Emotional Holiday Roller Coasters

It’s that time of year again, when emotions are high, both good and bad.
The Christmas Spirit is in the air and people tend to be more forgiving and generous during this time.
On one hand, people seem more joyful, because, well, it’s Christmas. But on the other hand, they are more stressed, because, well, it’s Christmas.
The holidays bring about many good and bad emotions. Assuming you had a decent childhood, it can bring back fond memories of yearly traditions, along with fun, laughter and joy with family and friends. Or even memories of new, and old traditions, you do with your  family now, and the joy around those.
But if its been a painful, hard year for you, or you  experienced some tragedy around the holidays in the past, it can bring a mix of bittersweet emotions. Maybe a dear friend or relative passed away close to Christmas, or this is your first Christmas without them. The joy of the season is felt, but it’s mixed with the pain, grief, and loss of your loved one. It’s hard to mix old traditions with your new “normal”. You may even feel guilty for being excited, or enjoying the holidays without your loved one there.
Or maybe this Christmas you aren't dealing with the physical loss of a loved one but you’re still experiencing a mixed bag of emotions for other reasons. This is me this year. This Christmas is going to be good but different. I am excited, but I’ve cried at least twice now because of those differences. I am so excited for the differences but saddened too. And it makes my heart ache a little more for those who are grieving this Christmas, since my “griefs” aren’t really that bad.
In the past 7 years of being with my significant other (SO) we have always done Christmas with both his family and mine. My dad, his side of the family and my step mom all live in the same city as my  brother-in-law & his family, so it has been easy to experience Christmas with both families (my MIL & FIL were living in Fort Mcmurray close to us but traveled for Christmas, like us, so we were always together). However, my mom and brother live in another province, and since I moved back to Alberta in 2007, I haven’t shared Christmas with them. This is something I am used to but it is still very hard for me.
This is our 4th year living 5 hours away from my family and in-laws and our 3rd year with having children of our own at Christmas. We have always made the drive down to see our family during this time of year, despite bad weather, driving conditions and a highway that experiences a high number of bad drivers and tragic accidents all throughout the year.
Last year I wanted to stay home and experience a nice, calm, quiet Christmas, in the comfort of our own home. Plus, last year, we had a 6 week old baby and I wasn’t looking forward to traveling. But, because my SO made plans to go snowboarding with a couple of friends he rarely gets to see, we decided to make the trip down and spend Christmas with the family again.
Christmas was wonderful and I am glad we went down, but our trip back ended in disaster and another 3 weeks away from home, including a week in the hospital with our oldest daughter and 3 months without our own vehicle. That accident determined for us, that this year, we would definitely be staying home for the holidays.
And I am so excited for it. I am excited to experience the Christmas Eve service for the first time ever at my home church! I am excited to see my girls get up Christmas morning to see all their gifts under the tree. I can’t wait to do our traditions in our own home, and to actually cook our own Christmas Dinner for the first time ever! And I am glad that, by staying home, we can be a blessing to others in our very own community and volunteer in ways we haven’t been able to in the past.
However, there is that mixed bag of emotions that is going around in me that I was talking about. Not only will I be missing my mom and brother this year, but all of my extended family. We celebrated with my mother and father-in-law in November, and it was a great day and so much fun and I am glad we were able to have that time. But there’s just something about celebrating Christmas with family on Christmas (or at least Christmas Eve or Boxing Day). Being the Fort Mcmurray Mama, I am definitely feeling the isolation of this small town in Northern Alberta. A town that many people come to to work and make money, but rarely is there the support of family close by and people just do not come up very often to visit you. Cost, a deadly highway, and the remoteness of this city tend to keep people away. And I feel that some people figure that you will come to whatever city they are in anyway, so you can visit than. I completely understand not wanting to spend the money on gas (& hotel if needed) to drive 5 hours on a highway that has a tragic accident almost every week, especially during the winter, around the holidays. This year, even we are not doing it. But because of this, I am feeling the isolation and the mixed emotions of not getting to see family. I really, really, really, want to be home for the holidays this year. Really...I do! I don’t want the stress of traveling with two young kids, and despite the Fort Mcmurray wages, we cannot afford 3 return plane tickets out of here (for a safer traveling option). But then I think of my grandparents… I lost my maternal grandma when I was just 9 years old, and I miss her desperately. Life is precious, family is important, and you just don’t know how much time you have. My maternal grandfather is still around but he lives in another province and travels so much, we rarely get to see him. My paternal grandparents both live in Edmonton and we get to see them when we travel there, and I am so thankful for that, but I am sad knowing we will not spend Christmas together this year. My oldest darling daughter (DD) absolutely loves spending time with her cousins, and it breaks my heart that we live so far apart and she doesn't get to experience having cousins that live close by that she can see on a regular basis. Especially around the holidays.  And I so desperately wanted my children to have a close relationship with their grandparents, while I had the support of my parents & in-laws (but that is for another blog). All of these feelings of being isolated and missing my family are all coming to a head this Christmas season and I feel like an emotional basket case.
So, that’s my life right now. A roller coaster of emotions. I know Christmas is going to be fantastic and it’s my favorite time of year, I am just wrestling with all these emotions.
I pray that whether this Christmas is a tough one for you and your family, or a joyous occasion filled with family, that you will feel the Spirit of Christmas and you will find peace and hope.
Let us not forget those who are suffering this Christmas- grieving the loss of a loved one, struggling to make ends meet, those suffering from loneliness and depression, and even those who don’t have a home for Christmas.
God bless you.
Thank you for reading.

Drowning

Ever feel like you're drowning? Like you’re treading water but not really getting anywhere. You can just keep your head above water, barely at times, but that’s about it. Maybe even your brain feels like mush and you cannot think clearly. If your thought is interrupted at all, you will lose it. Simple, everyday words, escape your memory. You’re frustrated because you give a long pause trying to think of what it is you wanted to say, then you are interrupted due to that long pause, resulting in your train of thought being completely derailed?
I know I cannot be the only one out there who does feel or has felt like this at times.
I am at a loss for what to do. I have heard of pregnancy/baby brain, but my baby is 13 months old now!
Things that can be tiresome to anyone, things that we all have to deal with, daily, just seem so overwhelming. I have 2 kids in diapers...poop happens! Sometimes too many times a day. It’s a part of life, and although at times it feels like it’ll never end, I know there is an end to the diaper changing days. At least, there should be! Why does it feel like too much?

We are so incredibly blessed here, and I am so thankful for everything I have. I love that I have a dishwasher, and that the never ending pile of dishes doesn’t need to be washed by hand. Yet I still find myself overwhelmed with the amount of dishes in our house. Even the clean ones! I think it’s a case of too many choices, too much clutter and an inability to find enough space to properly put away everything. As well as broken drawers (which will thankfully be fixed tomorrow!).
I am so grateful to have clean running water and a working washer and dryer (or in the case of a break down the money to replace them). I am grateful that I do not need to wash my clothes by hand or hang them from a line, especially during these long, cold winters. Washing and drying the clothes is relatively easy, it’s the folding that gets me… why is this part so tiring? Why must I always procrastinate to the point of being completely overwhelmed with the amount of laundry that needs to be folded?
I am so thankful that we have garbage and recycling pick up right in front of our homes, every single week. I know someone living right here in Canada that does not get garbage pick up! Hashtag First World Problems, Am I Right!? Why do I get so overwhelmed by the seemingly endless bags of trash and diaper genie bags? I know I don’t fill up the trash as much as larger families, and we are a family of 4 with, as I mentioned earlier, 2 little ones going through lots of diapers. It’s not like the amount of garbage surprises me (which truthfully really isn’t that much), just on days I am already feeling overwhelmed, the full garbage under the sink is just one more thing on my over taxed brain.

I am so very grateful to have a new, safe, warm vehicle, with remote start, front and rear heating and even heated seats. I am so very blessed. But some days, leaving the house and dealing with 2 very active little ones, complete with non stop talking and at times temper tantrums, when feeling so very tired, just feels like more than I can handle. But then the thought of being stuck inside the house with these high energy little ones seems even more stressful than the stress of taking them out of the house. There are times it is a daily battle in my mind whether or not I should leave the house.
I am so overwhelmed, the thought of a structured schedule sounds like an amazing idea, but the thought of putting one together seems like more than I can mentally and even physically do. It’s like a budget, you know you should do one and live by one, but it’s so much more convenient to just spend the money when it comes in wherever you can. Or a diet, we all know we need to eat healthier and that it will make us feel better, but that chocolate, bag of chips, (insert tempting food here), is so much easier to grab for, and even temporarily satisfactory.
I know I desperately need a routine but at the same time the thought of a routine makes me feel trapped. I so badly want a daily quiet time with God. I want to get up before my kids with enough time to do hair and makeup (on days I want to do it), time to read my bible and possibly work on a bible study, and time to eat a real, proper breakfast (I just can’t survive on a few cookies, handful of junk food or a slice of Mocha Bread), AND get my kids dressed and feed them a decent breakfast.
I have always been a night person and prefer to stay up until 1-2am and sleep until 10am but life generally warrants you to be a morning person. And, surprisingly this has nothing to do with having kids. Some kids will be morning people, definitely, but when the parents are not morning people, I have found (With my 2 kids so far), that means you can have non morning kids too. Having kids that sleep in late in the mornings, is a blessing and a curse. It’s great when you’re tired and just need that extra sleep, but it’s tough when you need to be out the door 1-1.5 hours earlier than your kids normally wake up.

Being a mom of two young girls means that, most of the time, my house is a disaster. And my complete lack of being able to keep anything organized, is another thing adding stress to my everyday life. I understand that there will be dishes left in the sink and toys on the floor, but my entire life I have never been good at keeping things neat and tidy (I totally blame my parents for this, who are both neat freaks! Love you guys :) <3 ). I lose things constantly. Important things, even things I use on a daily basis. I have organization contains, files, etc, but it just doesn’t seem to help. Who has the time? When I do have free time I want to be doing something more fun, like knitting, than going through papers.
I have asthma, just ask my husband how many times I misplace my inhaler (daily!). We had to order new health cards for my daughter… got them, lost them. I can’t find the beautiful locket my husband bought me for Christmas 4 years ago (at the moment this one has me the most upset). I know the solution to these many problems and stresses I face seems blatantly obvious to most people. I know how easy it is for others to tell me what I should do, or what has helped them. I know that these stresses could easily be fixed. But for me, it doesn’t seem easy at all. The organization and cleaning tips seem easy, quick, and so helpful, yet I just get frustrated, upset, and overwhelmed.

Too many people have a pristine looking home, with kids expertly groomed and behaving like angels, marriages that seem perfect, and fairy tale looking lives, while on the inside they are falling apart. They wear the mask but they are crumbling on the inside. I won’t say that I am completely honest, 100% of the time. I can’t say I never wear a mask, even unknowingly at times. I can’t say that I don’t try to impress others. I won’t say that I don’t worry about what others think of me, because I do. But my outside world is pretty much a reflection of what my inside world looks and feels like. A mess. Chaotic. Hectic. Stressful. Overwhelming. What you see is what you get, which is a good thing. I just wish I had a better handle on things!

My Daughter is Not Mad at Me!!

The other day I was laying out on my stomach, reading my book while my toddler was playing and my 8 month old DD (darling daughter) was crawling and climbing all over me while laughing. The first thought I had was “she’s not mad at me”, quickly followed by “I thought she was mad at me!”.
Let me start from the beginning…
When I was home during the day, before bed and first thing in the morning, I would nurse my DD but if I was out of the house, or after my husband came home from work, she would get a bottle. Some days she might get 1 to 2 bottles and other days most of her milk intake would be from a bottle (I was never able to pump a lot). My DD has a healthy appetite, and since starting food and having formula she seemed to be weaning herself off of breast feeding. During the hot summer days this didn’t bother me but I still enjoyed the morning and night feeding, and with my first DD I went 13 months breast feeding, and planned on going at least a year with this baby as well. Then, suddenly, my DD just decided she was done with nursing and wanted nothing more to do with it. She would arch her back, kick her legs, turn her head away, and start crying and getting really mad. I tried to push it a couple times, and she bit me!! So I gave up and figured that she was just through with breast feeding, and being just under 9 months old, I knew she would be on cows milk soon enough. (Thankfully for me, she had slowly been weaning herself off up until this point, so I wasn’t left in agony as my body adjusted to this sudden drop in demand).
I was frustrated, however, with this cranky baby (who may or may not be teething), who at times didn’t want breast or bottle, and sometimes just wanted to be held and rocked. And at times, I get frustrated, because, she wants to be held, but at the same time she wants to crawl, climb, pull herself up, and just play. Oh, but don’t let her down or she’ll get very upset!!
I didn’t realise I was hurt, upset and frustrated with my DD until that moment on the floor with her laughing while crawling and climbing all over me. The thought “she’s not mad at me!” made me realise that, for some reason, I thought she was mad at me and that’s why she had stopped breast feeding. But in reality, I guess she just outgrew it faster than I was expecting, and the frustration came from me trying to force it, more than from her stopping.
I believe, for me anyway, a lot of the frustrations that come with parenting is expecting your kids to act more mature, or grown up, than they really are. You forget that they are just 2 years old and this is how 2 year olds act. You forget that, typically, your baby isn’t doing these things specifically to annoy you, they are just being a baby. I have to continually remind myself that “This is normal”, “she’s only 2.5/8months”, “this is just a stage”, “she really doesn’t know any better”.
Yes, you’ve told your child a 100 times not to do this, not to do that, to clean up their toys, to put their dishes in the sink, whatever it may be. Yes, you think “they know better!”, you believe “they should know this by now”, but in reality they need reminders. Even us adults need reminders from time to time.
I think we need to give our kids a little slack. Instead of becoming so frustrated that you have to remind them yet again to do this or that, or not do that, we must take a deep breath and relax!
Parenting is hard, exhausting work, and it takes a lot of time, patience, and repetition to train up our children in the way they should go. Yes, sometimes it’s tempting to let that thing slide, that thing you know is wrong, that thing you’ve told your child not to do 100 times and figure it doesn’t matter if you let it go this once. Yes, sometimes laziness seems like your best friend. But we all know that we need to repeat ourselves as many times and in as many ways as we can until our kids get it. We need to be reminded that it’s normal that our kids need to be reminded. I strive to train up my children in the way God is training me up: with unending patience, unconditional love, oceans of grace, loving correction, and gentle reminders. Have I perfected this? NO!! Am I always patient, loving and gentle? Sadly, I am far from it. But I keep going, keep trying, and most importantly, I keep praying. As God is with me and teaching me, I become a better parent and can raise my children better as well.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7(NIV)

Let Go and Let Dad

Please keep in mind that this note is written from the perspective of a stay at home mom with a full time working husband. In a lot of families both parents work and in some families the dad stays home and the mom works. I am speaking from the point of view of a married couple. I am speaking from my own experience.


Today I was out of the house from 5:30am till 9pm. My husband had to watch our 2.5 year old and 8 month old. All day. By himself.
Was I worried about our 2 darling daughters being at home all day with their dad. NOPE! No way! Why would I be? I was more worried that our 8 month old would be cranky and not settle for him, than I was about the girls. But even I have to deal with a cranky baby and 2 year old tantrums, and I survive, mostly, so I know my husband will as well.
Did I text and check up on him and the girls? YES! Of course I did, they are my babies, and my hubby, and I love them all and I want to know what is going on during the day!
I hate how society in general, makes jokes at the expense of fathers and their abilities in parenting their own children. I didn't need to toddler proof or "man proof" the house before leaving my husband and children all day. When my husband goes to work and is gone from 5:45am till 8:30pm, he believes and trusts that he is leaving his precious children in the capable, loving, caring hands of their mother. He texts or calls once in awhile during the day to check in and see how things are going, or to wish me well, especially when one or both of the girls have been extra difficult lately. When I leave my husband with the kids, whether it's for half an hour or half the day, I know I am leaving them in the loving, capable, caring hands of their father.
Now I am alone with the kids more often and I do take care of their outfits each day and I plan most of the meals (though when my husband does cook, he's very good at it). And he can pick out their outfits, of course, I just like to. So this morning before I left, I made sure to set out the girls outfits, and I put a bottle of formula beside the bed to make things a little easier for my husband. It had nothing to do with whether or not I thought he was capable of doing it, I was just trying to be thoughtful and nice.
Just because dads don't do things the way moms do them does not mean they are not good or capable of taking care of their kids. It will be different than what you do but it's not better or worse. In the typical household the moms stay home while the dads work. This means the mom is responsible for the majority of care for the kids, including bathing, feeding, dressing and educational activities. With the little time dads get to spend with their kids they want to have fun and enjoy their time together. This doesn't necessarily mean that all rules go out the window (or at least it shouldn't mean that) but it usually means that dads aren't going to be as mindful of things like having fruits and veggies as part of every meal and snack, or of giving them water even though they are asking for juice for the 100th time. Instead of quiet/nap time in their room, they may relax for an hour (or maybe 3) watching tv or playing video games. Instead of venturing out to the park or reading books, they may stay home and build forts in the living room. And you know what? That's ok! The kids will survive. The kids will have a blast. The kids will have memories to last a life time.
This may be irritating if mom has to be the "bad/mean parent" and tell the kids to go brush their teeth and get ready for bed, which they should've done an hour ago, especially if it seems that this happens a lot. There needs to be a balance and if dad is watching the kids all on his own, for long periods of time, often enough, than it can't be all fun and games all the time. Discipline and rules still need to be in place. One parent shouldn't be the "bad/mean/boring" parent all the time while the other one gets to be the "fun/lax" parent all the time. Both parents need to stand together in the discipline and rules, and both parents need to learn how to relax and just have fun with their kids.
Moms, we need to let go of our idea of "perfect" or "right" and know that our kids will be safe with their dads. And if you let go, and let dad, a little more often, he may just surprise you. And don't get mad if the kids praise dad for how much fun he is, leaving you feeling like the only one doing any work, or the only one keeping the rules. Your kids love you. They spend the majority of their time with you. You are familiar to them. This is a good thing. Kids thrive in that kind of environment. Your kids need rules, limitations, boundaries, routine, discipline, and familiarity. But they also need to let loose, have fun and relax.
Kids need their moms and their dads (this is assuming both parents are mentally healthy and not abusive). They need what both mom and dad bring to the table. They need the male and female influence. Kids need days with daddy. Moms need to "let go and let dad" and stop worrying about what is or is not going to happen. One day isn't going to harm anyone.
Remember when your husband goes off to work every day he leaves his kids in your care and trusts that you will take the best care of them that you can. Why don't you treat him the same way and trust him? 

Pinterest Project #1 - Art with Children.

This past winter I saw a kids art project on Pinterest that I thought was so cool and would be awesome to do. But when it comes to DIY projects, I never actually get around to doing them, or they turn out nothing like what I wanted. Well with this particular project I was determined to get it done this summer! I must say, it helped that I waited for a day when my husband was home, cause this one would be fun but super messy and require a bath afterward. 
I must say I am so happy that we we're able to get this done. It was super easy, fast, messy and fun. 
The person on Pinterest used photo paper (not good to use construction paper), foam sticker letters, and paint. I thought it was canvas so that is what I bought, along with water colours. And it turned out great. The foam letters stuck well and came off easily enough to peel off without a huge mess, but not so easily that they moved around while the kids painted :) 
I give this project a 10 out of 10, just make sure you are prepared with a bath, towels, etc for afterward, and I suggest everyone go out and make your home some awesome kids art! 

Passionless

Lately I have been feeling passionless... Like I have no goals, dreams, aspirations. Obviously there are things I want to do in my life, but I just feel.. blah. I know that being a stay at home mom is an extremely important role, but with only 2 kids there is the idea of do I go back to work when my baby is a year old (less than 5 short months from now) or do I continue being a stay at home mom (we plan on having more kids)? If I go back to work I would be going back to working in a daycare. I love the staff, the children, the job isn't a bad job, but I wouldn't say it is my passion either. I have never really had a passion when it comes to work. I have worked fast food, cashier at a grocery store and Toys R Us, in a dry cleaners, and in 2 daycare's. So far, I would say I have enjoyed working with children and I do like some cashier work, but I would love to find a job I am truly passionate about. Than on the other hand, I figure I won't be working for very long since I am at the "having babies" stage of life.
I guess what I really want, is that as my girls get older, I want them to look up to me as a great example. Not just a great  mother (which is my #1 priority) but as someone who had dreams and passion, and followed after those. A strong woman who didn't lose her identity in her kids or in motherhood, but that was made stronger in motherhood. I want to be someone who is on fire and passionate for God and chasing hard after whatever He has in store for me. I guess that's another problem...what in the world does God have in store for me? Why am I here? What is my purpose? Am I just meant to be a mom and stay home to raise up strong, passionate, compassionate, daughters (and maybe even sons)? Or is there more for me out there? How do I raise up passionate children if I can't find my own passion?  I do not want to miss what it is God has planned for my life. Maybe that's my biggest fear in all of this; somehow missing "it", whatever "it" is.
I understand that I am to love my neighbour, and I understand that that means everyone I come into contact with every day, and even those in far off countries. It means listening to a friend in need, serving at the soup kitchen, volunteering for Sunday School, and even donating money to charities that are serving in ways I never could. Is it my job just to do the "little" things that may seem meaningless in the eyes of society, or am I made to do "greater" things? We are all part of a body, and every part is important, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. I guess, I am just really searching to know what part of the body I am. Am I an eye? Ear? Hand? Foot? Fingernail? Lord, whichever part you have prepared me for, may I fulfill my duty fully and joyfully. May I never miss the opportunities you have divinely set before me on this path of life.
I know we are not all created to be in the spotlight, and I do not think I am made for the spotlight myself. At least not at this time in my life, who knows with God, right? Right now I know that I want the applause and praise of men more than doing it "unto the Lord" and as long as I am getting the spotlight and not God, nothing will be going on in my life. I know I need to be humble and lean on God for everything, every day.
I think sitting down and writing this out over the past couple weeks has helped me to know why I am feeling the way I am feeling. I am not seeking my identity in Christ, but in worldly things, and it's more about me than it is about Christ. Lord, may You show me who I am in You. May I gain my identity in You and not in this world.

Thank you all for reading my ramblings.

God Bless.

1 Corinthians 12:12

New International Version (NIV)

Unity and Diversity in the Body

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

A Word to Grandparents

As a mom of two young girls I appreciate all the help I get from both sets of grandparents, both near and far. And I am so thankful that my oldest is developing an extremely close bond with her Nana, and that she loves spending time with all of her grandparents.
But I would like to write a word to all the grandparents out there.
We love you. We are grateful for you. We want you to have a relationship with our kids. Raising kids is hard and we need all the help we can get. We love it when you can take the kids for a few hours, or even over night! We expect that the kids will get spoiled while at your place. Hey your the grandparents, you get all the fun while us parents get the tough job of discipline and training up our children. I understand that my kid will probably get dessert even if she hasn't finished all of her supper. She'll probably watch more TV then she would at home, or stay up past her bed time. You'll feed her whatever she wants, even if you end up cooking 3 meals in an hour, and you'll buy her more things then she could ever need! 

However, it takes a lot of work, time and energy to raise children and us parents put a lot of effort and thought into the rules and guidelines we place down for our children. We know that not all the rules will be followed at grandma's as they are at home, but we ask you to please respect any rules we ask you to keep. Don't let the kid hit, punch, bite, throw things, act rude, etc. Ask the parents how they want you to discipline the children and what they are comfortable with. You may have spanked your kids when they were growing up, but your kids may not be comfortable with spanking their kids, and you need to respect that.
We understand that the kids may not eat all their vegetables and probably get more sweets then we would give them, but as the parents we know what can upset our children or make them sick. If we ask you not to give the kids certain sweets or foods, because it makes them too hyper or sick, please respect that and ask what treats are ok. 

And parents, a word to you, I know you put in a lot of hard work, time and energy, taking care of those blessings and you have rules for a reason. But we need to learn to relax and let go and understand that the grandparents love and just want to spoil their grandchildren, because they didn't get to do that with their children.
Parents, grandparents, as they say it takes a village to raise a child. We need to work together. We need open and honest communication. Parents, tell the grandparents what you'd like while your child is in their care. Ask them to respect and follow certain rules but remember to relax and allow the kids to be a little spoiled (especially in cases where the grandparents only see the kids a couple times a year). Grandparents, if you plan on buying big toys, or taking the kids out somewhere, ask the parents in advance if that's ok, and save yourself a fight later on. We need to work together to raise these kids up in happy, healthy homes, with rules, discipline, fun and a little bit of spoiling. Our kids are only little for such a short amount of time, and the grandparents know this better than us parents! So lets learn from and support one another in this difficult, challenging, amazing adventure of raising children!

Proverbs 17:6

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Children’s children are a crown to the aged,
    and parents are the pride of their children.

Fort Mcmurray - it's not what you think.

As I said in my first posting, I live in Fort Mcmurray, Alberta ( or Fort McMoney as some people call it).

Ft.Mac gets a bad rap.
We work, live and breath oil sands, and to some that makes us equivalent to Hiroshima.
We work hard, play hard, and spend big. We have $800,000 3 bedroom homes, jacked up trucks, suped up cars, snowmobiles, motorbikes, skidoos, and boats.
Young people come here, with dreams of making a quick buck, paying off debts and wracking up more debt with their house, vehicles and toys.
With a young population, high wages and little time off, peoples views of this great city can get skewed.
Yes, people make good money off the oil sands here, and yes many young men and women may not know what to do with all the money and spend it on lifted trucks, houses and trips back home and to Vegas. But there are many, many hard working moms and dads, who go to work at site every day to make a better life for their family. (As well as many who work within the city to provide us with goods and services, like cashiers and dentists, servers and doctors).
 And many guys who leave home, leave behind their wife and kids, in order to come here where the jobs are, to work and make a better life for their families. It's tough. They are gone for weeks at a time, living in camp, spending 10+ hour days working hard in extreme conditions, going back to a camp room with camp food and mostly just a lap top and TV to keep them company. 
However, many families, like mine, have decided to move and call Ft.Mac their home. Many come with a 5 year plan: Work in the oil sands, make tons of money, pay off debt, rack up more debt with big toys, sell their 800K 3 bedroom house and head back home. A lot do their 5 year plan and leave but many fall in love with the city and choose to stay for much longer.
You can come to Ft.Mac with the attitude that you are just here to bring in the big bucks then leave, and you will most likely not feel like this is ever home for you, you may be miserable, depressed and lonely. You won't be able to wait to get out of here and move on to better things. Living here will just be a sacrifice made worth it only for the cash you plan to make.
Or you can come here, and whether you are here for 2 years or 20, you can work to make this beautiful city your home. Get involved in the community, find a local church, make some friends and make the best out of your time here. Hey, you're here for a reason, for a season, might as well enjoy yourself.
Ft.Mac unfairly gets a bad rap from those guys living only in camp, here just for the money, and from the media. But for the past 3 years, and for God only knows how many years to come, this is my home and I like it here. I miss Edmonton and my family there and I miss some of the conveniences of being in a big city like Edmonton and I hate traveling Highway 63 (that's probably the only other thing you know about Ft.Mac), but I still love being here. When you make Ft.Mac your home and you get to know the people who live here and also call it home, you get to see a whole different view of Ft.Mac. The people here are loving and generous (sure you have a few not so nice, but you have that everywhere you go) and because everyone seems to be new to Ft.Mac (if you've been here more then a year you're an oldie!) it seems easy to connect with others.
Whether you like to walk the nature trails or work out indoors, if you want to star gaze and catch some stunning northern lights, or you prefer to go swimming, if you want to hunt or just enjoy nature, Ft.Mac has a lot to offer.
Instead of judging the city by what the media has to say, try coming up for a visit and hanging out with some people who know and love this city.

Please share your comment below about what you have heard about this city, what's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "Fort Mcmurray" and what you love and hate about working and living in this city.
(Photos taken from Google).

An Introduction to Me.

I am a stay at home mom of two little girls, 2 years and 5 months old, in my mid twenties, and have been married for 4 years (been with my man 7 years this coming July). We also have 2 dogs, a 9 year old Poodle cross and a 5 year old Basset Hound.
I am a Christian so this blog will have the world view of a Christian. I ask that if you choose to comment, no matter your faith or background, please be respectful to everyone's views and opinions. It is ok to disagree but do so with respect and love.
I have lived with my husband in Fort McMurray now for 3 years. We felt God had called us here to Fort McMurray, from Edmonton. This is where we have started our family, and until God says otherwise, we plan on raising our family here.
I started working at a daycare here after my daughter turned one, however I got pregnant that same month I started so I only worked about 9 months. Now with two kids, and with plans to have more, I am learning what it means to be a stay at home mom and house wife. Very old-fashioned of me, I know! But I think it's coming back "in-style".
I have always liked writing blogs/notes and sharing my thoughts on different topics and what I have been mulling over, so I thought I would start this blog as a place for me to write and express my thoughts and feelings, and maybe have a reader or two to give encouragement.
As 2014 is my year to grow closer to God and to Dare Greatly, I wanted this blog to be a way to challenge me. To write more and try more projects in knitting, cooking, baking and activities with the kids (and share the results here). I can't say how often I'll write, sometimes it may be 3 times in a week and others once in 2 weeks or even once a month.
I want this blog to be an open and honest look at the struggles, joy and adventure of parenting, and to be an encouragement to others, and not a way of comparing ourselves. I know there are a ton of awesome mommy/parenting blogs out there and I am not doing anything new, nor am I some greatly talented writer. I just want this blog to be a place for me to share with family and friends what is going on in my life and to bring hope and encouragement to others who are on this adventure we call parenting.
Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy!