Our Family & Our Life

It's done, the party is over....  but boy oh boy, did she have a good day! She beamed from sun-up til sun-down.... We had a group of family and friends over in the morning to celebrate and Colin's aunt and uncle came later in the afternoon and for dinner... Despite her not understanding the concept of "birthday", she knew everyone was there for her.  She smiled and giggled all day long.  It was a good day, an enjoyable day of watching her squeal and laugh and thoroughly enjoy herself.... Having a birthday also means having a check up and that's what we did today.  Never to be taken for granted she received a clean bill of health although she "forgot" where her nose was when the doctor asked!!! 26 lbs. 10 ozs. - 54th percentile 34.5 inches tall - 37th percentile 20 inch head circumference - 97th percentile (full of brains you see!) The doctor commented that she was tall and thin...  HA! Our child TALL?  I had to giggle but seriously ...

... our sweet beautiful Monkey joined our family. The Lord has blessed us with her sweet demeanour, amicable personality and smiling face.  She brings joy to our hearts when everything else in life seems to be falling apart.  The Lord knew what we could handle when he placed her in our lives and she has been our shining light for the past two years. "Two" things about Isla : Two favourite words:  Hi-eee ~ No (subject to change frequently) Two favourite foods: bread ~ any kind of fruit (subject to change frequently) Two favourite activities: jumping ~ washing her hands/splashing in the sink Two favourite household "chores" - feeding Tasha (one kernel at a time goes in her bowl) ~ dusting Two favourite toys: Teddies ~ Elmo Two favourite TV shows:  Sesame Street ~ Wheel of Fortune Two favourite colours   purple  ~ yellow Two favourite people:  Daddy ~ Oma (I'm not offended, really!) Two favourite characters: Elmo ~...

WARNING (sort of) - I should say that this post may not appeal to everyone.  I'm not being graphic or trying to scare anyone, it just may not interest some or you may be expecting a baby and don't want to read about it just yet.  That's OK but you've been warned. The reason I want to post it is for Isla and for me.  It's a part of her life and mine and I want to remember it. So if you don't want to read it, stop right here .... Just remember, there is a happy ending.  We had Isla. If you want to read it, continue reading.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 2007 -  I discovered I was pregnant the day before Father's Day and as much as I wanted to tell Colin the next day, I can't keep a surprise so I went out and bought him a Father's Day from the cats - HA! -  and Baby Black.... He didn't get it right away but he caught on pretty quick! So, I would love to say I went into labour at 5 p.m. she was born at 8 p.m. and it was a day in th...

Today was a wonderfully bright, sunny winter day here in the Great White North.... Despite waking up at 6 a.m. Isla didn't want to nap so we went for a walk on the Wetlands Trail instead.   I forgot my gloves and decided not to walk as far as I had planned because it was c-o-l-d.  Besides, the lady had enough of sitting and wanted to walk back to the van. I know she is wearing a winter coat with a car blanket but seriously, she's outgrowing this stroller.  February 2010 May 2008 She looks so tiny and look at all the room in there!  She's getting to be a big girl and I get sentimental thinking of her 2nd birthday next week..... .....  What happened to my tiny 2.5 month old baby?  She's grown into a beautiful little girl, full of personality and love!

Unless you live in a bubble, you'll know that the (snowless) 2010 Winter Olympics start this weekend in Vancouver. So why, if Canada is hosting, did they have an American firm build the CANADIAN pavillion and why is it so ugly? Just look at it.... It looks like one of the temporary sheds you can buy to keep the snow off your car.... or a chicken barn with windows.... Another reason they need snow over on the west coast - it will look 100% better with snow covering it.... ... but that is just my opinion....  ;-)

... and then he's home again... for a few weeks anyways... Until then, we'll continue travelling between mom's house and our apartment which I might add is starting to look and feel like home.  I have a "honey do list" waiting for Colin but it's OK, he knows about it and knows I'm useless at hanging things on the wall...  Once I'm happy we've done everything we can, I'll take some photos and post them on the blog.  Mental note, power up the drill!  I'm getting ideas and things together for Isla's birthday next week.  It's not going to be a big event.  We've decided to celebrate with some family over at our house on her day and just then just chill out together eating Elmo cake. I'm also looking for new activities for the lady.  She's bored as you can see.  I tried making play-dough with her yesterday and while she liked pouring ingredients into the bowl, she wouldn't mix it together with her hands. The silly gi...

... until Colin is home!  YAY!   Further to Colin's post, my mom does help out when she can so I'm not totally on my own but the bulk of the responsibility naturally falls on my shoulders while he is away....  Time cannot go fast enough and we can be together again. Without further adieu, a photo of the lady, with crazy hair, for her daddy! What a smile, eh?!

In Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians he instructs the people to; "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." Ch 2 v 11,12  Sometimes in life our work can take us away from home but that should not prevent you from being able to live such a life. However being away from home does make it more difficult to manage one's own family well and give teaching and training to one's children as mentioned in 1 Timothy Ch 3 v 4. Since I have been away, the task of looking after the home and child has fallen solely on the shoulders of my dear wife Heather. It has been very difficult for her because looking after Isla is becoming a non stop job.  Isla will be two next month and this period of her life has all the markings of the "terrible twos". She is getting into everything...

This morning, just before 8 a.m., I looked at the thermometre outside and it was -17 but it's windy too so it feels like -57 (not quite, but close)! We've spent alot of time indoors which doesn't agree with Isla.  She's ancy, dancy and gets bored easily but she's taken too a new past-time.... Not sure if this is a good thing but she enjoys herself...

Yes, I'm pretty sure Colin and I are snow repellants. N. Ireland doesn't get alot of snow but they get some.  The three and a half years I was there, it didn't snow at all. Ok, maybe just a sprinkling but that's it...  Almost nothing. That brings me to Colorado.  It's snows there alot, right? WRONG.  Seriously, no snow last year.  We hardly even wore a winter coat or any coat at all for that matter.  It snowed two Sundays in April and gone by the end of the day.  That was it. Ontario.  Canada.  According to most Americans, it snows here 10 months a year.  WRONG.  We've had  a couple of snowy mornings that leave a cm. or two but that's it.  I should say that it has snowed all around us.  Did I mention it's January and raining?  In fact Lake Waterdown is pooling in the backyard.  Now if it would freeze tonight, I wouldn't walk outside tomorrow. So there you go.  We are snow repellant....