All Because of a Little Gesture!

 

If you've visited here for any length of time, you've probably clued in that in the past few years I've struggled with depression.  A depression that has gotten worse as the weeks go by.  For someone who hardly ever got down for more than a day, this has been quite the adventure that I never wanted to experience!  It's an experience that I am learning to embrace.  It's an experience that is teaching me things that I didn't know I needed to learn.  Some of the things I've learned are things I knew in my head, and perhaps even in my heart to a point.  But all of it is taking on a new level of importance!

 

I awoke this morning in a grumpy mood!  I've been sick, and I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.  I knew my day would be yet another day in trying to catch up on all the appointments that need to be booked, return phone calls, try to get rid of all the dust bunnies that have accumulated after 3+ weeks of little to no housekeeping happening, and the never ending loads of laundry...including washing all the bedding! 

 

I finally managed to roll out of bed and stumble downstairs...to find my sweet, sweet man building a fire in the woodstove, a smile on his face cause he knew the warmth of the woodstove on a cold and cloudy day would warm my heart!

 

 

You see...that's what I'm learning at a deeper level.  The importance of the little gestures that tell those around us that we love them!  I don't know what a gesture like that would do for you, but my hubby's sweet gesture inspired me!  It put a spring in my step and the energy began to flow!  Suddenly my day didn't seem so gloomy!  The laundry pile didn't seem quite so big!  And most importantly...I noticed that the love shown to me was being passed on to my kids!  I really want them to know how much I value them, and it's coming through loud and clear today in my words and actions!

 

So dear friends...let's keep this good thing going!  Let's pour ourselves into those around us!  Let's step out of our comfort zone and say something nice to someone, smile at a stranger, or do something sweet for someone...you never know the impact it will have on the entire world!!

 

May God richly bless your day!!!

 

 

Life Around Here...

 

 

I had no intent of not blogging for so long.  But life has a way of throwing us it's fair share of unknowns.  We were expecting to have a relaxing Easter break, which didn't happen.  I had planned to do some painting.  The master bedroom and possibly the girl's room.  At the last moment I changed my mind and painted a few small items instead.  I'm so glad I did!

 

I had oral surgery on the 8th to remove 2 wisdom teeth which had been a major pain for the past 10 years.  The procedure itself went very smoothly and I was back on my feet the next day doing laundry and a few other household chores.  I had some pain and decided to take Oxycocet over and above the ibuprofen 600 that I was already on.  I began to feel dizzy and things went down hill from there.  Long story short...I became very sick, vomiting for most of the night, spent the next 4 days flat out in bed sleeping.  The following 6 days were a bit better...I was able to walk a bit and sleep a little less.  I am finally able to eat small portions, but I still have a headache most of the day.  I tire very easily and love, love to sleep!  My doctor thinks I probably reacted to my meds, which aggravated my ulcer (which I thought was healed!).  So hopefully, I will be 100% within the next week or so!

 

While I was sick, Malia had another appointment with the plastic surgeon.  The surgeon was impressed with how well the last graft had taken.  Martin came home quite optimistic that perhaps the last FAMM Flap surgery had been more successful than the surgeon had hoped and that perhaps the oral surgeon could proceed with the bone graft.  Malia had appointment with the oral surgeon yesterday and the news was not what we had hoped for!  :( 

 

As it turns out, the oral surgeon needs soft tissue in order to do the bone graft.  Although the last graft did take, it didn't take well enough.  There simple is not enough soft tissue.  Soooo....that means Malia will need another surgery.  This time she will have tongue flap surgery.  It's what the surgeon originally considered, but then decided to go with the FAMM Flap as it is not as uncomfortable/invasive. The tongue flap apparently has a greater success rate so the hope is that the tongue flap will work!

 

We have no idea as to when this surgery will happen.  We do know that if the last graft had taken, Malia would have had surgery in May for the bone graft.  Does that mean that she'll have surgery in May?  Or this summer?  We have no idea, although I have requested that they wait till fall for the next surgery.  Malia is DONE with surgeries for now!  She is completely overwhelmed and we all need a break!  We will be planning our summer holidays and if a surgery day is presented to us for this summer....I'm hoping I'll have the guts to say no!  At this point we all need a long, relaxing break!  I'm thinking 3 months in Jamaica may be just what we need?!?  Haha!  Who am I kidding!?!  We'll try to take a few days to go camping and hopefully we get some R&R!

 

As always....Malia does not know what is happening in regards to her surgeries.  She does know that she will need more surgeries, but we've told her to relax and enjoy this beautiful weather...so please...do not mention surgeries when she is around.  We REALLY just want her to enjoy being a little girl, without worrying about her next surgery date.  Thanks!

 

As you can imagine, these past weeks have been more than a little stressful.  We appreciate your continued prayers! 

 

We are weak, but not defeated.

We are bruised, but not broken.

We may be weary,

but in His strength we will NOT be moved!

 

 

I'll be playing this song by Rend Collective on repeat for the next while!  Because we ARE CONQUERORS!!

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p8_4NbrcKA



Easter 2015

We spent the past week doing some Easter crafts.  One of my favourite crafts is a stained glass cross.  It's so incredibly easy to prep and easy for my little kids and enjoyable for older kids too.  I used cut up tissue paper, waxed paper (2 pieces for each cross), glue, and construction paper for the black part of the cross.

 

My littles also made these cool cotton ball Easter Egg paintings.  I took clothes pins and clipped them to a cotton ball.  One for each color.  Then the kids painted their picture.  Once it was dry we traced and cut the egg shape.

 

 

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We also made the simple egg craft pictured on the right.  I used scrapbooking paper I had on hand.  The kids cut the paper into strips and glued them onto construction paper.  Then they took another piece of construction paper, cut out the egg shape and stuck it onto the paper with stripes.  This is such a wonderful craft for kids learning to cut, because it really doesn't matter how straight they cut.  The end result is beautiful regardless of how the stripes look!

 

The egg crafts now hang on our art line in our basement.

 



 

We also decorated boiled eggs.  I loved how Jackson was so intent on coloring the eggs!  Oh to see the world through the eyes of a child!!

 

We ate the eggs for a light lunch, along with fruit, crackers and salad.

 



While the little kids painted the craft I mentioned above, Morgun and I blew out some eggs to decorate with stamping.  I LOVE how these eggs turned out!

 

We colored the eggs using a simple water, vinegar and coloring mixture. 

 



 

Then we picked our favourite stamp and stamped, with black ink, on tissue paper.

 

 

 

Once the ink was dry, we used mod podge to glue the tissue paper to the egg, being very careful not to rub the tissue paper.  Once this was dry, we covered the tissue paper with another coat of mod podge.

 

The end result!  I think this is officially my favourite way to decorate eggs!  I love the touch of elegance they add to our home!

 

I especially LOVE the blue eggs placed in an antique bowl!  These bowls were used for weddings and funerals in one of our local conservative Mennonite churches.



We had our traditional Easter Hunt, which all of the kids enjoy...cause that's how we roll!  :)  Morgun had trouble finding his basket, because his Dad found the perfect spot...tucked into the inside of an old upright radio!

 



I've been meaning to mention that Malia recently got glasses.  She was having difficulty seeing things that were far away...something we didn't notice because we don't do any school work where she has to look at a board.  I had noticed her sit on the floor occasionally to watch TV, but never put 2 and 2 together.  Oops!

 

I think the glasses give her that perfect "smart, nerdy, goofy" look!  This girl warms my heart and her beauty stops me in my tracks!

 



 

And last, but not least...I simply have to share our absolute favourite thing about Easter.  Each Easter we tell the kids what Easter is all about using these Resurrection Eggs.  It's a dozen plastic eggs, each containing an item related to the Easter story, beginning with the Passover Supper.  It comes with a little booklet that gives scripture references for each egg and a bit of a reading for each item. We spread the opening of the eggs out over several days.  It's really helped our kids understand what Easter is really all about!



Matthew 27:33-37 -33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).                                                             

References for Matthew 27:33

• Cross References

• 37 27:33 - Jn 19:17

34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.

References for Matthew 27:34

• Cross References

• 38 27:34 - ver 48; Ps 69:21

35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.                                                            

References for Matthew 27:35

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 39 27:35 - Ps 22:18

• b 27:35 - A few late manuscripts "lots that the word spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled: "They divided my garments among themselves and cast lots for my clothing"" (Psalm 22:18)

36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.

References for Matthew 27:36

• Cross References

• 40 27:36 - ver 54

37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.  

 

Luke 24:6-7 -6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:                                                            

References for Luke 24:6

• Cross References

• 4 24:6 - Mt 17:22,23 ; Mk 9:30-31 ; Lk 9:22 ; 24:44

7 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'

 

 

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,