Thursday, December 17, 2009 |

Romance

Kris and I got the chance last Friday night to have a date night up in the city. We got a hotel room, went for supper, watched cable all evening (what a treat! And, what a reminder how lame cable actually is!), and had a nice brunch in the morning. It was great fun.

It's funny how it seems like romance is always so perfect, at least in the movies. Our "romance" included driving down Jasper Avenue in the middle of rush hour on a Friday in December... in a car that had a gas leak... while I freaked out about the smell... on the way to a yarn shop on the OTHER end of Jasper that I had insisted was important to go to... snotty words were exchanged... and then dual apologies... and then a "nice" supper at Joey Tomato's... where Kris discovered halfway through his burger that it was almost completely raw inside... then skipping between "Say Yes to the Dress" and "Holmes on Homes"... getting to bed nice and early... waking up, well, nice and early too... having a nice brunch... stopping by IKEA (which was pleasantly quiet - strange!)... and then a drive home in the frigid cold.

But yet, it was still perfect. It was exactly what Kris and I are like. Romance doesn't have to involve us acting or being different. It's just about spending time together and having fun.

Which we did.
Monday, December 14, 2009 |

Homemade Christmas Gifts

I have been having a great time making gifts for people this year. I have been knitting. And making fun paper dolls for my nieces. And making bath paints and playdough. And soon I will get on to some sewing.

Phew! It's a ton of work, but I'm glad to know that I'M the one doing the work, and not someone who's basic human rights are being violated in order for me to give that product as a gift. It's a really freeing feeling.

I'll post some pictures of some of the fun creations I've come up with when some of them are done! (Which, incidentally, should be soon - Christmas is a mere ELEVEN days away. How did this happen?!)

So, hope you are all having as much fun as I am preparing for a meaningful Christmas!


Tuesday, December 8, 2009 |

Coffee Conspiracy


The Advent Conspiracy video was shown at my church in Sunday. I got all revved up, and felt like I could hardly contain myself. I felt like our church has really needed to hear this.

But then, nothing.

Nothing was said afterwards. No amazing stories were shared about how people changed the world instead of buying toys and ugly sweaters last year. There was no challenge to be different this year. And worst of all, I think, there was no plan shared on how we, as a church, can band together and do something about it as a family.

I felt so deflated.

Now, this is going to sound terribly judgemental, but this message is just as much for me. So hold on to your seats, and I hope you still like me after this.

It's just that I feel really disgruntled about these things. I get frustrated when I see SO many people walk into church clutching large Tim Hortons cups. We have a coffee break, with FREE coffee (and tea, and hot chocolate...) during the service. But yet we, as a church, are still buying into all of this (and I don't mean that I'm exempt from it either). The lady in front of us spent the entire service (I'm not kidding) beaking at her 2 young kids to "WATCH THE TEA!" - her precious Tim Hortons tea under her chair. Her kids were well behaved and playing and colouring nicely, but she would yell at them at any flick of a foot, or movement of a leg. Yikes. She scared me.

But it got me to wondering, how much money is spend JUST on Sunday mornings, by Christians on their way to church? For 1 person to get a large coffee every Sunday for a year is over $100! If even just a dozen people have this same habit, the church is spending over $1200 a year in coffee... even though it is already being provided during the service. I wonder how many water wells THAT money could buy?

Advent Conspiracy is an amazing initiative. But what if I were to make changes ALL throughout the year? What if I were more diligent about making my own coffee before heading out for a trip up to the city? What if I made my own chai lattes before going our for a walk on a cold day? I find this all really convicting. And challenging, because I certainly struggle with wanting to go out and buy coffee on a Saturday morning. Maybe every time I feel the urge to go out and buy a coffee, or similar drink, I put that money in a jar instead. And then do something really fun with it next Christmas. I definitely need to address the log in my own eye before I worry about the specks in others'.
Monday, December 7, 2009 |

Waiting

I have such a hard time waiting for things sometimes. Mostly, it's really hard to wait for good things that I'm excited about.

I'm 16 weeks pregnant, and can hardly WAIT for this little one to come into the world. I remember with Sam, being SO excited, but at the same time, really needing that time to prepare (physically and emotionally) and adjust to the fact that I was going to be a mom. This time around, I'm finding that I'm not needing that time quite as much. Oh, there's still lots to do in the meantime - namely, spend the last 5-ish months with Sam, while it's just the two of us. And other kinds of preparation - organizing to fit 2 kids and all their stuff in one small bedroom, and eventually bringing out all the baby stuff again.

But I'm just so looking forward to the new adventure of life with 2 kids (which I'm sure will entail plenty of hairy moments, too!). To see Sam as an older brother. To have another little person around. To see what another little mixture of Kris and I is like. To have a baby again.

This pregnancy seems like it's already going by much faster, I think due to the fact that I'm busy with Sam all day and don't have as much time to sit and think about it. And I'm sure that another 24 (give or take!) weeks will fly by faster than I could have imagined. But either way, I sure am looking forward to meeting this little one.

Good things are just SO hard to wait for.
Thursday, December 3, 2009 |

Meals for the Rest of Us

I started a new blog. It's a place to share quick and simple meal ideas. I really struggle with meal planning, and just cooking in general, and the more women I've talked to, the more I find this to be common!

So check it out, pass the word around, and send me some recipes! Thanks!