Squeal!!

Lost!!!

It's back tonight. I have to wait until it's done taping on the vcr (we're so old school) because we are hosting bible study tonight.

My friends are back!!!

moment of panic

Ever make a decision that seems right at the time, and then totally freak out about it down the road? That was me today. Correction, that was me around 4am, when I woke up from a dream that had me questioning a choice, and how things would play out. Then I laid there for far too long thinking. I've had dreams like that before - the one where I attended my own wedding in black high top runners in a too-short dress, the one where I traded my first child for a kitten, the one where I had a massive milk let down in public (wait, that was a dream, right??).

In any case, I've had a day of wondering if I make smart choices, if I'm just dumb after all.

My husband, in his supportive wisdom offered me the following tidbit. Moses had moments like that, railed at God that he wasn't good enough...and God agreed with him. Yet, God also promised to be with Moses through it all.

I'm not sure if that reassured me or not. Let's just say I haven't spotted any burning bushes lately. Then again, it's still cold.

At least he hugged me before that. I think that redeemed the conversation. It's a good thing he's cute. :)

I'm so tired of winter

I know it's only January, but I'm so over winter. Friends and family out in BC have been complaining about snow, and I understand that they have had a lot, and it's wet, and the area isn't prepared to handle it. Yadda, yadda.

At least you guys can go outside already! The warmest it's been here in over a month is -19C/-3F. Throw in wind chills keeping us well below -30C/-22, dipping down to -54C/-65....well, I'm done. My van isn't running right now - battery needs a jump. The hubby jumped it on Sunday, then turned it off too early, and it's just too cold to bother doing it again right now. So I take his car. Which reminds me WHY we have a van - 3 kids sitting that close together, packed like sardines with their winter coats, it's just not that fun.

This winter is cold, dark (where is my prairie sunshine? where the heck is it already??) and windy. I've upped my omega-3 supplements. Which is helping, provided I take them before breakfast and coffee. Otherwise, the coffee/fishy burps that result are not pretty at all. gak

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deep turquoise and chocolate brown

I love clothes. I love makeup. I'm just not that great at either. I can be quite a girly-girl, given the chance. I just don't often get that chance - shocking I know, but with my life and it's pace, there isn't always time to put into my appearance that I might have if I were still without children/working/had money to spend on myself like I once did. I also don't always find the clothes I like best in my size, or to fit my shape (which is pretty, um, round)

Anyhow, I also run into the issue of lack of selection where I live. For clothing and makeup. I have also gotten somewhat out of touch as to what is stylish, as, well, see above. It's not easy to keep in touch with what one doesn't get a chance to participate in, if you know what I mean.

So, I need some new eye makeup. At least, I needed some new eye makeup. It was time, I was feeling a bit repetitive with the eyeliner/shadow combo I had, and my much loved jar of MAC multi-use product was getting low. What did I do about it? My usual, of course.

I walked into a Shoppers Drug Mart and checked out the woman working at the makeup department. If she looks well put together, and well groomed, these women can be really helpful! I walked up to her and said "this is my face, these are the colors of everything, I'm mostly low maintenance, but I'm willing to be a bit bolder. I need some eyeliner, what do you suggest - oh, and it has to be inexpensive".

Amazingly, that is often all these women need! The woman I spoke to while in the city asked me a couple of questions, and led me over to a fabulous (and cheap!!) display of deeply colored eye-shadow duo packs. Pointed out the combination she thought would work well with my skin, hair and eyes. Deep turquoise and chocolate brown. I already had the brush needed to apply, to use them like eyeliner, but with the flexibility of shadow. Win/win.

It is pretty, and I'm very pleased with the new addition to my repitoire of make up.

good parenting moment?

Tonight, while putting the girls to bed with prayers and songs, we all had the giggles. Mom, dad, both daughters, all giggling. I'm not quite sure what was so funny, but it may have included older daughter trying to sing prayers and saying "that just sounds terrible". It could have been dad doing his "gruff daddy serious voice", that the girls do not take seriously - because, after all, they are adorable little girls who can render him totally powerless with a "daddy, I love you".

In any case, we were giggling. Which turned to laughing. Which turned to older daughter actually throwing up.

whoops.

Now, thankfully, it wasn't much, and thanks to my forethought, there was another sheet under the sheet of her top bunk.

We did react the way any good parent would.

We laughed.

Welcome to 2009!

My Christmas and time around it was just wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. The kids gifts were all good (it helps when family sends money and leaves you in charge of buying). The events around Christmas all went smoothly enough. We went to a few parties and gathering that were lots of fun. My mom came up for Christmas, and that was good. I didn't get much in the way of gifts, and that was good because what I got was what I needed or wanted.

After spending Christmas here, we headed down to my mom's in the city for a couple of days. That was great too. A bit of shopping, visiting the "Enchanted Forest" drive through light display, fun things with the kids - and my birthday supper out with the hubby. We went to a newer place that does fondue. Lots of fun, and a nice chance to talk and relax, followed by a couple of hours in a bookstore. I had a new outfit to wear, and felt great. We were disappointed and saddened to hear of the death of one of our church members during the post-Christmas days, and that did put a bit of a damper on things.

New Year's Eve was great too. Friends hosted a house party, 8 adults and 11 kids (the oldest 4 are in grade 1). Almost all the kids stayed up until midnight - in our time zone too! We ate great food, had fun conversation, and the kids mostly got along well too. Ahh, wonderful. My littlest had a meltdown as we left, but really, that was to be expected - how often is my 3 year old up until 12:15 am!

I'm just really loving my life these days. Things feel good. 2008 was a pretty good year. Despite us starting out 2008 with a serious case of influenza in the house, things turned around nicely, and it was great. I can only hope and pray that 2009 is as good. I have some great friends, close by and away. We have travel plans to get out of the snow for a week. We've got ideas for fun things to do in the summer. Middle child starts preschool 2 days a week this month, and the kids are growing and changing all the time.

As I'm thinking about just having a birthday, I realizing how much more comfortable I am with myself. How much more I like myself these days. There is something nice about being in my 30's, something more real than my 20's felt like. I'm more ok with my own flaws and shortcoming than ever before, and that's a great feeling. I'm not thrilled with getting older (um, laugh lines and gray hair!), but I'm not afraid of the maturing and refining that seems to come with getting older. Having a birthday that falls right around the turn of the year gives me a double opportunity to reflect on the past and consider the future. I look forward to this new year, the blank slate before me. May my reflections on 2009 be as wonderful in my mind as 2008.