refuses to take a step.

She has learned to throw and hates sitting still. Her new favourite thing is books. She loves to look at the pictures. Just don’t try to turn the page for her- this results in screaming and her no longer being interested in the book. She kisses the phone when she hears Daddy’s voice and says, “Huuuuuuu” as she hugs her baby dolls. She has officially moved out of our room, and into a room with Ella. We will see how this goes.

This is how it went after the above photo. (The only photo I got of her even semi-looking.)

Noticing and pointing at the other cookie while yelling “Taaaaa!”

After I said, “No”…

“Is Mom still watching?”

Yep, better get even more dramatic!

This, was the reality of our attempted 11 month shoot… Hopefully her 1yr pictures go better.

Needless to say, she survived without the second cookie!

Our fall decorations are down.

We are celebrating Remembrance Day this weekend, and then the Christmas decorations will go up. It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year in this house- we are so blessed.

A year ago- in our old living room.

i heart faces: orange

2012-11-06T05:28:00.000-05:00

My daughter loves playing her guitar- so it just seemed right to bring it along for our mini photo shoot.

I am in love with the autumn colours around our new house this year.

i heart faces: Friends

2012-10-16T22:07:00.001-04:00

Friends and siblings

Shoe adores him.

Most of the time…

10 months, 4 months, and a grand opening service…

2012-10-11T06:42:00.000-04:00

Is that not the most creative title in history?

Anyhow…

Lily has passed the 10 month mark.

(Excuse her sloppy clothes in the 10 month pic. I may have been behind by, oh… about 10 baskets in laundry.)

I think she may have gotten chubbier…

The fact that she eats anything and everything may have something to do with it. I am constantly stopping her siblings from sharing whatever it is they have with her. If she sees you eating, she’ll come stand up beside you and say,

“Ta. Ta? Ta. Ta? Ta! Ta!!! TAAAAA!!! Ta?”

On repeat.

Until you give her something.

Tonight, she really wanted my cell phone. I use to let her play with it. That is until she found it more amusing to throw my phone and watch it bounce that it was to listen to Veggie Tales on it… So when I told her no- the little diva yelled and then hit the table and proceeded to lie on the floor face down and cry. We may have another strong-will here…

Hoping those new chompers coming in up top have something to do with the attitude.

She sits in a squatting position all the time now and I’m sure it’s only a matter of days before she realizes that she can balance well enough to stand unassisted. She dances (bounces) to her toy bus music now. She says, “Dada, ta (please), waza? (what’s that?), momma (only when crying) and isses (kisses) along with a whole lot of baby babbling! It’s no surprise that she is a talker. She is a Polhamus girl after all…

We got into another discussion about skin colour with Ella recently.

Scott: That’s cause you’re white, Ella. (seeing what she’d say)

Ella: I am NOT white!

Scott: Ummm… ok. What colour are you then?

Ella: I’m brown. YOU are white. (Very matter-of-factly)

Scott called her over and put their arms beside eachother and said, “Who’s more white?”

Ella: Da-ad…

Hahaha…. she still insists that she wants to be “black.”

Prayer decided to get up early and take Lily for me one morning. She also decided that they were going to be twins for the day.

Here’s a shot so that you can kinda see the size of Justus now. He just turned 16 weeks old. He’s over 50lbs and he’s grown 8 inches sine we brought him home!

Justus and Lily are getting along a lot better now. He doesn’t run her over any more, or try to lick her face and knock her over in the process. He usually leaves her toys alone too. Unless we leave him in the room when she’s not there. She has learned to swat at him when he gets too close and she’s quick to snatch up her toys when he’s sniffing around.

He has stopped biting us. Which is really nice! We’re still working on getting him to walk on a leash nicely. He dragged Keona back from the mailbox today. Oh, and he still tries to chase and corner the cats every chance he gets.

He has mastered: sit, stay, paw, come, drop it, and jump commands. Teaching him to “jump” may not have been my brightest idea. He jumps up and puts his front paws in my hands. He thought Ella had a treat and jumped up on her… only he punched her in both shoulders and sent her flying backwards. As soon as she fell he started licking her as if he was apologizing. I’m now getting him to sit in a specific place before we do the jump thing.

The kids love to play hide and seek with him! We tell him to “Sit & stay” in the living room and then we run and go hide some where. Then they yell the release command- “Ok!” and he runs around the house looking for them. It’s hilarious to watch!

My older girls have been such a help to me lately. Eve is the back up church pianist right now. The girls have been playing their instruments at church. They’ve been helping with the nursery. With setup. They have helped out with whatever we’ve needed at the time. It’s such a privilege to be able to serve the Lord as a family. Oh, did I mention that we had our Grand Opening service for Hope Baptist Church? Check out the blog post about it here. I will probably end up posting the same thing on our family blog for archival sake.

A huge thank you to all of our family and friends who came to support us. It was such a huge blessing to see so many of you there. It encouraged us more than you know. And a special thanks to Joy for coming all the way out and taking these pictures for us.

There have been so many things on my mind lately that just aren’t “blog material.” Not that we’ve been busy at all! Please keep us in your prayers. We’ve experienced God’s grace so many times this past year- we are truly just depending on Him to work in hearts and lives while we do our best to serve Him.

The Last 6 Weeks…

2012-09-13T06:08:00.000-04:00

Where have the last 6 weeks gone???

Since last blogging we’ve been to:

Niagara Falls, North Bay, Gravenhurst, Brampton, Mississauga, Guelph and I know that I’m missing some others.

We had dress-up tea parties with friends…

We bought hats in Niagara falls…

We fed the Lorikeets at Bird Kingdom…

I painted a canvas with my sister…

We have started a brand-spanking new school year! I have a grade 8; three in grade 6; a grade 5; a grade 1; and a kindergartner! Ella is loving the whole school thing. She will do just about anything for a princess sticker! :)

She still prefers to draw all day long!

(Guess who’s in the middle!)

The kids have sang. I’ve played piano. Scott has preached. God’s been faithful.

Lily tried her first lemon…

The kids have gone horseback riding…

…and fishing.

We’ve updated the church website. Check it out and let us know what you think!

The girls spent a week at camp.

They sang and Keona ended up on crutches. She is my daughter.

Lily got her first cold and lost her voice.

We have battled milk allergies and asthma.

We have forgotten diaper bags at churches and displays at the side of roads.

We have been to over 16 churches. Every single one has been Ella’s favourite!

We enjoyed camp fires in pyjamas…

Jeddy turned 6!

(He asked Grandma for a frog ;)

We have seen God answer prayers in amazing ways. The other morning during devotions, Jeddy prayed for a rainbow. I have no idea why! That night, there was the most vibrant rainbow I’ve seen in a long time right outside our window as he headed up to bed. I went to take a picture a few minutes later but it was already gone. Jed knows that God loves him and hears even the smallest requests.

We’ve seen kids fight in the van. In fact, Ella was yelling at Jeddy and then we heard him start crying. When we asked her what she did, she said, “I poked him in the eye…”

When we finished hiding the laughter that came out of sheer shock, we asked her why…

“Cause he was ‘noyin me!”

Ah… well, by all means, go ahead and poke him in the eye then.

Traveling in a van with 10 people isn’t always as peaceful as it sounds.

Oh wait… it never sounded peaceful, did it?

Anyhow, we do love each other… Honest!

See?

Jeddy lost his first two teeth and Lily got her first two teeth.

We ordered 40,000 door hangers, 5,000 tracts, plus hundreds of envelopes, visitor cards, and pens for Hope Baptist Church.

(part of the door hanger)

We made new friends. We visited and enjoyed time with old friends.

We got a DOG. Um, yes… We got a puppy! Though he doesn’t look like much of a puppy anymore. :)

Meet “Justus”

He’s our 11 week old (in this picture)- now 13 week old, Great Dane.

He was 16” at the shoulder and 31lbs when we got him. Two weeks later, he’s 21” at the shoulder and 38lbs. They say that he’ll be 100+lbs by Christmas time. We’re doing all the training we can fit in while he’s still moveable!

The kids adore him.

He adores yogurt. In fact, he refuses to eat his food unless we smear it with natural yogurt first. He’s kinda like a really spoiled 2 year old boy- with way too much energy!

We’ve been busy. To say the least.

I’ve snapped at kids when they didn’t deserve it. Scott and I have taken frustrations out on each other… but we’ve had a lot of fun. We’ve made a lot of memories this summer.

Keona said to me the other day while we were folding laundry together, “Mom, I hope I find someone that I love as much as you love Dad one day…”

Which meant a lot to me. She sees us all the time. The good, the bad, and the ugly. She has seen us fight over the silliest things because we’re stressed out. But she has also seen us make each other laugh, joke when we’re tired, work together to get things done, pray together when there is nothing else that we can do… she has watched us be best friends through life.

Without getting all sappy…

I’m thankful for our very crazy- but “once in a lifetime” summer. One that we, as a family, will definitely never forget.

Week 31

2012-07-31T06:25:00.000-04:00

(click to enlarge)

1. Charity, with her new bike! All three of the triplets wanted big-ticket items for their birthday this year. All three of them asked everyone for money towards said items. So, this past week I got to take them out shopping to pick out their birthday gifts. Talk about fun! We went to Toys ‘R Us for the bike and the sales lady found it hilarious how the other two girls were trying to tell Charity which bike suited her best. After 15 minutes of going back and forth with the bikes, she finally decided on one. I mentioned that we also needed a new helmet and the lady said, “How about this one? “ To which Charity immediately replied, “Nope. Too pink!” That’s my girl… I often forget what a tomboy I use to be…

2. Eve with her new camera! She has been waiting a long time for her very own camera. I must say, I am quite relieved that she won’t be trying to take mine all the time anymore! She has already filled a memory card and can’t wait to blog her pictures. Eve, is an easy shopper. She bought the first one she looked at. She begged her brothers and sisters to model for her, but no one was interested. Fortunately for Eve- Lily couldn’t object. :) She had captured a really cute candid moment of Lily and I and she was super proud of it- until she accidentally deleted it! Poor girl, was not impressed with herself. Live and learn. I know how she feels!

3. Prayer, with her flute! After having to wait 20 minutes in the store for the “flute lady”, and then go out to the van to feed Lily… She finally got to choose one. About 2 years ago, Prayer asked for a flute. We told her to work on her piano and prove her diligence through that instrument first. And so she did. Last year, she once again asked for a flute. We bought her a recorder and said to practice with that because with the move and new baby- money was tight. And so she did. This girl, can play the recorder. I never imagined that I would actually enjoy listening to someone play the recorder- but she has mastered it. So this year, we bought her the flute. After half an hour of trying to figure out how to get sound out of it… she is on her way.

4. Lily’s 8 month shot. She will not sit still anymore unless I bribe her with something. Here, she is chewing on my lens cap like it’s a cookie! At 8 months she is army crawling, hands and knees crawling sometimes, standing up if she can get a good grip, falling, a lot… saying “Dada!” at 3 in the morning when he comes in from work, and saying, “Tac! Tac!” every time a cat goes by (she may be dyslexic… haha) Still no “Mama” yet! She has started making funny faces and waving bye bye. She still eats everything! No teeth yet. Still wakes up in the middle of the night to nurse. She refuses to cuddle during the night, but sleeps soundly in her crib. She loves her blankie. She is getting big so fast…

Week 30

2012-07-26T06:28:00.000-04:00

(click to enlarge)

1. Happy 8 month baby girl!!! She has been so much happier this week. She is all over the place now! Crawling, climbing, standing, falling… She is falling A LOT lately. Even though she can do all these things, and quickly- she loses her balance a lot still. The other day, I was feeding her and she was looking the other way. I kept calling her and I was wondering why she was ignoring me, when one of the girls said, “You mean LILY, Mom???” I had been calling “Ella” over and over again.

2. Every morning, I wake up to the boys in our room playing with Lily through the crib. Elijah, loves to make her laugh.

3. This past Sunday, our meeting was cancelled so we went to visit a friend’s church. It’s always nice when friends feel like family. That’s what this church is like. Ella and Lily were the only ones in the nursery so I sat in there with them and listened to the service over the monitor. We had no toys or books to play with, but Ella managed to find some paper in my purse. Unfortunately, I had no pen! So, we made origami paper cranes instead. Paper cranes and paper balloons! Then, she asked for a teacher, cause she wanted a story… I can do that! So then I made up crazy stories that she found hilarious for a little while. She was such a good girl.

4. Lily’s first self-portrait!

Haha… the girls play Veggie Tales for her on my phone, so she now tries to grab it every chance she gets!

Week 29

2012-07-25T06:28:00.000-04:00

(click to enlarge)

1. The week of the birthday parties…

The triplets and Keona, decided to share the date for their parties this year. We had a total of 19 girls here on a Friday night! I had set up my camera on the tripod, and given the girls the remote. Eve was testing it for me.

2. I’m not quite sure what Charity had done- but it doesn’t look like her sister’s are very happy with her! Haha! We are NOT a violent family at all. OK… so we are. But all in good fun! Honest.

3. The older girls. They painted nails, drank lattes, and took 200 pictures on my camera. This was one of the only normal ones I could find! :P

The boys went over to a friend’s house for the night and Scott went to the batting cages. None of them were interested in hanging around! Surprisingly, the night went pretty smoothly. I don’t know that I would ever voluntarily do it again… but it was fun!

4. A leftover lemon-blueberry cupcake and my new favourite CD. I think that I like it so much because all four girls have alto voices and I can sing along. Usually, I can only sing the men’s parts! :P

This Sunday, we were in Barrie and it was a crazy day. My sunflowers were all blown down in a storm. Elijah’s breathing was acting up and he was wheezing horribly. I was afraid that we were going to have to go to the ER that night. Lily, was exhausted and grumpy. I was incredibly nervous playing an electric piano in front of so many people… Just a few minutes into service, one of the ushers came to tell me that they needed me in the nursery. Not knowing if Lily was just upset, freaking out, or hurt… I wanted to go check on her- but I was supposed to be playing for the girls to sing at any moment. Scott and I were whispering back and forth, and finally decided that I’d go and if I wasn’t back in time they could just do the presentation without the song. As I went to walk out, a lady that we’ve only met a few times walked up to me and said, “You stay. I’ll go get her.” She told me afterwards that she had seen us whispering and figured out what was going on. As I sat at the piano, praying that I would make it through the song, I could see her at the back of the auditorium playing with Lily. Lily. adored her.

At a moment when I was about to break down and cry from something that seems so small right now, but had just piled on top of everything else that day- this lady listened to the Holy Spirit and was a huge blessing to us- far more than she knew.

That I would always obey when God speaks… That I would always be prepared to hear, when He would use me.

Love

2012-07-24T18:11:00.000-04:00

There is a God who loves you very much

In Creation, God loved us

When God designed the world, He had loving you and blessing you on His mind. The world was created with such order and intricate detail that it shows us God’s existence. Consistently, season after season, all life on the earth reproduces after its kind, exactly as He said it would. In every system of nature God’s character is revealed. Yet, with just the slightest change in balance, everything on earth and above the earth will fall out of order. Still, He holds every atom and energy all consistently in place because He loves us.

"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…” – Romans 1:20

“And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” – Colossians 1:17

In Our Failure, God loves us

God made all things to please Him. When we displease Him, He calls that sin. Sin destroys both mankind and the creation of God. It is a corruption which He will not allow in His presence in Heaven. Mankind is however, by nature, contrary to the ways of God. For this reason, our sin separates us from God. If not dealt with before we die, our sin permanently separates us from Him, sending our eternal souls to a place He calls Hell. Even though we come short of the glory of God, He loves us.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that nay should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” – 2Peter 3:9

When God Provided a Way, He Loved Us

From the time of the very first sin against God, He has always made a way for mankind to be with Him. When Jesus Christ, the Son of God came to be our salvation, it was so God would have a sinless man upon whom to lay the sins of the whole world. When Christ died on the cross and conquered death by rising from the grave, His sinless sacrifice of the very blood of God provided us a way. Now our sins can be forgiven. Christ, our Passover lamb from God, died to provide our way to be saved because God loves each of us.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto (God) the Father, but by me.” – John 14:6

There is Hope for Everyone in Christ, because God Loves Us

There is nothing you’ve done that God won’t forgive. Christ’s death on the cross was for you. To waste His salvation and God’s continual love for you would be a terrible tragedy. Believe the love that God has shown you by giving His Son’s life for you eternal life. Ask Jesus Christ for the gift that He died on the cross to provide. God will give you a home with Him in Heaven forever, where He can love you and bless you for all eternity.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”John 3:16-18

Trust Christ, and ask Him to forgive you and save you right now

Week 28

2012-07-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

(click to enlarge)

1. Grocery shopping = one of my least favourite things to do. Scott coming along makes it slightly more bearable… Throw in a grumpy baby- and we’re right back where we started! She wasn’t too bad this time. :) But over $300 and two shopping carts later, she didn’t feel like sitting through checkout!

2. This past Sunday, we were at Oma’s church in Newmarket. Keona, wore her new heels…

3. Lily, wasn’t impressed. What else is new? This was a week of on and off fevers and she was mis-er-a-ble! We may have, possibly, let the kids feed her bits of banana muffin after the service to keep her happy. All went well. During Scott’s preaching we could hear banging on the nursery windows and Scott joked that one of our kids was trying to break out. Still don’t know if it was ours! On the way home, we stopped at McDonalds for $1 drinks and we waited at the drive-thru for a long time. Scott joked with the employee that an apple pie would make it worth the wait. The employee kind of laughed, and then said, “Are you serious?” So Scott said, “Well, yeah!” Haha… So we got free apple pies! Keona thought it was hilarious that Scott would suggest it. Ask, and ye shall receive! :)

4. My daisies are in full bloom. Every morning I go outside and look at all the flowers with Jeddy. The daisies, are by far, my favourite. Scott must have noticed that because he bought me a huge new pot of them. I have daisies in all of my back gardens now. They are a daily reminder to me of God’s goodness. I’m so thankful for our home.

Grow

2012-07-16T11:57:00.001-04:00

As the morning breeze cools the room through the window, I hear the dripping patter from the garden’s host of sunflowers receiving their morning watering. Atop their towering stalks, large buds prepare to share the fruits of the spring’s careful planting and watering. Just a few weeks ago we were thrilled with excitement as sunflowers began to sprout up from the ground, and then grew to take their place high above the rest.

The baby is crawling. She sees Mom when she’s grumpy, and goes to her. She sees Dad when he’s got something she wants, and goes to him. It has begun. Nothing is safe now from this taste testing, teething little mover. Her favourites: diaper wipes, chair legs, wires, and carpet. I remember having three this size and age, and needing to section off the house to protect my stuff and my cats. I can remember six little hands, and three little sets of eyes peeking over the top of the crib in the morning. I recall their climbing on each other to escape, and exploring the exciting adventures of removing each other’s diapers when they were supposed to be napping. Now they stand before me, making fun of me, and asking me with their big begging eyes for my food. They have read more books than me, and probably would have gotten a better grade than I in college level public speaking. My how they’ve grown.

Just two weeks ago we were shocked when this little Lily moved for the first time. Her growth since then has been troubling. She’s learned to call me “Da” when I come in the room, dance laying down when I come home in the middle of the night, and that vents taste better when the A/C is on. She now knows that if she looks cute enough and whines enough with that pathetic plea, one of her five big sister slaves will come along and give her some attention and probably pick her up. She wants to stand, but she can barely sit. She strives to get everything her curiosity desires. She is the flower in the midst of the season, a reminder of the fruits of the effort. As she grows, like others in the past, she reminds us to be thankful, to take time, and that the blessings of God are often beyond words to explain.

Autumn will come. The harvest of the fruits of our summer’s labour will be reaped. Our time and effort, our voices and our hearts invested and then, hope full filled. It won’t be long before five teenage girls clutter my house with their friends and belongings. Bats and balls, bikes and books will be traded for phones and car keys, curfews and late night chats. It’s hard to look at these young men and women without picturing what they may be like as they grow into their matured state. I’m thankful for the advice of wise men that reminded me to take time to enjoy the blessing of children, and not be too busy to be Dad.

God wants us to grow. We start our walk with Him as small, and innocent babe-like believers. Slowly as we allow Him His place, and trust what He teaches us, we grow and grow to mature and bloom. His investment, His protection, His patience, and His daily blessings are brought to fruition in the miracle we can become. What seemed like just a stalk of brush grows to a tree of life, flowering beautiful blooms and yielding His fruit, in His season.

Don’t miss the blessings of growth. Grow, and let grow. Enjoy the growth of the miracles around you, placed in your life by the goodness of God, as those you invest in grow and bloom. And grow. Grow to know the power and the Blesser that made you, planted you, and carefully enjoys your maturing into something that honours Him, and delights His heart.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” – Ps 1:1-3

Laughing & Crying

2012-07-12T06:52:00.000-04:00

Here, we have Ella’s very first experience on a roller coaster. Just for the record, that is NOT me, her mother, laughing in the background the entire time…:P My first roller coaster ride was “The Bat”… My aunt thought that I’d never go on another ride again.This year, I rode “Leviathan” with Keona! :) Actually, I rode it by myself. Keona, Robbie, Sarah, and Adam rode together, so I rode with three strangers. Cause they’re nice to me like that… Another successful trip to Canada’s Wonderland! And here, we have Lily laughing at her crazy sister! I had asked Prayer to keep her entertained while I got ready for church- this is what she came up with…

Week 27

2012-07-11T18:28:00.000-04:00

(click to enlarge)

1. Prayer on a swing in London.

2. Keona came to stand in the perfect light for me. Unfortunately, all the kids were dirty and sweaty from playing in the park- so I couldn’t take full advantage of it. But my girl is gorgeous! After this, she went right back to swinging and jumping off at the highest point. Pretty and slightly insane…

3. Me and Lily… She was getting tired and grumpy. Jeddy and I walked around the track with her stroller several times but she wasn’t impressed. Nothing that Mommy and her blankie can’t fix!

4. Scott, locking the van just as Keona tries to open the door- over and over again! It was pretty funny to watch! Almost as funny as when we locked him out while he was folding the stroller up… ;)