This is what my child thinks of santa:)

Moments like these:)

Dave and i were leading worship this morning, so addy decided she needed to help too:) It was so cute!

Christmas tradition-cutting down the christmas tree!

This is one of my favorite traditions:) Every year we go with Dave's side of the family and cut down his parents christmas tree, have lunch and than come back at night to decorate and eat lots of treats;)! So yesterday was the day! We had a great day, and now are recovering...so much partying! so much fun! I love this season!

Our sad attempt at a family photo!

Addy helping daddy cut down the tree!

here it is!

My beautiful girl:)!

18 months

18 months is just 5 days away...18 months...almost two..not a baby anymore...18 months..

I am loving this age. OK, I say that about every age because its true;) We are starting to enter the world of temper tantrums now, not going to lie, but besides that, she is so much fun. Such a joy, so full of life, love and personality. I had one of those moments the other day where a tear flowed down my cheek as I watched this little person evolve. She was holding her little lamb stuffed animal, and I asked her if lamby was tired and if she would rock her to sleep. she proceded to rock lamby back and forth while patting her bum than looked down at lamby gave her a kiss and proceded to rock her again...melt this mommy's heart! I love that she has learned that from me, and I have showed her that; hey I am doing something right!:) and a big part of it is also just how God created us. He designed us to love and nurture and comfort, and she is already doing such a great job at that:)

She is also full of words, and amazes me daily at her smarts. recognizing family members in pictures coming out with new words every day, making up things to do to entertain herself, laughing at herself, and us! busy, busy, and more busy! I love this girl, and am so grateful this christmas more than ever to have had God entrust me with her...18 months, lets see where the next six take us!

Traditions

I grew up in a pastors home, which means a couple of things. Well, many things actually, but moving around is one thing that comes with the territory. Well for us it did anyways. My childhood was really stable, wonderful actually, and even though we moved houses, our church, and school stayed the same. It was wonderful. We had some wonderful traditions, that I loved! And have so many cherished memories in my heart. But in 1995 we moved. and that move changed me life. Unfortunately not so much for the better. My highschool years were tough. I have some very fond memories of that time, but also a lot of pain. After highschool I was searching, high and low, for a place that felt like home again. I moved back close to the area i grew up in to try and rekindle my childhood memories, but life was different now, and it took me a while to realize that you can't go back; you can only move forward. I spent a few years living back in "my" city..yes Vancouver is my City, and I loved it! that is a time I will cherish forever, and will be so grateful that I did it! it was my time, time to find my wings, find myself, and have some fun:) In 2006 I realized that my wings were tired and it was time to find roots, and so I did. I did in a place that i never thought I would, but isn't it usually the things we don't plan and let HIM plan go so much better than our plans?? I am just saying....:)
My dream now is to stay rooted. If God calls us somewhere else, than I will obedientely go, but at the same time I secretly pray that this can always be home. Not because I love the smell of fertilizer; no...because I want this for my chilren. The thing that I have been searching for and feel that I missed out on I want to give to them. Roots, a home, and lots and lots of fabulous traditions! We are still working out the kinks in the tradition area, and they will take time to grow and develop but I know they will come, and I am so looking forward to that!!
I am not sure what this holiday season will look like yet, but I will share after its all said in done the things we did, and loved, and wont do again:) This weekend I am looking forward to a baking day with friends...maybe this will become a tradition?? I am doing a cookie exchange with some of my friends out here and this will be year 2 of that...one that I think I quite like!!

So what are some of your favorite holiday traditions??? What do you dream about this time of year for your kids???

chicken, mushroom soup thing..

Hows that for a recipe title?? I don't know what to call it, its just something i like to throw together in a pan, but it is comfort food all the way!

So here's what you need:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
a can of mushroom soup
pepper
frenches fried onions
half a pack of brown gravy mix
egg noodles

So basically brown up the chicken in a pan with some olive oil. Season it with a little pepper and with whatever else you fancy. Add the mushroom soup and a can of water mix it up and let it simmer till the chicken is cooked all the way through. Cook up the egg noodles. While the egg noodles are cooking, turn the heat down on the chicken to a low simmer, and throw on top some frenches fried onions. Let it heat up so some of the soften a bit. Serve the chicken and sauce over the egg noodles, with some broccolli on the side..easy and delish! Small chow mein noodles are good over the chicken as well if you want a bit of crunch in your bite..enjoy!

December first...tomorrow...really??

Well its almost here...the big C that is, meaning Christmas, not the tv show;) Which I am curious to watch by the way...ok, anyways, back onto my topic:) Tomorrow is December first and I think I am still a bit in shock over that. As usual time is flying! Things are starting to feel a little settled around here..in some aspects. I am still in the new stages of my new promotion at work, but feeling more settled in it now because now that I have moved up a step my schedule is more routine, and not so much all over the place. I have gone to three maybe four days a week, and full days instead of this five days a week, 4-7 hour long shifts. And no sundays!!
It was way too much..it was killing me emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I definetly wasn't finding a good balance in my life, and I don't function well when my life is out of balance! Anyone else out there that can relate? so yes this 24 hours a week or so is managable, still not ideal, as ideal would be full time at home with my girl; but managable. I know financially i should work more, but its just so not worth it!! and that is a great feeling to know. So basically my priorities are figured out in my heart, and I know God is going to bless my family for that. And even this week things seem more encouraging.
The one poopy part of this last while has been the illness in this house. Due to shift work, going back to work, and life stress I have had a cold for the past three months it feels like. Off and on it keeps coming back and I just can't seem to feel better. And this week my poor little girl got it:( Its been rough, with the multiple wake ups in the middle of the night, and the sick little girl who is not too happy right now..but I believe the antibiotics are starting to kick in and I am hopeful for a better day tomorrow for both of us!
I have also been getting back into my devotions and that has been helping me a lot..what a concept right??!
Another big step for me this week was to start doing something for myself. With having to work a job I don't love, and that is just a job, my heart has been aching. Aching for meaning, purpose, and a plan. So I have finally put into action something that has been on my heart for really, 15 years, but more directly in the past three. I always thought I wanted to be a nurse, a neo natal one to be exact..I love babies!! its true:) But every time i would start out my schooling down that path it just wouldn't work out. I have tried three times now; no joke! well, while I was pregnant with Addyson it started to dawn on me what I wanted to do. I wanted/needed to be in some sort of health care, helper role but I just hadn't figured out what that looks like yet. My dream, if I had the money, and a school closer to me would be to become a midwife. I wouldn't do it with little ones, but once they are all grown up I would be all over it. So than I started researching the Doula program, and realized, hey, this is something tangible that I can do. It got pushed to the back burner, but has started to creep up again this last while. So I decided last week to just go for it. I ordered my first set of books and I am on my way to reading this fantastic material. I have decided for now I want to pursue the post partum Doula program as I don't think it would be smart for me to try and balance, 3am deliveries with my own little ones, but the post partum one is feesable. The other thing I have decided is that i am doing this for myself. Meaning, if Never make a dime off of it I don't care I am doing this for me, and that feels good! I think the post partum thing spoke to me as I know what it is like to adjust in those first couple of weeks under unexcted circumstance, due to a c-section in my circumstances, but I have dear friends who have walked much darker paths than me, and I just want to help, be a light, use it as a ministry, whatever God wants from it, its his...so that is exciting to me, and it feels good to get excited! anyways, just needed to write down my life update for myself, and will be back for some christmas things to look forward to, and some recipes! be blessed my blogger friends!