Monday, May 23, 2011

Thanking God...

~♥ Thanking God for our newest blessing ♥~
♥Alexander Dwayne♥
May 22 2011
Dwayne & Stephanie

It seemed like forever that we were waiting for you,
  Waiting patiently, then impatiently for you.
And now you are here.
Together we are sharing laughter, 
memories and tears
We are loving unconditionally
a miracle we just met
knowing already,our hearts belong
to you.


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Fear...

Fear has roared at me this week. Dared me to turn back.
And I have listened more than I'd like to admit.
I read these words...

"We're called to chase lions. There is an old aphorism 'No guts, no glory.' When we don't have the guts to step out in faith and chase lions, then God is robbed of the glory that rightfully belongs to Him."
-- Mark Batterson

I swallow hard and the fear stays.
I talk to friends, pace the floor, have trouble going to sleep at night.
Then this morning I'm sipping coffee. And I start telling God how big He is and how He can do anything.
Anything.
When I look back at the fear, that lion roaring at me, it seems so much smaller sitting alongside the God of the Universe.
And I realize it's been that way all along.
Fear roars at me again.
But this time it sounds more like...
Meow.
I chase it out the door.
Silly cat.
And I turn instead to all God has for me.

♥ 2 ♥ with Holley


This post by Holley reminds of of the constant fear that Manitobans feel as they  battle to keep the flooding under control. They have the guts to step out in faith and chase the  lions. Below are pictures of the Assiniboine River right next to our community.Our people have been helping with the sand bagging in the Portage and Elie area for three days now. While the water levels were high, along with the levels of anxiety, we DID NOT have to evactuate nor did our cows lol. Some of the stories going around are so dumb! Yes, we were worried, but were safe through it all.



Road out of colony


Shore starts way in middle photo where first trees can be seen-shore is underwater



seepage before the dug through holes through roads so it could flow away

Monday, May 2, 2011

Finally...

I finally have a reason to update...and what a joyous update it will be!!!!!!!! :P

the tracing...
the cutting...
the tedious job sewing together of 1 x 1 inch pieces...
the hours of listening to my itouch play numerous songs over n over again...
my moms encouraging, "Tuah, geh mochs goh'uh"...
moms assistance...
&  my rugs journey...
has finally
come to an
end...

only to be stepped apon :(

I totally love it... Some people probably look down on Fortrel Rugs...Why I can't figure out because they can be gorgeous... Here is the master piece...

Monday, April 18, 2011

This is the day...

that you get to begin a new week.
This is the day...
that you're loved just as you are.
{1 John 4:18}
This is the day...
you have everything you need.
{2 Peter 1:3}
This is the day...
that victory is yours.
{Romans 8:37}
This is the day...
that God has made.
{Psalm 118:24}
There's never been one like it before and there will never be again. You're in this moment, time, place for a purpose and you've got what it takes to fulfill it.


♥ 2 ♥ with Holley

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Monday, April 4, 2011

My weekly source of inspiration...

You've got something to give.
Something good and right and true.
Something fashioned in heaven and placed in your heart.
Something we need and it's beautiful.
Maybe it's a smile.
A little kindness.
That dream you're ready to start living.
You matter.
Oh, how you do.
The God who flung stars into place, who holds the world in His hands, who makes all things possible lives in you.
And this week will be better because of what you two do together.
Watch out, world, here comes you...

♥ 2 ♥ with Holley


~ I don't know about you, or if you've even ever encountered ♥ 2 ♥ with Holley but when I get the weekly email from the website I subscribed to my heart skips a beat because.... I know it contains something beautiful I need to read the moment I receive it...something beautiful that will touch my soul and make me realize I do make a difference, what I do matters, and the world would miss me if i wasn't around ;).
When I open my inbox I  painstakingly wait for my browser to open this weeks write up from Holley and when it's finally on my screen I take a deep breathe and I start reading... by the time I'm done reading the stress and anxiety that weight heavy on my heart wash away and I feel like I'm sipping on a cup of herb tea, feet propped up, with a box of chocolates in my lap. That's my idea of relaxation and the message I get weekly makes me feel like that without even actually doing it...Does that even makes sense?? I don't know but to me it does ;).
 Every week my soul gets comforted and uplifted by the personal context and  bible verses Holley  so graciously shares with the souls in need of enlightenment. Our existence, yours, mine, every bodies, is a miracle and  every week is a gift... not just another 24/7 era of hair pulling stress waiting to be put into motion.


Inspired?! You better be! :)

Subscribe to messages by Holley: http://holley.dayspring.com/


Card I made at a recent card makin' party-I love how it turned out!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Good News for a New Week

I stand in front of the mirror and brush hair, teeth, thoughts from my mind. But the worries keep coming as I consider a new week.

If that doesn't work out...what then?
If I really can't do it...what then?
If something happens...what then?

I quietly whisper a prayer and it seems my heart hears a response that begins with those same two words: 
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Romans 8:31-32
The sentences that follow say I'm more than a conqueror and nothing can separate me from God's love.
I breathe deep of grace, love, victory, hope that's secure.
And I can dare to walk into a new week with my heart held high.

♥ 2 ♥ with Holley


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Our next big Adventure

It started out with a wild idea and 4 pieces of 2ft by 1ft wood. I was out to make learning about animals interesting for my Science students. My goal: to make learning interesting. I taught the same unit 2 years ago with other students and planned the unit using research projects as assignments for the animal classifications of reptiles, mammals, birds, insects, fish and amphibians. I soon came to despise the idea of grade 2 and 3 students having to do tedious research papers instead of something exciting and fun. Yes, they are informative but give a child a 2 inch book to go through to find information and you’ve got some discouraged kiddies on your hands. So I pondered for a couple days until a light bulb went on and my pen flew over my paper making plans for our next big adventure.

Before we started this mysterious project I planned a shopping trip to acquire the few supplies we would need to make this project a success.  United Unlimited in Winnipeg and they had an amazing selection of small plastic animals… even if the place does smell funny. I bought some plastic greenery and rocks from Dollarama, made a batch of clay and off we were starting the next big adventure, one that will be talked about by its participants for weeks to come. 


So last week on Friday I scheduled in an afternoon of fun for the scholars in my class room, hence the construction of the coolest animal habitats you have ever set eyes on were brought to life. Our goal was to make them look as realistic as possible and the outcome was astounding.   I admit, I had my doubts about it and wanted to scrap the idea before we even began but I’m glad I didn’t.

We started out by mixing acrylic paint into the clay and off we went building a farm and forest for some mammals, birds and insects. My students worked hard to perfect the area that they were assigned to and feverishly toiled to make trees of out cut up toilet paper rolls, clay and plastic leaves. We made a stream running through the forest and out into an ocean for some fish and other sea animals. When we were done building the habitats we added the animals, plastic plants and let it dry during the weekend, eagerly awaiting Monday, anticipating all that was left to do and excited to give it another go. 



On Monday we tackled the lake, swamp and jungle for reptiles and amphibians. Throughout the whole process the students stopped to admire their work, rightfully so, as they were doing an unbelievable job that surpassed any expectations that I had. We made trees with vines, a green-blue swamp, a lake and made a desert at the far end of our display. It was kind of hard to include all the habitats because a jungle can’t be right next to a desert so I had to make sure our approach was as realistic as possible. 




Today we finally, got a start on the Arctic part of the habitats and it was probably the easiest to do seeing as we only had to make ice burgs, a partially frozen sea, mountains, waterfalls at the students request and thus completed our project. I’m impressed, to say the least. It was fun, educational and gave the students a chance to work together and be creative.



 Our Next Big Adventure Complete:



Saturday, March 12, 2011

~✿~ ❝Weekend project❞ ~✿ ~

  ❃~Me n my sis have this thing for making scrapbooks to preserve memories of our darling nieces...so when we're blessed with one we enthusiastically set out to make an extravagant book of memories for them to look at when their older... or so their mommies have a place to put their pictures instead of a boring old picture album. BUT....'ahem'...I don't think any of them are finished yet, due to lack of time :(. We probably never even make it to 20 pages, I'm not sure but we do try.  It's the thought that counts and the love that’s poured into the 'few' pages that we do make. So for part of today we put aside our sewing projects and spent some of our weekend making pages for Jaycee Kate and these are the 2 pages I created so far. We decided on a εїзbutterflyεїз theme...it just fits.



 



Monday, March 7, 2011

♥~For the first time~♥ --something worth blogging about

If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.
-- Vincent van Gogh 
 

Meeting Kaylee's baby sister, our newest miracle-Jaycee Kate-for the first time♥

~She's so small and beautiful...babies take your breath away when you see them for the first time ...and so many times after that. Kaylee wanted to hold her and said, 'tumel heh'uh'. Now Kaylee can sing "~*~Winkle, Winkle Little Star~*~ to her lil sis. What a doting big sis she'll be.♥~

 

-- Will post birth announcement at a later date--