When I look back to 10 years ago, I am amazed at how I have been changed. I have always been goal-oriented and have had clear ideas from very young of exactly how my life was going to be. I was in love and about to marry my highschool sweetheart. I was going to university to get my accountng designation (so I could be somebody important). I was going to have a challenging and very lucrative career (and was well on my way already). I was going to have 2 children because having children was what grownups did but they were going to go to daycare at a very young age so I could chase my career.
Since this idealistic and control-freek vision of my life, I have been changed. I say 'been changed' because it was something that was done to me, not something I did. God found me and has turned me around 180 degrees. I am still married to my highschool sweetheart and when I see him somewhere when I wasn't expecting to, my heart still skips a beat (that hasn't changed)! But, I have gladly given up my accounting career to be a stay-at-home mom of 2 children, 1 on the way and hopefully more to come! I do not plan on going back to work anytime soon as I am homeschooling the children. I used to think that 'submission' to your husband was a four-letter word - what about women's lib??? - and now I find myself welcoming it. I always wanted girls for children so they'd be like me - yikes - but now I long for 4 boys. I used to chase after material things...trips, clothes, jewellery, toys, vehicles, etc. Now I long for a more simple life with my family. I still want to be somebody important, but to very different people than I wanted to be important to before.
How is it that someone can feel so, so differently in such a short period of time? I am thankful for the life I have, the husband that makes me so happy and the children that are helping me change my view of the world. I pray everyday that I will be the wife, mom & friend that He intends for me to be.
I will leave you with a poem that I hope my boys will understand & feel someday...
When You Thought I Wasn't Looking
When you thought I wasn't looking
You hung my first painting on the refrigerator
And I wanted to paint another.
When you thought I wasn't looking
You fed a stray cat
And I thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking
You baked a birthday cake just for me
And I knew that little things were special things.
When you thought I wasn't looking
You said a prayer
And I believed there was a God that I could always talk to.
When you thought I wasn't looking
You kissed me good-night
And I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I saw tears come from your eyes
And I learned that sometimes things hurt --
But that it's alright to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking
You smiled
And it made me want to look that pretty too.
When you thought I wasn't looking
You cared
And I wanted to be everything I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking --
I looked ...
And wanted to say thanks
For all those things you did
When you thought I wasn't looking.
Author Unknown
When I Look Back
House Update
This one is especially for you, Mortgage Burner. You have been asking for a house update, but we're at the stage where the work that is being done is not cosmetic and harder to see the progress. The upstairs now has gyproc and the drywaller started on Tuesday. The main floor is insulated and some of the gyproc is up. We have chosen the wood flooring and the ceramic tile. I am having a more difficult time choosing paint colours, though. I took a little longer than I should have deciding exactly how I wanted my cabinets, and they may hold us up alittle. There is a wait-time on the order. Also, we brought our jaccuzzi tub for our bedroom home and it had a large crack in it. They have ordered a new one (on rush), but the first one was 5-6 weeks to get in. I get an update on my placenta previa issue on Tuesday, but if nothing has changed they will be taking the baby a bit early. That means we will be cutting it really close to get into the house before baby comes.
Pictures of Home
In response to a request, here are some random photos of where we live. Such a beautiful landscape - we can thank God for it every day. These photos are all within about 3 miles from our house. Enjoy!
Tobagganing
Oops...Got Distracted by my Hot Hubby
Up On One of the Mountains
The Backyard at our Last House
The Road by our House
Golf or Snowmobile on the Same Day
At the River in Springtime
Go Fly A Kite!
I was hanging laundry on the line & Dylan saw the sheets whipping in the wind. He went racing to the shed & came running out with the kite, calling, "Let's go fly it!" Kobe wasn't sure what to think - he got tangled in it a couple of times as Dylan ran around him. Then he just sat down to watch.
Gretzky?
This is getting dressed for Dylan's very first day of hockey. He said that he wanted to put on his 'tough hockey guy face'. I guess this is it! When we were shopping for his gear, I saw a hat that said Proud Hockey Mom. Dwayne thought I should buy it and I admit, it was cute. I fought the temptation and it is still at the store. It was red, but if it was pink, they woulda had me!
Two By Two
Dylan & I sat down to do a math lesson. It mainly focused on counting by twos. There were two vertical lines of dots down the page. This is how our conversation went:
Me: Okay, lets put our two fingers on these first two dots. When you lift up this finger, whisper 1 and when you lift up this other finger, say 2.
Dylan: (Whisper) 1, (Normal) 2
Me: Great! Let's go to the next set. Whisper 3, say 4.
Dylan: Mom, why don't we just say 2,4,6,8,10...18,20?
Math lesson over. Let's go play.
