Inspiration

"Inspire" literally means to "breathe in."  It is about being filled with something from the outside that animates and enlivens us inside.  Just as oxygen vitalizes our bodies, inspiration enlivens our souls.  In the beginning, God breathed life into earth-matter and the first humans were created.  Today, we can breathe in the Spirit and be filled.  Body-soul inspiration ultimately comes from God.  The deepest and longest-lasting inspiration comes from breathing in God himself, and breathing in the new things that God is doing in us and around us.  - Sam Chaise

I've been thinking about inspiration lately.  Partly because the latest Mosaic magazine (Canadian Baptist Ministries) has on the cover, "What Inspires You?"  The quote above is from an article in it by CBM's General Secretary, and has stuck with me over the last weeks.

The other reason I've been thinking about inspiration is Pinterest.  I've told you a bit about this...  and after being on that site for a week or so now, I can say that it really is inspiring.  I've seen all kinds of beautiful and fun things that I want to do or re-create.  The problem becomes when browsing the site uses all the time you could be using for actually creating.  I saw this quote on there:

"Thank you Pinterest for helping me feel creative even though I've really just been sitting at my computer for the last 3 hours."

I have been inspired to go downstairs to the studio and play more, but it is a balance.  Doing takes more energy than thinking about doing.  Doing really is better than simply collecting inspiration.  Making memories, making crafts, making the effort to go out with people... those are the things that are long term inspiring, and the things that will inspire others.

Just a few thoughts.  What is inspiring you today?

New Stuff in the Kitchen

Once in a while I get a cookbook or food magazine out of the library, and copy recipes that look good.  I have a binder where I keep all my collected recipes; it holds the ones that have become regulars, and these possibilities.  At the beginning of last week, on menu making Monday, I flipped through to see if there was anything new I wanted to try, since I didn't want to get back to our default meal plans just yet (summer calls for different food than the regular year round recipes).

I found two that worked out great - Tuesday we had Feta Stuffed Chicken, which had a little bit of lite cream cheese mixed with tomato and basil feta in the middle - yummy!  Then Friday I made Nacho Mac 'N' Cheese, which was actually really good.  Taco seasoning was the main flavor, but it had a bit of pepper to give it some kick, too.  Red pepper and corn gave it some color and nice texture mixed in with the ground beef and gemelli pasta.  With two cups of cheese in it and some crushed tortilla chips for crunch on top, it was definitely one we'll make again.

Then Saturday, because I had unknowingly bought chicken breasts still on the bone, I simmered up some chicken vegetable soup with the bones.  We normally have soup and bagels Sunday after church, so today we had the homemade stuff (which was good but not amazing - I'll add more seasoning next time), and homemade scones.

Yes, I did some baking too - the scones are amazing and it's been too long since I've made them.  I also made a recipe for a Saturday morning treat that I found on Pinterest - it was not a healthy one, but oh so yummy.  Cinnamon Roll Cake - I didn't even keep the recipe, since it's way too fattening to make again.

That's been my adventures in the kitchen this past week - let me know if you want any of the recipes.

What something new did you make in the kitchen this week?

Belly Shots & a New Addition to the Shop!

A couple of shots of the little bump to show you - this first one I took last week, and the second one was on Sunday.  I like that it's got my family in the background...  Sean had golfed in the afternoon, and M and I got slurpees and walked around the lake, then watched a movie at home.  When Sean got back we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and spent the rest of the day outside.  Beautiful weather this week.

 

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I found some canvas in my studio that I bought a while ago to make a gift.  I used it all up and made some bags for the shop!  Sturdy canvas bags that are perfect for library books or the beach: I have two of the green & blue available, and another pink & black that has vertical stripes.  Only asking $8.

Pinterest

Right after I said yesterday that I didn't think I would jump into Pinterest just yet, I did.  I was looking around and thought I would bookmark something so I could put it on Pinterest when I did get it... so I just requested an invite, got it right away, and spent a relaxing night browsing.  Feel free to come have a look at my boards here: pinterest.com/carolynward

Our Week & a Few Links

Very actively playing Wii.

Today is an 'empty square' day - nothing on the calendar!  We slept in, Sean made brunch, we played a little frisbee dog on the Wii all together, and now he's out trying out the new shaft on his driver at the driving range.  We've kept the Wii going and later we'll head to the in-laws for supper.  I'm trying to get behind the camera today as I'm a little behind in my class - gotta get playing there.  It's a great day.

Our week has included:

• Shopping for school supplies & school clothes
• Sean switching cars around, putting the new one in the garage and taking the old one out to pasture at Sheldon's acreage
• Madeline helping with VBS at church for Thursday and Friday
• Sean getting 9 holes in with his brother
• Schooling M in basketball at the school yard down the street
• Date night - dinner out at Brown's Social House

Links:

I am a big fan of weekly planning;while I don't do too much other than Monday's weekly menu and groceries, I do  have lists for cleaning and M's chores.  Maybe once school starts we'll tidy those up and start to use them again.  Summer is pretty relaxed.  I bring this up because of a link on A Holy Experience today - a whole bunch of great printable planning helps.  Go check it out and maybe find something that would work for you.

I have spent a couple nights this week downstairs playing & making stuff.  Big Picture Classes, where I'm taking that camera class, has a free two week Festival of Ideas I signed up for, and I've actually made 4 of the 6 projects so far.  6x6 pages are so little and simple.  I'm adapting it to a 'being pregnant' theme, so that adds to the fun.  I'll post the finished product when I'm done.  (You can sign up for this until the 27th if you want to join in!)

Pinterest.  Have you checked this out yet?  I've killed an hour or so looking around on this site.  The link is to Elisha Snow's account - she's the one teaching the camera class I'm taking.  I don't know if I want to request an invite or not - it seems like it would be a great way to keep track of all the cool ideas I see online, but since I don't spend that much time surfing and looking, or even all that much time on the computer, I don't think I'll jump into it just yet.

My Shop

I've added a new page to this blog story - look up at the tags under the header - see it there?  On the end? 

My Shop. 

I wanted to put a link on here somewhere to information about the magic bags I make, since they just keep selling, and I am happy to have the word spread.  And since I'm usually making something for someone and tend to make in multiples, I often have goodies left over.  I will list them there for your shopping enjoyment.  At present, I just have the bags and a tie onesie listed there, but I am working on some canvas bags and should have those photographed and listed soon.

Come visit my shop!

Mass Production: Magic Bags

My stash was getting low, so I picked up some new fabric last week, to have on hand if needed.  A few days later, I got an order from Winnipeg.  I'm sewing up a storm to have enough to take when we visit there next both for the order and to be able to leave a stash there, too.

Mass Production!

These are both so cute!  (Green Owls / Monsters)

The Circle Collection - flaps open and ready for the insides. (Green/Blue, Purple, White/Pink)

Sale ready.  (Dots, Pink Owls)

If you want any of these styles, let me know at followandlead (at) gmail (dot) com.  I'm always bringing in new fabrics, but nothing stays around too long!

A Day at the Races

 

Sean's not racing this year, but his brother got his Supra ready for it's first outing.  We met Sheldon and Lynsey early in the morning yesterday for the drive out to Swift Current and had a good day together.

Linking up with these fun folks today, for the first of probably many!

Kayaking!

This is what we did tonight on this beautiful sunny calm night.  It was perfect.

Our little town has a lake at its center, with the Legislative Building and gardens and marina surrounding it, and a path that is possibly the most popular place in the city for walking, running, biking, and rollerblading.  I've done all of those but skate - someday I'll do that, too.  This is the second time we've rented kayaks at the marina, but we'll do it again before summer's out.  I want to get M out there for her first time.

Spilling the Beans

I think I felt it.  I knew it would happen sometime this month, but these first few, you don't know if that's really what it is.  There have been a few times over the weekend where I wondered if that's what I was feeling...

What am I talking about?

This little jumper:

Yes, it's true.  I think I've finally told most people in person, so I can start filling you in on the details here now. I am at about 17 weeks, and due in the middle of January.  We have been married 4 1/2 years now and finally came to a point where we decided that yes, this is the route we want to go - our family of 3 has been great, but all three of us agree that a new little one around will be something we will never regret.

This is the other reason it was time to go through the storage rooms and all that baby stuff - not just for the garage sale!  I got rid of our old crib in the garage sale, but we've got a much newer one given to us already.  We have a stroller, a high chair and a booster seat for the car - I think the only other big ticket item we'll need is the car seat.  That and boy clothes if that's what it happens to be.  Oh, and a change table, I guess, and a snuggly that Dad won't be embarrassed to be seen in, an RESP, maybe a new toy or two, and boxes and boxes of diapers!  Other than that, babies don't need much, do they?

I really feel that for me, there is no greater job in this world than to raise up children who love God.  I look forward to being Mom to one more. 

I am very grateful to God for this amazing gift, and I am grateful that I get to share our news with you!  Linking up today with all the others counting the ways they're thankful.

It's NOT the same as Hoarding!

I've started collecting stuff from around the house, garage and shed for a garage sale this coming weekend.  There are a few of us doing it together at a friend's, which should be a good time.  I'm not really optimistic about making any money at it, but it will give me something to do while Sean is away golfing with the guys and M is away hanging out at Granny & Papa's.

The garage sale plus M being gone adds up to why this is a good week to empty, go through, and re-insulate the storage rooms off the sides of M's room.  I have to admit that I wasn't prepared for the mountain of clothing I'd see when I opened the first door.  We've lived in this house for 11 years now, and M has always been in that bedroom.  At some point over the years, she's gotten into that storage area, dug around in the boxes of her baby & little girl clothes and gone exploring.  Wow.  Well, it all had to come out anyway...  There are over a dozen boxes filled with all her baby stuff and clothes from newborn to maybe 4ish?  So much.  At first we kept it because we planned to have more, and then as those plans derailed, and got put on hold, we just never gave much thought to the boxes stacked in the awkward attic space.

 

 

These shots are from when I first emptied it out yesterday - I have made a bunch of progress and only have 4 or 5 boxes left to go through.  Lots of feeling nostalgia - I just want to hug my little two year old in that outfit and have her reach up and play with my hair the way she did...  Aw.  Lots of cute memories.  Also lots of "Ew - this is ugly - why would I have kept it in the first place since I most likely never put it on M?"  Those are for the garage sale boxes.  I'm about half and half keep and toss right now.  Why is there a keep pile?  Hmm... Maybe I'll post about that another day.

A few Layouts from Easter

Dad and Madeline just left for Family Camp, and I'm left at home all alone, feeling sad. :(

They've wanted her to come out for a week or so this summer and we've been trying to figure out how to manage it with everybody's schedules. My dad is retired, so he got the short straw and drove all the way out here to pick her up. They're all going to family camp this weekend at Valley View, so she's going to join them there and then head back to Winnipeg for a visit. I'm glad she gets to go and sad I don't get to see everyone too, so I'm sitting her lonely in my house - for now. Sean will be home from work before I know it and we'll have the long weekend together. I'm going to work from home this afternoon, which should help pass the time quickly.

********

Here are a few layouts I've been fiddling away at for a while. As I was putting them in the book I realized that they're all from when we were in Winnipeg for Easter and birthdays. Always a rich source for photos.

 

 

Birthday # 12

Twelve years ago I became a Mom.  What a feeling - having a little one to love and care for... I should do it again.  Hmmm... maybe that will be another post.

This one is about Madeline.

We got home from picking her up at camp about mid-afternoon yesterday, and spent the rest of the day getting ready for today's festivities.  After church today we did some last minute prep, then sat back to wait for the girls.

I had decorated around her seat at the table last night so she'd have a nice surprise - this is her at lunch in her birthday outfit from Auntie Carla, and the bunting I sewed up last night.

 

When the girls arrived, we headed down the street to the park for a little photo shoot, and took the bunting along...

 

We headed home for a little water balloon fun in the front yard, then M opened her gifts.  Thoughtful friends...

 

From there I put them to work!  Here they are decorating cupcakes - they had a great time and came up with some real crazies.  This was a great activity with this age.  We had the family over for supper after, so they were decorating for both parties.

 

And finally one showing our happily full backyard - 26 people: the 3 of us, 2 grandpas, 4 aunts and 5 uncles, 8 cousins and one "almost family" family of four.

 

Note the bunting in the back... and there's some along the fence to the right as well.  It may have been my favorite part of the whole day!! (Besides the people of course...!)  Besides the cupcakes, the menu for supper was a yummy pulled beef on buns, marshmallow salad, bok choy salad, pasta salad, veggies and dip, and chips and pop.

Oh, and the one I almost forgot - Jello Slices.  This was a good one.  I saw a link that showed these great colorful treats (check it out quick and then come back so you'll know what I'm talking about).  I had a bunch of grapefruit to use up (the recipe called for oranges, but I figured these would work).  I made purple, orange and green, not all six, and they turned out looking so impressive!  I forgot them in the fridge till after a number of our guests (and the smaller kids that I actually made them for) had left, but all who were left were game to take one and try...

I played a good joke and didn't even know it - the grapefruit flavored the jello and the jello was STRONG and TART...!  It was awesome and funny and I might never live it down, but it was worth it.  I still have half in my fridge and am wondering who else might I get to try?

All in all, a good day.  M is downstairs watching a movie with the one we are letting sleep over, and we are just about ready to crash.

My baby is 12, and we celebrated well.

Date Week

With M off at camp this week, Sean and I are enjoying date week.  I'm not sure when 4 nights has been long enough to call a week, but it will have to do.  (For the record, I like when camp starts Sunday and ends Saturday.  Drop off at 5 on a Monday?  Hello?  He's working so I have to take them myself - what kind of a start to date week is that?)

Monday was a a great night for visiting at camp, but not so much for the dates...

Tuesday we went out for dessert with a couple from church that we have enjoyed getting to know there, but have never gone out with.  It was a great night.

Wednesday's plans changed when it was too windy to go kayaking.  : (  We went for coffee instead, and browsed at SportMart.  We were looking for running clothes for me, since I got a little overheated when I went Tuesday morning, but didn't find much (the overheating may have had more to do with the fact that it was already up in the 20's at 8 am than that I was wearing a cotton t-shirt...).  After checking out the whole store, I was back at the front and saw a rack with a "Spring Coat Sale" tag on it.  It didn't even register to me that in Jasper I found a jacket I really liked but couldn't afford and checked every store we saw for it until I saw that glimpse of green on the rack - IT WAS THERE!  And on sale at a half decent price!  Woo Hoo - I am grateful for the nice find.

Tonight we went golfing together.  Sean golfs pretty much every week.  This was my first time all year.  There's a group from church that goes every Thursday, so we joined them and ended up in a foursome with the church secretary and her husband and had a great time.  Nice to see Peggy outside work, too!  (Although she hosted us girls who work at the church for lunch on Tuesday and put on an amazing spread in her gorgeous yard... that was pretty awesome, too.)

Tomorrow night we're having a friend over for supper and then are going mini golfing together.  It should be a hoot.  A great date week.  Have I mentioned that I have a wonderful husband?

Date ideas, anyone??  Please share your everyday dates and the special ones - I always love to hear new ideas.

The Camp Blanket

When M was four, we happened to be flying standby and ended up in first class.  "Mom, this is WAY better than the last plane we were on!"  she said, in our row right in front of coach.  She milked it, too; whenever a flight attendant walked by, she asked for more snacks or a drink - and as the grand finale, on our way out, she asked if she could keep the blanket.  She got a yes, and we now have an Air Canada blanket in our linen closet.  When she started getting badges in Sparks (the youngest Girl Guides) and for swimming lessons, I thought I would sew them on her blanket and it could be a camp blanket for her.

 

 

Eight years later, it has six Sparks badges (on the pink strip), a sash full of Brownie badges (lower right), a sash full of Girl Guides badges (on the left, added just before camp yesterday), and a whole assortment of badges and iron-ons from different Guiding activities..  The patch in the middle is off a pair of jeans she wore long ago, and the upper right holds her swimming badges.

It's been fun to see this develop over the last eight years; I wonder what will come in the next years to fill in the gaps?

Do you have any special way that you've kept your kid's special mementos?

Off to Camp!

Camp started today.  M's friend T has gone with her for the last number of years and this year was no exception.  I took the two of them early so we could geocache on the way, but alas, it has been a while and I forgot that I needed to upload the caches to my handheld gps, so that ended up not working out so well for us.  (I have all the ones around home in there, so haven't had to add specific ones for a while.)

So we got to the camp nice and early and I got some pictures to share with you instead.

 With the flooding and the altered beachfront, the swimming area is now between this new dock, and the old one, which is now over by where the slide was.  A decent sized area for them.  They wanted to dip their feet in (and at 40* out, I was wishing I had brought my suit for a jump in the lake, too!) and I was happy to pull out the camera and capture this.  There was a new water trampoline that had them excited, as well as four new double kayaks that I'd love to take out someday.

 

Trying to catch minnows.

 

Found a couple of dead crayfish on the beach which they carried around until they fell apart.

It was good to be out there and see a bunch of good friends.  A great day.

Home Again

I started choosing photos to post and the list got way too long, so I posted them on facebook instead; follow this link to see them.

The pictures are all from Jasper, but we spend a day and a half in Edmonton on the way there, and came back via Banff so we could see more of the mountains.

We had a great time seeing awesome sights, and although slightly sunnier and dryer and warmer would have been nice, the weather didn't stop us from much.

Holiday-ing: Less Tech, More Book

As my friend Cara Luft just tweeted about taking time off and heading west for a break: "Closing up the laptop and reading books."

We are taking our holidays from Wednesday to Wednesday this year, which makes for two lovely two day work weeks. Add that to a short week for Canada Day, and July is a beautiful month.

You haven't heard from me in the last few days partly because we were on the road, and partly because I ended up with 3 massive books from the library - love road trips. I began World Without End by Ken Follet last Saturday heading out to Airdrie, and finally finished it today in Jasper. 1025 pages. Small writing. If you want my opinion of it, just click on the What I'm Reading link above. I started keeping track for you a month ago, so all of my June reads are there, and this will be #1 for July. One down, two to go.

Take a break and enjoy a good book. And a holiday, for that matter!

I Promised Pictures

Madeline had asked her Uncle Larry if he could take her up for a plane ride for her birthday. I got a message earlier last week from him saying he had a plane booked for Friday and Saturday mornings & would she like to go? Well, Happy Canada Day to M!

Mathew went along for his 2nd time up with Dad.

The Intrepid Three!

Flygirl. She loved it.

So that was Friday morning - Friday afternoon and evening were Jenn's wedding, and Saturday was Katie's.  I didn't take any photos at Jenn's - too many people and too far away.  At Katie's though, I pulled out the camera and played around with my manual settings, getting ready for the photography class I'm taking.  I have a lot to learn!  I got a few good ones, though.

Katie & Nick - and Nick's Grandfather officiated.

Blues & Greens - the decorating was fabulous.

Holly & David, our traveling buddies!

Dancing with Dad.

The girls we went to see!

Wild Wedding Whirlwind Weekend!

Just like last year, our only two weddings of the year fell on the same weekend.  Only this time, they were in two different provinces!

Jenn Brace (now Armstrong) married Craig on Friday in a beautiful (and purple!) extravaganza.  We ducked out of the reception at 10:30 along with Holly and David to hit the road to Alberta.  Making it to Medicine Hat in the middle of the night, we got about 4 hours sleep, then drove the rest of the way to Airdrie in the morning.  We got there in enough time for lunch and a change in BP's restrooms into our wedding duds.  Katie McIntyre (now Kadun) married Nick in another great day.

Tomorrow I'll have more for you, and pictures, but we need some sleep after all that driving!  Here's one to leave you with: