LOST

Yesterday's prompt for LOAD in Vogue was to do a layout about LOST.  Something you've lost. Someone you've lost.  You get the idea.  I am never able to do the prompt immediately - I can't find the photos, I can't think of something to journal about, the time limit is too much pressure.  You get the idea.  Today after I looked through the gallery a few things came to mind that I might work on later. 

LOST - the TV show that Drew and I were hooked on forever.  And I still don't totally get it.  But it was definitely fun to watch.  It's been over for a few years now but we still talk about it once in a while.

LOST items - This is what has really come to mind.  I lose things sometimes.  We all do right?  Keys, my iPod case.  The kids lost the blue iPod for several months. We've lost countless items from the library.  There was a time that I really got freaked out about this.  I like to think of myself as pretty organized but life certainly gets in the way sometimes.  Too many piles.  Too many projects.  It has really helped me to learn about the power of prayer.  So many things have been found. Some right away.  Others may take time.  Still others may never be found.  But I've learned not to sweat it.  If it is meant to be found it will be.  And it's one of those things that when it happens, I know just who to thank.  I have yet to stand up in church and shout it out as a praise item, but I have been tempted.  Really tempted.  I mean God works in the little things too doesn't he?  What once was lost has now been found.  Hallelujah! 

No Matter What ... there is joy - LOAD Day 23

No Matter What LOAD Day 23
Originally uploaded by Alijoyc

Today's prompt was to find inspiration from an ad. Any ad. I chose instead to finish the idea I had from yesterday's prompt - to use punches in a new way. This is a fairly straight scraplift of Jennifer Larson www.flickr.com/photos/30383941@N08/4617370026/in/faves-34.... I attempted to do this for the punches prompt but it was taking longer then I intended. I also intended to use her poem but changed it to use scripture verses that discuss 'joy' (my one little word) for the year. To me the upstretched arms brought to mind joy. Thank you Jennifer for your inspiration.

What has been lost has been found!

Have you ever misplaced something and had it really bug you? Yes it happens to me all the time. But depending on the item, I actually pray about it and believe me, I have faith that many of these items will "come back to me". Case in point, last year I misplaced my church keys - huge inconvenience - but I found them! Silly place - they were in Mitchell's backpack which I was sure I had checked, but yes, after probably 4 months, they were found.

The last item I had misplaced was Mitchell's blue Flip diaper cover. It has been driving me nuts! I know we had it in September after his 4 months pictures but then.... Then this past week we seemed to all of a sudden only have 4 or 5 diaper covers. We normally have about 15? I asked Drew... no idea. Last night I was in the bathroom and mentioned it to the kids and Cierra atually showed me that they were in the bathroom drawer with all the bathing suits. Uhh huhh??? And no, I didn't put them there. I have NO idea why she would choose to put them there. But hey, I'm glad they were found.

Then I woke up this morning thinking, if she put them there this time then maybe.... and YES the blue cover was there along with another one! YEYYYY!!!!

So from this strange little story one can know that I get great JOY from simple answers of prayer. And yes, God does answer prayer - in His own sweet time. Either way Thanks!!!

Listening to Smitty and worshipping...

and getting a pep talk from mom can do wonders for your soul.

To remind me that we are not alone in this world
To remind me that I am a good mom
To remind me that books are only guides and one person's opinion
To remind me that all kids have fussy periods regardless
To remind me to trust my intuition more
To remind me that we are loved
To remind me that we will survive this!

Okay more of that came from my mom then from Smitty but still he had a hand in taking me to the one who is the lone provider, the alpha, the omega, the one is and was and will be forever there for me. So to you both (well you three) thanks! I am definitely feeling better!

I am learning what it means to have no wants or needs...

Wow. Did I really say that? Let me explain myself. I think I am learning what it means to be content. This is the first year that when asked what I might want for my birthday, I really don't have anything to say. I don't really have a wish list. And that is big. For me anyway.

Don't get me wrong, there are certainly a few things I would use, and wouldn't turn away. I like digital scrapbooking and am building my supplies up almost as much as my paper supply =). I would love to update my laptop but the one I have right now is still doing me well. I would also love to get a zoom lens for my camera but I need to do research before I know what to get and I still don't even know how to take my camera off the automatic mode.

We could use a new microwave considering ours just broke. Neither our dishwasher or water softener are working. As for me personally? I get my books from the library. I have all the clothes I need. We have food on the table every day. Our cars work. Thankfully we are financially stable and will be able to replace the household items we do seem to need. What more do I need or want?

I did [jokingly] ask if I could get more time. Even there I know where to find it and that would involve "unplugging". Oh wait - that is what I want the time for - to catch up on my 365, to upload and tag my photos, to do Mitchell's POTD, to learn PSE. LOL! ~ such a common theme.

The point is that maybe I really am learning to simplify. Maybe I am learning to cut down. Maybe I am learning to be get by with less. Maybe I am just learning to be content. That is a lesson I am so glad to be learning.

The kids asked if we were "rich" today and we had a good discussion about how in earthly terms there are certainly many who have even more then us but in truth we really are rich by the world's standards. [Coincidentally] T Suzanne Eller from Proverbs 31 Ministries spoke on treasure today, again reminding me of how truly blessed we are. I think I am beginning to get it. I am truly thankful for this reminder.

From Suzanne's words, Dear Jesus, ...I pray I will see the vast riches around me, things others might not see as wealth, but in the end they are the most priceless. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal." Matthew 6:19 (NLT)

I'm learning to trust that God knows how to work things out

I'm enjoying having passed on the torch... more then I thought I would.

Today we had our fall kick off at church. It was a very different experience for me. I was not involved in any of the planning, the implementation or the evaluation. What a feeling.

I had to spend most of the church service in the hall as Mitchell had fallen asleep and I didn't want to take him upstairs or into the service for fear of waking him. So I listened in the hall instead. When I went to pick up the kids from Sunday School I noticed all the work my replacement has been doing in the storage hallway and I was just struck dumbfounded. It was beautiful. The hallway is organized and labelled. The nursery has been painted and is being purged. The Sunday School is running smoothly. It makes me so happy! It has made the transition a lot easier then I anticipated as a lot of her thoughts and future goals are very similar to mine! Today was the icing on the cake. I gave her a big hug and just thanked her. It was so nice to be a part of something but not - to step back and let someone else take control and I really enjoyed just being with my family.

I know that as a position there are still lots to be sorted out and I don't know the future in this area but God does have a way of working things out.... and I am learning to trust that.

December 1st!

Let the adventure begin!

We started the day with our first official snow fall. The kids were so excited! I did drive them to school as we were going out immediately afterwards to the playgroup. The snow was gone by lunch time unfortunately as it got up to about 7 degrees. It seemed fitting though that we FINALLY got some snow and not just a thick frost on the ground. So unlike this time of year here. It was really cute though - C asked if we could play at the playground after school so we could play in the snow. I had to explain that the snow was all gone - just like it was in our backyard. "But it was just here!" He was quite sad.

Today is the beginning of a big adventure. I can already feel the stress in some ways so my vow this year is to let go and just do what I can. What am I referring to? Oh, only advent, JYC, Holidays in Hand and Daily December. I want to do so much but I know I can really ONLY do so much. I mean get real. I already missed the first 2 days of advent because I couldn't find our calendar. For someone who claims to be organized - get real. But we did find it last night and I had the kids decorations in it ready for this morning. I think I mentioned in a previous post (if not I'll return with the details), but I am going with the Jesse Tree theme for advent this year. So the kids got a decoration in the pocket to colour (note to self - print on cardstock next year!), and this morning got a clue to find the chocolate daily countdown calendar. We read the scripture and discussion this evening at dinner time as well as lighting the candle. They were quite receptive. As much as part of me would like to to have additional treats each day, I think I will really keep it simple and just do the decoration and then they can have their chocolate. We are also aiming to do a family activity each day. It's not like they need any more candy in their lives.

It's just amazing to me how long everything seems to take these days. Drew is always on me about my sense of time (or lack thereof) and I am beginning to see what he means. The kids want to do so much each day but it just doesn't work. and things you think will only take a few minutes stretch into 15 or 20. Like our Welcome to December photo for today. Matt wanted to take the photos so that added time in itself. They were fun but then he wanted to play a game and he still had to have a shower. In comes mean-y mom. Needing to enjoy what we have already done and not make it more stressful by adding in more activity. It is so easy to fall back into wanting more but this HAS to be it.


I have to remember that our family values around the holidays really center around the true meaning of the season and being together as as family. It isn't about how much we can do and get done. It isn't about how many presents to get each other. It is to remember the most amazing gift I have received ever. The gift of confidence of knowing I am never alone. The assurance of being able to get through anything life throws us. The promise of a life everlasting - of knowing our kids will always be with us as they share our faith. The awareness of being able to share my innermost thoughts and not be judged - although I will be forgiven. The acceptance of not being able to do the right things on my own strength. The joy of being unconditionally loved by my creator. These gifts are what life is all about - and it is all brought closer to mind at Christmas.

So how does this all fit into the natural busy-ness of the season? My goals shall remain:

I PROMISE to take a few minutes each day and BLOG about our holiday together. I HOPE that we can do something festive each day together - even if it is just reading our advent story. I PROMISE to continue taking a photo or more each day. I will strive to CREATE something meaningful to me for the holiday season, daily if possible. I will continue to REFLECT on holidays of the past, ENJOY the holidays of the present and DREAM of holidays of the future. I will CHERISH the time and traditions that are being spent with our family by taking back Christmas and making the most of what we do, finding a balance between the reason of the season and the daily busy-ness of life. I will also SHARE what makes this holiday special with those I interact with around the holidays

How will I do this?
It REALLY helps to have the laptop upstairs - so much easier to grab a minute here and there.
I have made half of my pages already for an album.
As mentioned, I will decrease my expectations for advent giving.
I will not stress if I don't do 25+ pages.
I will keep notepaper handy to jot down ideas.
I will do digital when time necessitates.
I will let go of my perfectionism to have it "just so" and try to ENJOY the process!

Onward and upward adventure!

While I'm Waiting

The news and email have been full of information and opinions about the H1N1 and the vaccine. I am totally up in arms about it - so much so that I've sort of worked myself into a bit of a tither. I've never gotten a flu shot (at least not for several years) and we really try to go as natural as possible around here. I rarely take medication and thankfully am rarely sick with more then a runny nose and maybe a sore throat once a year. We try to let the kids' illnesses run their course and keep the antibiotics until absolutely necessary. I guess I tend to be of the mindset that we need to let our bodies build up natural immunities and fight what we can.

I am also not sure that a lot of this isn't hype and hysteria. We regularly get emails telling us natural course of action to take and why the flu shot isn't necessary. Yes we need to question the sources and we need to really weigh the information. There again lies some difficulty with family being in the medical business although the plus side is we are able to get things checked out very quickly and conveniently. Tough sometimes though. Especially when it comes to serious issues like this.


So anyway, I've really been struggling with this especially given that I am now in the "vulnerable" group. Which gives me even more questions.

So I've been praying. A lot. About discernment. And why can't I just be told blatantly with a big billboard - "Alison - do this"! I know it doesn't work this way. I also have a tendency to over read overwork over think things. Like the following:

Today I was reading an email about the flu and the vaccine and again, just really pondering what I should be doing - for me and for the kids. As I got to the section on pregnancy, my heart started beating faster and I was just like "Ahhh - I'm so confused - what do I do?" Then I caught the words of the song on the radio. Read the lyrics:

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently,

I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait I
will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

And while I listened to the song, it brought tears to my eyes and get this - I actually felt the baby move for the first time. So, more tears.

So at this point I am waiting. For what? Til the 20 week point? To get more opinions? I don't know. That's my over analyzing part. So I'm trying to be patient, to be trusting, to follow good health practices and just wait.

By the way, I recognized the song but not who it was by. I actually emailed the radio station who relayed that it was "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller from the movie Fireproof (watch the song video).