PROUD CANADIAN MOM!!

We are having a #Canada150 party this weekend which makes me think of things that make me feel proud to be Canadian. For me ,the biggest thing that makes me feel proud to be a Canadian is the fact that Canadian’s are known all over the world for being polite. I take being polite very seriously, which I didn’t even realize until my second daughter was barely talking but knew she needed to say thank you when given something.  I believe it’s something that is so simple to do but so easily overlooked. When someone brings you a drink at a restaurant you should say thank you, when you ask someone for something you should use please in the sentence. I also feel it’s very important to pass this ‘Canadian’ trait onto our children. A please and thank you go a long way in my books.

I’m proud to be Canadian because even though we are a vast country we stick together. When one part of our country is in need the whole country pitches in and sends aid as they are able. This isn’t just limited to our own country either, we pitch in and send aid where ever the need is. I believe it is important to give as much as you are able.

I’m proud to be Canadian because of our farmers. Having being raised on a farm and still live in a farming community, I know and understand how important these people are. Without farmers we wouldn’t have fresh meat, eggs, milk and many other things that we need to live. I love that Canada still has a large percentage of land that is used for agriculture. I love driving through that prairies during summer and fall and admiring the crops that I know the farmers have worked so hard to produce.

I’m proud to be Canadian because we 'strong and free'. I sometimes take for granted how free we are. We have freedom to do whatever we want. Whether it is with our speech, or our religion we are free to do as we want. As a Christian this is very important to me, because I hear of many places where people are still persecuted for following Christ. I’m so thankful that I don’t live in one of these places and that my children are free to follow Christ as well.

I am proud that in Canada we have free health care and that all children get an education. I feel that these two things are very important and need to be available for everyone. Education is so very important and it gives people better opportunities for the future. I also feel it’s very important to have access to health care no matter what. I can’t imagine living in a place where you need to calculate if you can afford to take your child to the ER or even just to the clinic. Where if you don’t have insurance hospitals can turn you away and if they do let you stay they can leave you with a bill so large that you might have to remortgage your house to pay for it.

As I type I realize I am VERY PROUD TO BE CANADIAN!!!!

Now onto the lighter stuff, what do I feel Canadians are known for!

Roll up the Rim for Canada's 

150th Birthday!

Thank you

Tim Hortons

Coffee is number one on my list. Especially Tim Hortons coffee, but just coffee itself. Did you know that Canada has more donut shops aka Tim Hortons per capita than any other country in the world.

Secondly our unique money. No pennies, Loonies and Toonies and our colourful bills. After spending 3 weeks in the United States it was one of the things that I missed about most about Canada, only second to Tim Hortons coffee.

Third would be hockey. Canadians are crazy about their hockey. When the Edmonton Oilers made it into the second round of the play offs this year I think half of Canada started watching. I know whenever Edmonton isn’t in the playoffs we always cheer for whatever Canadian team is left and once all the Canadian teams are done we really don’t care much anymore. It’s not just the NHL hockey teams that Canadians are crazy for, they go just as crazy for pretty much any type of hockey, doesn't matter the level or age of people playing.

Fourth would be our clean environment. There are many movies like Canadian Bacon that have made fun of the fact that Canada is so clean but it’s just an awesome thing to be known for. I love when we are out and about and my girls see some litter on the ground and they are just astonished that someone would have the audacity to litter. It not only makes be proud as a mother but also as a Canadian.

Are you Canadian? What makes you proud to be a Canadian? What do you feel is the most represents Canada?

I AM PROUD TO BE CANADIAN!!! HAPPY 150^th BIRTHDAY CANADA!

Normally I end my posts with a bible verse but this post I'm going to end it with my favourite line from our National Anthem. 

"God keep our Land"

This is my prayer for our country not just today, or tomorrow but for all days to come. 

Family Time! A thing of the past?

This weekend I have seen our future and I’m not sure I liked what I saw. Family time is something that’s always been very important to me. It’s something that I really enjoy and value. Spending time together as a family so far has been easy, as when you have little children they pretty much only do what you do. So most weekends we spend a lot of time together, well that wasn’t the case this weekend. Friday started with a date night for Keith and me, which was lovely, and the girls stayed over at their grandparents place. Keith and I enjoyed our time together including some shopping and an amazing supper out. Saturday morning we went and fetched the girls and brought them home. Saturday morning is always chore time at our house. Keith was outside busy building me a new patio, while the girls and I were inside getting the house clean. In the afternoon Becca had a birthday party and Emily was picked up to go to a sleepover with a friend. Once Keith was done his job we took Livy to the park since she was sad to be left behind. Sunday morning Keith was off to an xwing tournament and Emily was still at her friend’s house. As I sat and drank my coffee that morning I realized that yesterday morning was the only time our family was together all weekend and we didn’t spend any of that time actually together. I’m afraid as our children get older this will become a more regular occurrence on weekends. This is why I’m not looking forward to the future I want to always be able to spend time together on weekends but it may become harder and harder as the girls become more independent. Although this is the first weekend that this has happened and I’m sure we will have many more weekends together in the future I can’t help but think about the future of our family looks like. When the girls are teenagers are they still going to want to spend time with us? Will we still be able to sit together and have a family game night or a movie night together? I’m don’t enjoy the unknown and have a hard time with change and although I know that the girls growing up is ignitable it still makes me apprehensive for the future. I guess all I can really do is enjoy the time we still have together, make the most of it and pray that we’ve instilled strong family values into them and that when they are busy with their own lives they will still want to hang out with their parents.

The whole reason for my thoughts about our lack of time together as a family. The need to take this picture. 

How do you make sure you get enough family time?

I leave you with this verse:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Mathew 6:34

Thoughts over Coffee

This morning as I drink my coffee and the girls are getting ready for school. I think about the past year. Our girls have both worked hard this year. Becca has come a long way in grade one. I couldn’t be prouder of her achievements this year. She went into grade one with nearly no confidence in herself, but she’s learned that she is smart and she is capable of doing lots of things including reading and writing. Though we still struggle with her getting things done in a timely manner at home, but at school she does very well. I’m looking forward to what grade two holds for her. I also think about Emily she’s in grade 4 and although this year has been a struggle socially for her, as she has had some conflicts with a couple of students in her class and so it’s made it a daily struggle for her. She’s also struggled more intellectually then she has in the past years. Grade 4 was harder as it should be, but this year it caught up to her. But she’s also has friends, this is new for her as well. She’s had a friend or two in the past but this year she has a good core group of friends that she plays with every day. This is a huge things for her and makes me so happy as her mother. Although I still wish and pray for some Christian friends for her I’m thankful that she has found people who enjoy her company and she enjoys there’s. Emily mainly likes being with herself and so having friends isn’t always easy and I’m thankful for the ones she’s found.

As I sit here waiting for the girls to be ready for school this morning I think about summer. I think about what fun we are going to have this summer and the things we are going to do. Summer is my favourite time of year for many reasons. First, I enjoy my kids being home. I also enjoy sleeping in, summer is the time when we get to have time together as a family. I also enjoy watching my kids play together and become more then sisters but friends. It’s something I never had as kid, because my sisters were so much older than me they were never my friends. It wasn’t until we all became adults that we were able to start a friendship. My girls get more because they are friends already. I know they won’t always be this close but I think it’s very important that kids learn that their family are there friends. Because in life friends come and go, but family is always there. This summer I look forward to sitting on my deck drinking coffee and listening to my girls play together. I also look forward to the girls helping me with the house chores. Every year they get a little older and a little more helpful. Although I enjoy small children I’m really enjoying this new stage of maturity and helpfulness. Emily is now able to watch her sisters for a bit if I need to run out. She is also capable of taking some of the load off of me in regards to cleaning. I’m looking forward to her being able to help cook as well, but we aren’t there yet. Becca is also becoming more helpful, she does a good job with bathroom cleaning. I think it’s a good job for her because it’s a small room so it’s not as overwhelming as some of the other jobs. I know I haven’t talked much about my baby, but as the only child at home our day to day struggles are smaller. She’s a sweet child with soft personality until she’s unhappy and then she’s loud and stubborn.

Well Becca just came upstairs and told me that Emily is still in her pjs, did I mention that they need to leave in 5 minutes for school. Ugh………after all that about how great my kids are, they do still frustrate me. Emily is completely capable to getting ready for school very quickly but only if she wants too. Since school is done in 5 days she’s more than ready for summer, which means more struggles getting her to get herself ready in a timely manner in the morning. Although I completely understand it still makes me very frustrated. Why can’t she just get ready and then she gets some free time before school, this morning she went back to sleep, I guess. Which bring a whole new issue to light. School in June is so hard because the sun stays out so much later in the evening that it’s hard to get them to sleep on time, which means it’s harder to get them up in the morning.  

Well now the girls have left for school and once again I’m sitting her listening to Olivia do her device. She’s currently watching something on you tube for kids. My mornings are very quiet once the big girls go off to school, that will change at the end of next week.

What are you looking the most forward to this summer?

Today’s verse: Be patient, then brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sister, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door. Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:7-11

What keeps me awake at night!

Today thoughts: As I sit her listening to my daughter watching a show I think about life. It’s so much simpler when you are a child. Last night I couldn’t fall asleep, first of all because I was planning a sanitary bag for my 10 yr. old. It makes me sad that I have to think about these things when she’s still so little. It makes me even sadder that she will soon have to think about these things as well. It seems unfair that although she won’t have any purpose for her cycle for probably 10 more years she will have to live with it anyways. So as I lay in bed I decided that I need to make this transition as easy as possible, hence the sanitary bag that I’m going to sew her. This way whenever it comes she’ll be as prepared as possible. I was 11 when I got mine so not much older then she will be but it still seems more unfair for her.

Another thought that kept me awake was that I have a lot of thoughts in my head, many which never go anywhere. These are thoughts I want to share, but don’t really have an avenue. So I decided to at least write them down. So here I am writing my first journal entry, maybe I’ll post it on my blog, but for now it’s just for me. Some of my thoughts that I had yesterday was that I want to help find a new pastor for our church and as hard as it will be to see pastor go I’m excited to see what this next phase of our church will look like. Our Pastor has done so much for us over the last 11 years but God has called him to move on and that’s OK. Although change is never easy at the same time change is necessary for life. As our building gets build we are already in a time of change so the timing is right, as Gods timing is never wrong. The other thing I think about is Dean’s family this new position will give him the ability to spend more time with them, and they deserve that. It’s definitely going to be hard to see him go and to not be able to text him every time I have need something but this is good for him and good for the church.

As I think about Dean leaving I think: Do I look at the world differently than other people. Or does everyone see the world in this way? I’ve always had this ability to see things from other people’s perspective and although I don’t always enjoy that part of myself, it’s a useful ability when change is forced upon you. Our thoughts unique I don’t know, are they important I think so.

Yesterday as I advocated for Becca at a doctor’s office I thought about all sorts of different things. First I thought about how much I love Rebecca and how special she is. She looks at the world in a unique way also. She loves with her whole heart and she loved everything and everyone. But at the same time I find all her emotions very hard to deal with. She still cries on a regular basis over the cats that we have lost in the past. We still can’t even mention their names without her getting upset and crying. I also think about how hard she is to handle sometimes and I think about how her family is the only ones that she shows this side of herself too. Everyone else gets her best, they get all her focus and attention. They think she’s the sweetest, more caring, adorable and cooperative child ever, and she is to a point. But when she’s done being all those things for everyone else she has nothing left for her family and so we get the Becca who take 5 tries to put her backpack away and the Becca who can’t do her chores without me constantly reminding her what she’s supposed to be doing and we get the Becca who is distracted by everything and anything. As I sit at the doctor’s office trying to explain this to him, it makes me frustrated because if she’d show the other side of herself to other people we could start getting the help she needs. The help I wish I had when I was in school.

Being a parent is hard, we all want the best for our children but sometimes no matter how hard we try we can’t prevent things from happening. I cannot prevent Emily from getting her period all I can do is help her and be there for her when it does come. I cannot change the system for Becca and so until life becomes harder she will not get any help no matter how much I advocate for her. As a parent all we can do is prepare our children the best we can and pray. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have prayer. So many times I get frustrated with life or other things and all I can do is pray and know that God has a plan beyond what I can see. I don’t know what parents who don’t know Him do when things get out of their control.

I end this post with this:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. Philippians 4:6

Journey

Well things haven't really changed much in our world, but I've been thinking that I have a lot of ideas and thoughts in my head and I wondered if anyone else out there feels the same. Sooooo.......with that in mind I'm going to try and write those thoughts down. Mainly for myself but also maybe someone out there will read it and find some insight in one of the crazy thoughts that go on inside my brain. So from here on out it will be me. Purely unfiltered and unedited which isn't something many people get to see. Please read with care and know that everything that I write is just what things I've been thinking about.