I love a great homecoming!

Steve and I arrived home at 1 a.m. this past Friday morning from our week long vacation in Mexico!  After travelling for 15 hours, we were dying to see our girls.

What a welcome we received.  If this doesn't make you feel loved, I don't know what does.

My sister also happened to fill our urns for us while we were gone.  Yay!  As I've mentioned before, my family gives homemade gifts for Christmas (you can read about that here) and filling our urns was our early Christmas gift from her.

Here's what I came home to:

So fun.  The best part is that my sister, Lauren is coming back in a few weeks to take out the fall pieces and to insert some Christmas pieces.  Needless to say, I am esctatic.  My urns needed some attention and as far as I am concerned, she can make this an annual tradition:)

Nurturing my Creative Side

A while back, Beth knocked over and accidently broke the large mirror that we had leaning up against our bedroom wall.  Fortunately, she was not hurt.  But it seriously was a close call!

Once I recovered from the near accident (which took me a while - you know how hard Mom's can be on themselves), I decided to use what was left of the mirror somewhat creatively....

I broke up the mirror and with my creative friend, Sue's help made a mirror/mosaic backsplash in my kitchen.

Next, I had to decide what to do with this....

Voila!

I taped around the inside of the frame and painted with 2 coats of  chalkboard paint.

Here is the finished product hanging in my kitchen.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I love it!  It makes a great 'communication board' and the girls think it's awesome.

 Here's one more photo, just for fun :)

Back to school - second edition

This week Beth got to go on the school bus too :)

Do you think she is excited?

It feels like yesterday that I was standing right here at this bus stop with her as a newborn.  

My heart could honestly melt over this photo.

Off she went!  Another milestone for both of us.

And just like that, it's back to school time.

Summer around here was amazing.  Tons of highlights.  Great memories were made and stored up.  We loved and soaked up every minute.  Lazy mornings.  Bike rides.  Swimming and more swimming.  Family Camp.  Kids Camp.  Berry picking.  Time with friends.  A new baby cousin.  Camping at MacGregor.  Ice cream.  Sun tans.  Soccer games and practices.  Carousel rides at Port.  Sun kissed hair.  Late nights.  All in all a really great summer.


As much as I am grieving the loss of summer, it's time for fall.  Time for school.  And structure.  And routine.  Bring it on :)

for everything there is a season...

I love new beginnings.  New chapters.  The start of a new season.  And that's exactly what today feels like.

Beginning Grade 7

Beginning Grade 5

Soon to be JK (she starts on Thursday)

all 3

Happy Mom :)

Off they go!

Just like that, a brand new school year...

Camping 101

Last week Steve and I went camping with our three girls.  We were camping for 10 days and it was fantastic.  If you know anything about my husband, you'll know that he LOVES to camp.  He lives for it.  He was born for it and he is the best possible version of himself when he is camping.  On the drive home from our camping trip, I took the liberty of interviewing Steve.  He humoured me and what a great sport he was :)

How long have you been camping?  "35 plus years"

What are your favourite things about camping?  "the outdoors, pace of life, campfires"

Any advice for first time  campers?  "go for it.  It's a great and inexpensive way to spend time with family and friends"

Any favourite camping items?  Things you can’t live without?  "pie-irons, beach toys, griddle for making breakfast, axe"

Favourite camping meals/snacks?  "breakfast, apple and mars bar pie irons, pringles, purple fanta"

Best camping investment?  "my broil king portable barbeque"

Favourite campground?  "MacGregor Point Provincial Park"

How do you keep the bugs away when camping?  "don’t shower" jk

How do you cope with rain when camping?  "my tarp - rainy day camping is better than a day elsewhere"

Do you own patio lanterns?  "nope - just Christmas Lights"

On average, how much do you spend a week at the camp store on candy?  "75 dollars"

Camping nick names?  "Sugar", "Luke" (from Gilmore Girls)

Readers, what do you love about camping?  Any questions you would want me to ask my resident, expert camper?

Iced Coffee Anyone?

Speaking of great recipes...

My talented and creative friend (and future guest writer here), Vicky had the girls from our weekly Mom's group over for some wine, yummy-fruity drinks and appetizer's last night.  Delightful.  It was such a fun night on so many levels.  In addition, she made us some iced coffee that we will all be talking about for a long, long time.  Move over, Starbucks.

I hope she doesn't mind, but I couldn't resist posting this great summer recipe that she found at thepioneerwoman.com  Vicky also rimmed our glasses with a cinnamon and sugar combination that looked and tasted amazing.  If only I had thought to bring my camera : )

Perfect Iced Coffee


Gorgeous coffee “concentrate” to keep in your fridge: iced coffee whenever you’d like!
Preparation Instructions
(Adapted from Imbibe Magazine)
In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.
Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds.
Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.
To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.
Ingredients
1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
8 quarts Cold Water
Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving)
Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt To Your Liking!

Cooking With What's in Season

Hey Friends...

These days I am trying more and more to cook with what's in season and seeing that local asparagus is still available, here's what I'm making for dinner tonight.

This is honestly a no-fail recipe and my family loves it.  I've made it with both asparagus and broccoli, but our preference is asparagus.  Try it out if you are looking for a new recipe.  I always serve it with rice.

Classy Chicken

This is really easy – definitely a family favourite!

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, skinned & boned
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. oil
1 – 10 oz. (280 g) pkg. frozen asparagus or broccoli
Fresh is even better
1 – 10 oz. (284 ml) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 – 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with pepper. Saute quickly in oil over medium heat just until opaque (don’t overcook – the chicken will get tough! Drain. Cook asparagus or broccoli until crunchy. Drain and arrange in bottom of buttered casserole. Place chicken on top. Mix together soup, mayonnaise, curry and lemon juice and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake, uncovered, at 350F (180C) for 30-35 minutes. Serves 6

Book Reference – The Best of the Best – Vol. 1 (Page: 215), Winners (Page: 85)

p.s.  thanks to my friend, Tracey who originally shared this recipe with me : )

getting caught up in the world of blogging..

Okay, so this is long overdue.  Here is a glimpse into our Disney/Florida family vacation from this past April (2011).

This trip was a huge deal for our family.  It was the first time that Grace and Eva had ever been on a airplane and it was the first time that the 5 of us had ever been to Disney.  Yep, that's right.  Even Steve and I.  This trip was our gift to the girls from this past Christmas and grandparents gave the girls money for Christmas toward their trip and so on. All this to say that this trip was a huge deal.  We loved it and soaked it up!  We're already dreaming of the day that we can go back : )

heading to Downtown Disney on the Wednesday night of our trip - Grace took this photo : )

arriving at Magic Kingdom

"Dumbo"

"a dream come true" for Beth

pure magic

it was the hottest day and I'll never forget how that ice cream hit the spot!

each of the girls picked a souvenir and to our dismay, Eva picked a Disney spray bottle/fan.   Although, Steve and I had to admit that it came in super handy and kept us cool!  She was delighted and that's what counts : )

such a fun day - we were sad to leave - great memories were made!  can't wait to go back!

Mom of Three Girls

Every once and a while, people will ask me how I feel about having three girls.  Was I hoping for a boy the third time around?  Was I disappointed with having all girls?  Now, please understand,  these people mean well.  And often, they are just making conversation.

But, here's the thing.  Time for confession:  deep down, I always wanted girls.  Raising girls feels natural to me and I honestly don't think I would know where to begin with raising a boy.  Without wanting to sound "cheesy", I feel like I was made for this.  Like I was made to raise a house full of girls.

If you're a mom with a house full of girls (or even just one), here are a few reasons why I love having daughters:

* they love celebrating my birthday, Mothers Day, Christmas, Valentines Day and pretty much every holiday in between

* my girls are often writing me notes and giving me crafts they made me to hang on the fridge.  Very expressive.

* it's really fun to shop for girls.  Well, at least most of the time it is :)

* Thinking about some of the unique challenges that girls face and reflecting on my own personal journey, I'm hoping to pass on some unique and hard learned wisdom to my girls. You know, things I wish I knew when I was younger.

I want to teach my girls what it means to be:
- tender and compassionate as well as courageous and strong.
- secure.
- virtuous.
- a world changer,  part of the solution.
- one who cultivates inner beauty.
- someone who stands up for truth and for those who have no voice.
- able to honour the unique voice and talent that God has given them.
- true to who they are.
- able to learn from mistakes and be gracious with themselves.

These are big challenges and not ones that I take lightly.  It's a journey that I continue to be on.

I know there are lots of other challenges that come with raising daughters.  Don't even get me started about whining, mood swings and hormones.  And I know that there are a million reasons why boys are a blessing to raise.  But, for today - I'm going to celebrate the girls that I have the privledge of raising...

My baby Girl is 4!

Yesterday we celebrated Beth's 4th Birthday.  Can you believe it?  These days we are celebrating a girl who has a larger than life personality, talks 24/7, lives to be around people, has her sisters wrapped around her finger and who has changed our family and our lives forever.  We can't imagine life without you Beth and our family is a million times better because of you!
We love you, girl!

A couple of things I am thankful for today...

This morning I dropped Grace off at southridge.cc to take the bus with her youth group to Canada's Wonderland.  She looked cute as a button and I couldn't help but think that she reminded me of myself at that age.   I felt like I was looking in the mirror.  In other news, I've officially hit that stage where my kids have a better social life than I do.

This afternoon, it feels good to be still for a moment and I am thankful for the gift of this weekend and the unhurried nature of this particular one.
On this Saturday afternoon, I am reminded of a few things I am thankful for.

1.  Tim Hortons Coffee.  Last night I stayed up way too late reading 'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett and today I am paying for it.  Guess that what happens when you get lost in a great book.  Not complaining.  Well, kind of, but not really.

2.  My sister, Leah passed on to me on a pair of yoga pants that didn't fit her and I am in love with them.  Seriously, they are the comfiest thing I have ever worn.  Why did I not get a pair of these years ago?

3.  The smell of lilacs.  I wish lilacs were in season all year long.  I just picked some from my front yard and they are now in a vase in my dining room.  Total high point of the day.  I'm in heaven.  The smell is intoxicating.

4.  Yesterday I noticed that fresh, local strawberries are now for sale in Niagara.  My mind is racing, thinking about all of the things I can make with strawberries.  Not to mention eating them for the pure joy of it.  I can't wait to take my kids strawberry picking this month.

5.  Taking this wee girl to her first soccer practice and game.  Total cuteness.  Too bad the weather cut the game short.

6.  In our house, a rainy Saturday afternoon means a nap : )

So, there you have it.  Sure, there's lots I could whine and complain about - but that's too easy.  Instead, I'm going to invest my energy in being thankful.

How about you?  What are you thankful for today?

Happy Friday

Happy Friday Friends!

Hope your weekend is off to a great start.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of the 2 magazines sitting on this table in my living room.  Maybe it's just me, but did this strike anyone else as funny?  Welcome to one of the many contrasts in my life.

"discipline"

It's the first week of June and I spent the better part of May 31st (which interestingly also happened to be our 14th wedding anniversary) setting goals for my summer.  The truth is I work better when I have goals set before me.  They keep me accountable and motivated.  Left to my own devices, I am super lazy.  As I was contemplating on and writing out my summer goals, one theme stood out clear.  It became pretty obvious to me that the theme word for my summer is discipline.

Wow.  That's a pretty daunting word.

Discipline to do what, you might ask?

Where do I begin?  There are so many...

Among them include the discipline to set aside regular time to pray, listen and meditate upon scripture, discipline to trust when I feel like freaking out and being afraid, discipline to exercise more often and to train for a 10 km running race, discipline to make healthy food choices, discipline to stick to our budget and not overspend, discipline to guard my tongue and last but not least discipline to revive this blog and give it one more "kick at the can" to see if it's something I want to pursue.

So, there you have it.  Maybe discipline isn't so scary after all.  Maybe this will be the summer I really embrace it.  Come to think of it, I'm pretty excited about these goals.  Now, if I can just get moving :)

Before I sign off, I couldn't resist attaching some anniversary photos : )

The night before our anniversary I went in the backyard and picked some lily of the valley, which by the way smelled amazing.  Years ago, my friend Carolyn brought us over a vase of lily of the valley on our anniversary and I have associated the flower with our special day ever since!

Here we are on the 31st out for dinner : )

delish

My handsome hubby- I love this man!

meet Drew...

Aspiring chef, currently enrolled in Chef Training at Conestoga College Waterloo Campus.

Drew is my youngest brother.  Turned 22 this week.   These days he spends the bulk of his time training to be a Chef and our family is the better for it.  Family Dinners have never been better.  On Easter Sunday, I devoured the much talked about and highly anticipated homemade doughnuts that he has been known to make from time to time.  Let's just say they lived up to their reputation.  Wow.


What is even better is that Drew has agreed to share his recipe with my blog readers.  So, here goes:

Yeast raised doughnuts

Ingredients

Water	410g
yeast	38g
Shortening	75g
Sugar	105g
Salt	13g
Mace (or nutmeg)	2g
Nonfat milk solids	38g
Eggs	105g
Bread flour	750g

Procedure: modified straight dough method

1. If using fresh or dry active yeast. Soften the yeast in part of the liquid. If using dry instant yeast mix with flour. (Make sure the water is warm enough to activate the yeast but not so hot that you kill it about 38 Celsius, also if using instant yeast use half as much as the recipe says.)
2. Combine the fat, sugar, salt, milk-solids , and flavourings and mix until well combined, but do not whip until light
3. Add the eggs gradually, as fast as they are absorbed
4. Add the liquid and mix briefly 
5. Add the flour and yeast. Mix to a smooth dough
6. Let the dough ferment about an hour or until doubled in size
7. Then scale into about 30g balls (just bigger than timbits)
8. Let proof for about 15-20 min 
9. Fry at 190 Celsius (that is what the recipe says but that’s a bit high you can’t cook too high or else the outside will be burned and the inside will not be cooked.  It is especially difficult if you are frying them in a pot on the stove to control the temperature. I would recommend a lower temperature for a longer time. 

Doughnut glaze 

Ingredients

Gelatin	3g
Water	200g
Corn syrup (or honey)	50g
Vanilla extract	6g
Confectioners’ sugar	1000g

Procedure

1. Soften the gelatine in water
2. Heat the water until gelatine dissolves
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth
4. Dip the doughnuts into the warm glaze. rewarm the glaze as necessary

Note: i would recommend cutting both of these recipes in half 

enjoy,
Drew

Easter videos

Hi Friends - hope you are all having a great Easter weekend.  Here are two videos that have prepared my heart this week to celebrate big the message of Easter - the message of hope and new life.  Happy Easter!

Be sure to watch this one through all the way to the end...

More than 2,000 people from Second Baptist Church, Houston, Texas, 

My Journey Toward Becoming Green

My last 7 years or so have been the start of a new and exciting journey for me.  A journey of becoming more and more 'green'.  I still have a ways to go, but this learning curve for me has been fascinating.  I love the way I am being stretched.  I'm learning that I can't profess to love God and not care about His creation.  The two go hand in hand.  The truth is I really want to become a better caretaker of this earth.

In addition to the obvious - recycling, green bin, drive less, use reusable bags, reduce water, no plastic bottles and so on....

Here are a few 'green' products that I absolutely love:

1.  Aveda.   As I have mentioned before, I go to an Aveda salon and love Aveda hair products.  They are environmental, organic and smell amazing!  Aveda.com

2.  Diva Cup.   I have been using the Diva Cup for just over 5 years (huge thanks to my sister, who bought it for me one year as a birthday gift!).  It is a menstrual alternative to tampons and pads.  It is easy to use.  Saves a ton of money.  Keeps waste out of the landfills.  Totally game changing.  Wish I knew about it decades ago.  Check out www.divacup.com

3.  Shaklee.  Every month I order my cleaning products, vitamins and skin care through Shaklee.  For sure, Shaklee is not the only great company out there, but it is the one I use the most and love.  Check out shaklee.ca

4.  MAC make up.  I have been using and loving these Canadian cosmetic products since my early 20's.  Long before it was the trendy thing to do.  I love all of their make up, but their lipstick is out of this world!  Check out maccosmetics.com

5.  Milk Bags.  Okay, so obviously milk bags are not a 'company', but I had to add them to my list!  For the last year and a half, instead of buying ziplock bags and cling wrap, I have been cutting the tops off my milk bags, washing them and reusing them for all kinds of things.  Things like:
school lunch snacks
freezing meat
freezing fruit
storing cheese in my refrigerator
and so on...
*I even bought some cute little plastic colourful clips at IKEA and use them to seal my bags and then keep using them again and again :)


I'd love to learn from some of you.  What are some ways you are 'green'?  What are some 'green' products that you love?

p.s.  A super resourceful website is gilldeacon.ca.  You'll especially want to check out her Wallet Tip Sheet as well as Gill's10 Top Ten List of easy tips and tricks.

p.s.s.  Some of you may be surprised to know this about me, but I am also a big fan and advocate for natural family planning as a method of birth control.  While I am no longer in a season of life where I 'use' this method, I loved it for the 12 years that I did.  Even though I never thought about it at the time, now looking back, I realize it was pretty 'green' :)

Embracing a new season

Last week we were in Florida and for whatever reason, I keep noticing babies everywhere I went.  At the airport.  At the pool.  In strollers.  And so on.  And then I'd get teary.  And feel all emotional.  And then I find myself longing for and reminising about those days.  I find myself wanting to go up to these Mom's that I have never met and tell them to treasure the season they are in.  I wanted to say, "I know it's hard and it's exhausting.  I know you get hardly any sleep and your hair is in a pony tail.  But to me, you are the picture of beauty.  I wish I was in your shoes".  I never thought I would say this - but I miss those days.  A lot.  Everyone told me those years would go by fast, but I didn't believe them.

I'm one of those people who loved the infant stage.  I mean, I know it was hard and all that.  But I loved pregnancy and breastfeeding and felt a peace like I had never known before when my girls were babies.  A sense of simplicity, of quietness, of slowing down and contentment.  I loved the co-sleeping and hated being away from my baby girls.  I know, sounds crazy - but I felt like I was born for it.  In some ways, being the oldest of 5 kids - it came to me naturally.  One of the main reasons that I spaced my girls out as much as I did is because I loved the baby stage.  I  wanted to make it last as long as possible.

Last week I realized that I am definitely out of that stage.  No more strollers.  Or diapers.  Or baby food.  No more diaper bags.  Or jolly jumpers. * Sigh*

I've been in denial - but last week it hit me.  I am in a new season.  When I see pregnant women and Mom's with babies and toddlers - I am not them.  In fact, I have less and less in common with them.  I am now a Mom with a soon to be school aged girl and two tweens.  Two of my three girls can go to public restrooms by themselves and our dinner time conversations revolve around Taylor Swift, Hannah Montana and Shake it up.  Yikes!  Wasn't it just yesterday that I was with pregnant with these girls?

I guess I am grieving that loss.  And at the same time, embracing my new reality.

As much as I miss and even long for at times those early years with my girls, I am choosing to fully embrace this new season God has for me with both hands.  It doesn't come to me as naturally and clearly, I am in over my head.  I am daily humbled and dependant on God.  Wanting to be fully engaged.  I know that my girls need me just as much now, maybe even more than ever.