Sorry Angie :(

The background color against my sunset was driving me NUTS, I probably tried 10 or more colors and I'm trying white for a while not that anyone really cares but me but that sunset is so gorgeous and somehow agaist that limmy green it didn't work. Maybe someday I'll figure out this whole blogger HTML :( that's what you get for a free service and then I can add features or maybe I should get typepad just so I can be cooler than Angie. Enough complaining I'm starting to sound discontent. We had one more crazy week-end. Hockey Banquet, outing with friends, first ever Dim Sum after shopping at a chineese market and getting a lesson in what some of our friends favorite foods where. Roller Skating at Skooter's Roller Palace :) what a name ( An other free hockey activity!) My baby roller bladed for the first time and made his mommy so pround. Tomorrow is a new week and I'm hoping to get started a little more rested so I'm off to bed

This and That...

We are back for good! our Month of March is over and busyness has started again, We had an amazing time. spent a week in San Diego for Some meetings that Bartey had followed by 4 days to ourselves. It was chillier than we thought but I can't complain. I think some of my favorite moments are when I get a chance to walk by myself in a town I don't know, new coffee shops, beautiful flowers and bushes everywhere it's good to think, refocus, breath. I am sooooo thankful for my wonderful sister who put up with my munchkins for over a week and blessed us once again with her generosity. We spent a day Tijuana just to say we went. Not quit the same side of Mexico we saw 4 years ago but I love watching people and being reminded of how blessed we are here in Canada. It was overwhelming to see how much we have... so so much. We feasted on coke, coca cola light, peanuts and guavas. Not brave enough to take a chance of being sick. My hubby's
Spanish class ( beginner :) came in handy as we drove around in the local buses and tried to get around but more importantly RETURN to the states. Now we're trying to get back to our routines and looking forward to the nice weather. I'm all excited about spring cleaning and doing some small project around the house, without spending money :) We have been in our home for a year an a half and I still haven't done anything to the kids rooms, actually anywhere upstairs ( my son still has a table cloth, hanging from his window) he said tonight as we talked about doing some stuff to his room. " I look like a cheapo !!!" and it kind of does look weird so I will challenge myself to "try" even if I might fail to accomplish what "I want", to my son anything but a green table cloth will be more than appreciated.


Random thoughts: I want to try cooking an artichokes this month and I was just surfing on a great web page and found this so I will conquer my fears of the unknown and try it not a big challenge but I have never tried them fresh so I'm really excited about that :) And I want to learn how to make authentic salsa, yum, yum. So that's it for today.

We're back

Hello everyone, I have been a very boring blogger once again but life has been good. We took off to Florida with the munchkins for about 10 days and had a really good time. The weather was gorgeous the whole time. I love road trips and hope the kids will cherish these times we spend together. Bartley always makes a new road trip CD usually with hits from the 80 the kids think it's soooooo cool. We sing a lot and they watch movies on his laptop, eat lots of junk, play road trip bingo to make the 24 hours or so go by faster. Small price to pay for the difference in price with flying. We went to the beach everyday, and brought enough shells back to start our own little store. We got to go pick oranges which for me was one of my highlights and drink the . We also rented a boat for the better part of a day to go see or more "find" the manatees. We were out on the boat for hours and finally on our way back got to see probably 6 or so of them. I can't believe how fast March is going by. Our Ladies Retreat at church is this week-end so I'm taking off in a couple of hours and will be getting back tomorrow night. And early Tuesday morning Bartley and I take off for San Diego for 8 days for his board meetings+ couple days of fun. Actually ALL fun for me :) I feel very blessed to have my wonderful sister who is willing to come here and keep my 4+ hers to allow her big sister to soak in the sun xox Pay back will come :) So in a couple of weeks I will hopefully be more interesting on my posts but for now I'm just kind of enjoying March and spring to the max and all the blessings.

Take the time...

3 girls

We had a good week-end. Got to spend some time with my brother and mimi on Friday night just hanging out, we bought some really nice sushi, and I was brave enough to try everything, raw fish and fish eggs. I have to say it was yummy, rather surprising but it's so much fun to challenge your taste buds. Since living in Ontario and being surrounded with so many different cultures I've eaten so many different things and it's wonderful to keep trying. We had a Saturday morning of chores and in the afternoon we split, daddy with the boys at hockey and me with the girls doing odds and ends for our trip. We had a lot of fun, stopping in to Terra Greenhouse to check out All the orchids they had. Have I ever said how I love that place :)
So much fun on a cold day to walk in that warm greenhouse and see geranium starting and tons of flowers. I've would love to buy an orchid but they are so expensive and I really don't know how to take care of them so it would be a personal challenge, but a fun one. We also did a lot of other stops and I listen to my girls and see how different we are in many small ways especially Maggy and I. She loves to dress in bright colors and would be flashy if she could :) I have to push myself to wear something else then black. She loves loud music, I love mellow. She hates talking on the phone, well ... She hates cheese, I couldn't live without out. So many more little detailed stuff but when it comes down to important things I love to hear her talk about what she values and to see that what we have been teaching her is becoming a heart thing, even with all of the pressures from kids her ages she is such a good girl and I'm so pround of her. On our stop we went to shop for shoes and I thought o.k girls lets go in and out and see if we can find anything WELL think again. Maggy had her pants rolled up and wearing bright red leather patten heels she comes walking down the isle saying " Mommy these are the shoes of my dreams" "I just love these shoes she kept saying" I just smiled and said they won't be great for the beach :) and Emma also found her dream PINK shoes but those were age appropriate. We probably spent 50 minutes as the girls just tried shoes after shoes, I thought next time I better be ready for this. They are growing to be there own little ladies It was fun to see that they knew exactly what they liked, and when it's just a matter of my taste over theirs well I can't force then to only wear earth tones because I love it :) but Maggy will have to keep dreaming about those red shoes. We are going on a girls night out tonight trying to find her "other" dream shoes.

The view from my front door...

Happy 1st of March what a change from yesterday, snow, rain, wind kind of crazy weather. I'm going to bed feeling so warm from sitting by the fire place for 2 hours I was reading a great book but at the same time trying to stay awake to make it to the next chapter and then to the next, drinking hot tea and listening to the wind rattling all the windows ( and we have big windows) and the rain making so much commotion outside. We were going to have my brother and beautiful sister in law over, but decided to take it easy and it was wonderful. Sometimes it's good to get a little bored and slow down. I love the wind, and the rain and if I could I would go sit on the porch with a big blanket and indulge myself like on a summer night. But it's only March and it will still be a while before I can do that. It still sounds amazing from inside my warm house. Good night :)

I love mornings

I love mornings when the sun is so strong you can almost taste summer, I love mornings started with a good cup of coffe ( that's how long I lasted Angie :) ) I love mornings when I have time to spend with God. I love mornings when my Maggy is home for the day. I love mornings when there is no babysitting. I love mornings when I can't wait to get my hands dirty and clean like a crazy girl. I love mornings when the fridge is full and I don't have to worry about suppers. I love mornings when there are only 7 more to be spent here before we go away. I love mornings when I'm tired because I've spent 3 nights in a row up until past 12:30 with my hubby watching movies ( that's pretty rare) I love mornings full of potential when I don't have to go anywhere else if I don't want to. I love mornings when it's actually quiet enough to here the walls crack in my hubby's office. What makes a good morning for You.

Exciting news

What do I get from round #3 of the stomach flue? Well lots of hugs and cuddles at times when I'm usually sleeping, I get to answer fun questions like is God in control of my vomit? because I would like to pray right now! and will it hurt more then this when I have a baby? followed by "can they put me to sleep?" with finally my 7 year old letting me know she wants an epidural for ALL her kids. I also get days off cooking because nobody is hungry, I get to bake my 60 cookies for church at 1:00 am I wasn't sleeping anyways and had been out until 11:30 PM with the girls ( a bit irresponsible but fun for a Saturday night :) We get to lay on the couch with lots of pillows and blankets for the whole afternoon watching "Babe the pig" and "Beethoven". We get to be thankful of our usual very healthy family. We get to try all the blankets and sheets in the house to see if they still work :) as we wash the dirty ones. I'm trying to be positive.
Well I bet you were all dying to know what's new at the Sawatsky's it's been a week without blogging shame on me :) Let's just say that my life for now revolves around my children the flue and babysitting. Nothing glamorous but LIFE. I was hoping to have exciting news to share this week but no. I will be babysitting 3 days a week for an other Month minus the time we'll be away. So when I have Joe and baby#2 all day things are all about cleaning there mess and getting ready for the 3:30 invasion of 5 more kids so I have to be ready to go. And Joe and Emma had the the stomach flue over the week-end. Only 2 more to go. So this week I'm hoping to get ready for our family getaway to Florida to visit Grammy and Grampy Sawatsy and have lots of fun on our 50 hour drive :) Enjoy every minute of the sun and the beautiful ocean. I'm hoping to get back on track with other house things and help the munchkins recover I also have to start packing and figure out if we have everything we need fo our trip. So is life at our house lately. There has been lots of good moments like a date downtown with hubby and a nice dinner at a place called Mr. Green, then a trip to Value Village with my friend Angie that included 2 Tim's coffee :) and last night we went out the 3 girls Myriam, Angie and me to have a girls night out. It was good to get together again, we haven't seen Myriam a lot since she's been working. Life is Good and God faithful.

Emma Bear turns 7

An other B-day for my baby girl, a very tired mommy.

I'm all about planning

Well today is just an extension of a very long night. Yesterday I thought It's my day off so before I start my crazy week, let me take a nice cup of coffee with Angie ( it was more like 3 :) I came back at a good time to cook supper and be organize so here comes the whining ... as I'm putting something in the fridge I knock over a full glass of orange juice (Maggy's) and it spills everywhere did I say EVERYWHERE so I slam the door, thinking I'll wait until it dries knowing how much harder it will be to clean up, so I re-open the door and tackle the 45 min job ahead so buy now hardly any time left so get my chicken, rice veggies for supper as I try not to loose it to a toddler that only seems to know one word MOMMY! MOMMY!MOMMY! sorry he also says CAR and Lighting McQueen . All I want is silence to think but that would be too much to ask, so by then after 2 loads, doing dishwasher blah blah the neighbors boys are at the door and are locked out, sure come in :) then the 3 +1 extra kids ( Maggy's friend ) come in my small tinny entry way. They are excited, hungry so much to say, have to get started on a project and I'm thinking breath in and out ( as I try to not hipper ventilate) so buy now I have 7 kids in the house MY house and the next door neighbor is at the door ( Emma's friend ) Well all I remember is sending her away without any recollections of what I had said. Our evening was full of school project, reading, going to the dollar store to get started on the birthday planning LOTS of phone calls, planning for the snow day. It's 11:00 and I'm a happy girl, I'm going to bed... but my baby gets up for half an hour until he starts trowing up (8-9) times until somewhere around 3:30 non-stop. I'm so tired right now and it's almost depressing to read my own post. Sometimes I wonder why I can't think of what my day was like or what I do and I'm learning more and more to go with the flow or the coucou hospital as I call it will be picking me up.

I've always wanted a big family, the kids friends invading our house, making hot chocolate and cookies for everyone, and now that I have it, I sometimes don't know how much more I can take. Today is Valentine's day and for us it's also Jake's B-day. I haven't had a chance to say anything to hubby yet beside go sleep in Emma's bed, I need to sleep for an hour,my head hurts and drive safe, we kind of lose our self in this cahos called life, children, ministry and it gets so busy but just the fact that I wake up and look at him and crave spending more and more time with him, talking,laughing, sharing our heart and dreams and what God is doing in our lives makes my day. I don't want Roses (maybe a jade) or chocolate don't get me wrong I love treats but the overwhelming feeling of gratitude, respect and love that I have towards him after almost 14 years is better then anything material. God blessed me and now I can spend the rest of my life with my best friend and I love him more today then ever. I can't wait to get away to San Diego with him. so much for not having time to blog!!!

The Great White North...

After trying for a couple of months, I finally managed to go see my sister in Gatineau. Angie and I left at 5:30 a.m on wednesday morning with the 3 little ones leaving daddy Rob and Bartley with the rest :) to go spent couple extra days with Marie. The guys met up with us on Thursday night. We got to spend Friday at the Ottawa winterlude in real cold Ottawa weather, even went skating on the canal. Maggy's goal was to skate the whole canal :) she soon realized that she might have to wait a couple more years to fulfill her goal. It was so good to get away with my good friend and be with my sister. There's nothing like being real with people you love. The kids also had a great time and we are all getting really excited for March Break. Thank you Marie and Alex for having 6 adults 8 children in your 2 bedroom house we had LOTS of fun. This week is busy with 3 days of babysitting, 2 Birthdays Jakob and Emma and 5 hockey games in 9 days! ( that's totally not typical but I guess we made it to round 2 ,so happy :) can you sense a bit of sarcasm. So I have been a very boring blogger but unfortunately not much time to spare. So I'm sharing some pictures for mommy to see xoxo The kids should all look happy as they are sucking on half a pound of maple syrup but "I think" they were cold.

Letting go...

Well Joe had his last bottle last night... At 2 years old, one month, and a couple of days just like that Beep-Beep was over that is Josef's bottle ( the sound the microwaves makes after 1:11 Seconds ) So yes maybe mommy spoiled him a little wouldn't you rather warm milk. So this is it! my baby won't lay down, tucked in my arms drinking his milk anymore, just like that it's all over. So am I crying? OF COURSE, I think if I could give him a bottle until he left for college I would but he might not like that! I knew I had to do it someday but I couldn't. You should all know Maggy was off the bottle by 11 months, I did everything by the book, but Joe, come on he's my baby . So even if all I want to do is run upstairs and say here you go mommy has some warm milk for you I know he has to grow up and he'll still love me...Je t'aime bébé

Beautiful Winter...

The kids have been loving the woods across our house, they get home from school put their skates on and travel through the trees to their "fort" they have cleared huge surfaces of the frozen water that has accumulated in the fall after it rains and under the snow they found "ICE" and I have to say it's pretty neat for living in the suburbs to find outdoor ice. Since we've moved here I have often worried what kind of upbringing the kids would have without nature all around them, but the constant little blessings of finding a precious ice patch for them to spend hours on or having parents in-law now live in Florida for the winter( and they have a dog, that Jakob can't wait to see) makes March Break really special. We have so much to be thankful for and it's good to remember those things. I'm loving the snow, missing beautiful Québec but loving where God has put me for the moment.

Burnt Soup...

The icing on the cake to my long week. Here are some pictures of my week-end soup :( I have to say that I haven't been really thankful lately, even though I know I should be, it feels like there is a big fire of frustration raging inside, that I'm continually trying to put out. Not that the frustration of burning my whole supper isn't justify but where do I go from there. What do I feel like doing? You don't want to know. I started reading a great little book with a friend called cultivating contentment and it has been making me think a lot all week. I thought I wasn't too hard to please, and I tend not to set my expectations to high fearing that I will be disappointed, but I guess they are still too high! I see it in my kids ALL the time, that constent, I waaaaaaant this, I wish I had thaaat but I don't think of myself as having any huge discontentment issue, big reality check! So this week I'm hoping to hopefully move closer to a life that reflects the joy that I should have for simply being alive, and knowing that God should be the one filling that void of wants in my life even thought my list might seem insignificant, it is enough to plant a seed of unhappiness inside of me. In her book she has an awesome quote: Longings. Coming face to face with the fact that there are empty places in our lives that haven't been filled. Yearnings. Wanting more than we have: more love, more enjoyment, more passion, more hope, more rest. Cravings. The hope of finding something that will satisfy the rumbling we feel in the stomach of our soul. Nicole Johnson




So I'm not sure where that came from but it felt good :) So since I love writing silly list here is my thankfulness list:

1. I'm thankful that the kids didn't notice too much the lovely taste of my soup.
2. I'm very thankful for the snow that provides "hours" 7 to be precise, of fun for the kids
3. I'm thankful for my brother and sister in law living minutes away and thinking of us on the week-ends
   
4. I'm thankful for a very patient husband who has a very intense wife
5. I'm thankful for God's forgiveness of my selfish and sinful state of heart
6. there is so much more but I won't make this too too boring... even though I could go on.
   

Sleeping Beauty!

This is how I found Emma couple mornings ago when I went to wake her up notice the layering of clothing, from the inside out dora top, to layer #2 the flower print nightie, #3 penguin pg pants and to top it all #4 the long knee hight socks, what can I say, she's my girl!



Doesn't that look comfortable!

Me, My Chai and I !!!

It's almost Monday again, the week-end goes by too fast. The more the years go by, the faster life seems to pass. I still remember our first couple years of marriage religiously taking our Sunday naps. Now it's running from one thing to an other from the moment we wake up until everyone comes back from Awana. I have been ditched by hubby for football :( He had a really long day of non-stop work so he really does deserve a break. So here I am with earphones, diet coke, and lots of my favorite music blogging away to whoever cares about the small details of my life. Peace is wonderful. Last night I also got ditched by what I thought was a great friend, now I would rather call her an acquaintance. So off to Value Village I went on my own ( no Angie ) then I HAD to go to Chapters to drink a wonderful chai latte and browse for a whole hour at all the wonderful books, I love the smell of that store, paper and coffee, AND good music what a mix. It had been a rather long 2 weeks of watching kids, trying to keep some kind of order in the house and then round 2 of the flue came with Jakob having the stomach flue and Joe got a cold. Jakob has started his hockey tournaments so we're almost done with that. I am so pleased that we decided to finish the year even though it has been a big stretch for our family. I feel he learned a big lesson in finishing what you start. As a parent it's so hard to always have to make those critical decision in your child's life, that really shape the way they will learn to deal with hard circumstances that come up. Today Emma asked if she HAD to finish her puzzle if she started it?. It made me smile to know she was thinking hard about it.



We had a soccer coach call for Maggy to try out for the Rep soccer team, she was thrilled to know they thought she would be good enough she's so brave. I was all worried that she was insecure, meeting a bunch of vicious pre-teen girls, but nop she said: I don't care, she such a good girl ( xoxo) she sneaks to read my blog :) so I have to be careful what I say... Managing all of our lives and still having a life is extremely hard... We will learn to cherish our small family getaways.

So I think hubby has time for me now :) I'm thankful for our family, even if sometimes looking back on a week-end I really have to dig hard to find the " good moments". Tomorrow Bartley and I are off on a date so I'm looking forward to a fun time away from the house, the munchkins to snuggle up to my man for a night.

Almost winter...

We've had just a little bit of snow and ice, the kids are LOVING playing outside, I'm really enjoying finally seeing white :) Let's hope we get more. I don't know what they would do with an actual storm? because this is just a tease. Long week here at the Sawatsky household. Lots of babysitting and routine stuff, I'm looking forward to getting out a bit more. Angie and I are dreaming Value Village so watch out we're coming soon...Dangerous stuff :) You all have a great day...

Indulging

A minute for me... Today I had a grapefruit for dessert, and I just got thinking of how it always brings back such great memories for me, wait until I explain. Growing up we often visited my grandmother for a sleepover and when we would wake up in the morning she always had the table set up with breakfast. I just remember so often she would have a half of a grapefruit, facedown in a bowl and I felt like she had prepared such a nice treat. It's not one of those fruits you just bit in while your working around the house like and apple, banana, even a hand full of grapes. It take lots of planning . Bartley and I sometimes have contest on who eats it the neater ( he wins). I always seem to splash the juices everywhere, but it's soooo worth the getting messy. And just when you think it's all done you get to squeeze the last couple tablespoon out to your spoons. As a kid I use to load it up with sugar. It still taste amazing that way, but now I feel to guilty to ruin it with big spoonful of sugar I try just to enjoy it (almost) plain :) Anyways my sister challenged us to take a moment for ourselves and leave the 4 loads of laundry, full dishwasher, supper preparation... To enjoy a moment in our day, and this was mine.

Big Goals For 2007

Well I've never been one to make a huge list of goals when the new year comes around, probably because 2 of those past years I've been busy giving birth and 2 of those years a month from giving birth. Bartley and I have always decided to let God show us what he had in store for our future, not that we don't make any plan. Bartley has his new year planner bought before the new year even starts and we do make long term plans ( like going away together :) yummy )but we've learn our plans can change pretty quick and then your either left feeling disappointed, like you have failed or undisciplined. As a mom I can feel that way a lot. Of course I want to be in shape and eat healthy, patient with my kids... blah blah but on my own it will probably last a big 4 weeks and then the February blues will come, the stomach flues and I'll feel in a big boring routine about to go crazy. I just hope this year we will keep making God happy with the way we live and raise our kids, and serve him out of love, not because it's our job. Bartley said to me last night that I needed more refocusing time to be quiet and have some thinking space, ( I had mildley freaked out at Jake at dinner). And I said but... He spilled butter all over my floor! and then husband said, " but Sarah, didn't you want kids? and I said but Joe pied all over the bathroom floor... And he said but Sarah" didn't you want kids? We have great conversations. So yes this was my life Goal to serve God with my husband and have a beautiful family like I have, but it's much harder then I thought on some levels. I never thought I would be that mom that gets upset because my house has been destroyed. You should have seen my room growing up. And sometimes I forget that they have to walk on my floor and make sweaty foot prints and eat supper and spill there water, buttery biscuit, fork ... On the floor and that they will pee twice on the floor because they are just learning, or that they will come in and out all day to go to the bathroom, drink, blow there noses, put mittens on, ask me to be the ref on there huge life crisis. They are just kids and it's so easy to be heavy on them and to forget how God has lent me those 4 beautiful lives with the hope and lots of praying that they will become adults that will seek to do his will and love him and have a real relationship with him . So many times this week my heart has felt full with love as I looked at them, with their friends, or Emma getting her first build a bear and her face as she saw the bear's birth certificate come out, Jakob being a pirate, or going with his friends on a huge hike, playing in the back of the big ugly green van ( it has no seats), watching Josef discover animals on a little day trip to a park in Toronto. I just think how much I love them, and even thought I might not have time to go to the gym every morning at a reasonable hour ( not 5:40) or I might have to babysit for a couple more years to make ends meet, or that I might not find out what it is that " I " like to do besides getting a thrill at the look of my clean floors, I love being a mom and wife to a wonderful men. So my goals for 2007 is to let God at work in me and I'm sure it will be good if I listen.

Christmas is over :(

Well it's January first and all of the Christmas stress is over. All the action, cooking, cleaning, organizing of activities, buying presents, returning presents, preparing for family, lack of sleep, colds, fevers, vomiting, wrapping, baking, drinking LOTS of coffee, sitting around not doing much...Soon things will all be back to normal. My family was here to visit over the holidays and we had a really good time, I did miss going home though, and no snow :( The kids still have a week of from school so we'll have lots of fun hanging out for one more week.