Just because.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Transitions
Wow...where to start. It's been awhile! I love the Christmas season and spending time with family and friends, and this year has been awesome. We are so blessed with such wonderful people in our lives. After all of the things that our little family has gone through this year, we come to the end of it and praise the Lord for all He has done. I've said it before and I'll say it again: God is good.
Mitch took this week off of work and it's been so nice. This is our last week of 'normal' before life changes again because I go back to work on Tuesday and Mitch's shift changes from working 5 days a week to 4 (just longer hours). He's going to be spending a day at home a week with Tyler while I work, which is SUCH a blessing. I have to admit, I'm completely torn between excitement for my new job and sadness at having to give up some of my days at home with Tyler. I do know though that all of us will benefit from this new arrangement.
We're working on partially weaning Tyler so that he can take a bottle during the day while I'm gone and we're both finding it a little rough. I read somewhere that this can be an emotional transition, and who am I to say no to a good cry? I'm thankful that Mitch can be around during this. It's nice to have this quiet family time before we step over the edge into the unknown.
Ha, how's that for being a little over dramatic? Let's face it: as long as I still have time to have brunch with my mat leave girls on my days off I can survive anything :)
Mitch took this week off of work and it's been so nice. This is our last week of 'normal' before life changes again because I go back to work on Tuesday and Mitch's shift changes from working 5 days a week to 4 (just longer hours). He's going to be spending a day at home a week with Tyler while I work, which is SUCH a blessing. I have to admit, I'm completely torn between excitement for my new job and sadness at having to give up some of my days at home with Tyler. I do know though that all of us will benefit from this new arrangement.
We're working on partially weaning Tyler so that he can take a bottle during the day while I'm gone and we're both finding it a little rough. I read somewhere that this can be an emotional transition, and who am I to say no to a good cry? I'm thankful that Mitch can be around during this. It's nice to have this quiet family time before we step over the edge into the unknown.
Ha, how's that for being a little over dramatic? Let's face it: as long as I still have time to have brunch with my mat leave girls on my days off I can survive anything :)
Monday, December 6, 2010
Recipe Time
Okay I am a little bit proud of the supper I made today so I'm going to share the recipe. I LOVE pasta, especially when it's an alfredo or some sort of cream sauce. What I don't love is the fat. I went through a bunch of different sauce recipes today, both high cal and low, and put together my own recipe. It turned out amazingly if I do say so myself!
The only problem with putting the recipe in print is that I have no idea how much I used of anything...I don't believe in measuring. I will do my best to estimate.
1 or 2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
3 or 4 cups milk
1/2 roasted bulb of garlic
2 tsp chicken stock
2 tsp thyme
1/3 cup parmesean cheese
2 cup sauteed mushrooms
few handfuls of shredded spinach
Melt butter in pot. Add flour and mix well. (Very) gradually add milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Once warm, add chicken stock and the roasted garlic (to roast: cut tips off the entire bulb, cover exposed tops with a light layer of butter, wrap in tin foil at bake at 425f for an hour Squeeze out of bulb into sauce. WORTH it). Bring sauce to boil, stirring often. Add cheese, mushrooms, spinach, thyme. Salt and pepper to taste.
So there you go. It made a nice thick alfredo-like sauce with tons of flavour, no cream, and very little butter. And trust me on the thyme...I would never have thought to add it, but it is a great flavour. And if you do try it, let me know what you think!
The only problem with putting the recipe in print is that I have no idea how much I used of anything...I don't believe in measuring. I will do my best to estimate.
1 or 2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
3 or 4 cups milk
1/2 roasted bulb of garlic
2 tsp chicken stock
2 tsp thyme
1/3 cup parmesean cheese
2 cup sauteed mushrooms
few handfuls of shredded spinach
Melt butter in pot. Add flour and mix well. (Very) gradually add milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Once warm, add chicken stock and the roasted garlic (to roast: cut tips off the entire bulb, cover exposed tops with a light layer of butter, wrap in tin foil at bake at 425f for an hour Squeeze out of bulb into sauce. WORTH it). Bring sauce to boil, stirring often. Add cheese, mushrooms, spinach, thyme. Salt and pepper to taste.
So there you go. It made a nice thick alfredo-like sauce with tons of flavour, no cream, and very little butter. And trust me on the thyme...I would never have thought to add it, but it is a great flavour. And if you do try it, let me know what you think!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Challenge
I was blog browsing this morning (I had plenty of time for this as my dear son decided to wake up at 6:30, stay up just long enough for me to fully wake up, and then go back to sleep, thus leaving me up) and while reading my friends' blog over here, I saw her reading list on the side of her blog and felt inspired.
Okay so I need to compile a list of books for 2011 that I am going to read. I think I'd like to make up a list of 75 to read. I was going to pick 111 in honour of the year 2011, but I'm not feeling quite that ambitious. So. I need your book picks. Suggestions, please! Give me at least three of your favorite books...I'd love to know what's out there worth reading that I have not yet discovered. I prefer fiction, but am really open to anything.
Please and thankyou :)
Okay so I need to compile a list of books for 2011 that I am going to read. I think I'd like to make up a list of 75 to read. I was going to pick 111 in honour of the year 2011, but I'm not feeling quite that ambitious. So. I need your book picks. Suggestions, please! Give me at least three of your favorite books...I'd love to know what's out there worth reading that I have not yet discovered. I prefer fiction, but am really open to anything.
Please and thankyou :)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
These days
Okay so I know I talk a lot about loving mat leave...but I'm going to do it again. I was saying to my mom the other day that it is hard for me to even begin to describe how happy I am in life right now. Recognizing that mat leave will soon be over, I'm just going to record what my days look like right now. I know that happiness won't cease when I start my job, but my days will just look different. I'm actually really looking forward to being out of the house for a few days a week. Okay okay...I can hear mitch in my head saying "Out of the house?? You can't wait to get out of the house?? You are never IN the house!"
So I admit...Tyler enjoy a lifestyle of being out and about.
One of the constants every week (or nearly every week) is brunch with my fellow mat leave and very close girlfriends. We take turns concocting unbelieveable brunches and giving the old 'screw you' to losing our baby weight for the duration of that meal. Almost every brunch so far has included whipped cream or icing. Dessert Brunch!
Tyler time. I love to just sit on the floor with Tyler and play. He develops so much every day and watching him and helping him learn is one of my day to day favorite things. It's incredible how much pride I feel from him doing something as simple as putting a cheerio in his mouth or stand up while holding onto my knees.
I'm really enjoying cooking, too! I LOVE having the time every day to plan meals. I absolutely HATE coming home at 5:00pm and THEN having to decide what to make. I like having lots of time, and with that time has come lots of inspiration. Don't get me wrong, I still order pizza every now and then, but MUCH less than we used to. I'm discovering many of my mom's cooking talents and enjoying putting them into practice myself.
Now that winter has come it's been getting a little trickier, but Tyler and I go for walks as often as we can. We bought the best stroller ever that is small and lightweight and yet still acts as a travel system so I am totally mobile. Now instead of walking outside we walk around the mall with starbucks in hand with friends. (umm...also, I have become a starbucks addict. No, seriously. I think I have a problem. It's been 2 days since my last caramel macchiato and I'm getting shaky)
Haha okay this doesn't really correspond with the rest of my post, but I have to tell you something I love: having a baby gives me an excuse to be a hidden pentecostal! I get to dance in church and no one cares because it just looks like I'm rocking my baby. HA!
Now that the Christmas season is here I'm also enjoying time just...relaxing. I always feel a deep relaxing feeling when this season hits. It's full of puzzles, tea drinking, burning candles, snuggling under blankets, and classical - then transitioning to christmas - music. I also currently enjoy dragging my child by the ankles away from the tree again and again.
Yes, I realize this is turning into kind of a directionless list, but I dont' feel like stopping yet.
I was contacted by the MB herald recently to write a book review for them! I submitted it last week and I will soon be a published writer. Kind of. It's a start, right? I'm kind of hoping I did a good enough job that they'll continue to ask me to contribute. I'm feeling like my opportunities door has been thrown wide open with this camp job and the world is my oyster. Taking over the world doesn't seem too hard right now. Armed with optimism, I'll keep walking through this wonderful time in life right into the next.
So I admit...Tyler enjoy a lifestyle of being out and about.
One of the constants every week (or nearly every week) is brunch with my fellow mat leave and very close girlfriends. We take turns concocting unbelieveable brunches and giving the old 'screw you' to losing our baby weight for the duration of that meal. Almost every brunch so far has included whipped cream or icing. Dessert Brunch!
Tyler time. I love to just sit on the floor with Tyler and play. He develops so much every day and watching him and helping him learn is one of my day to day favorite things. It's incredible how much pride I feel from him doing something as simple as putting a cheerio in his mouth or stand up while holding onto my knees.
I'm really enjoying cooking, too! I LOVE having the time every day to plan meals. I absolutely HATE coming home at 5:00pm and THEN having to decide what to make. I like having lots of time, and with that time has come lots of inspiration. Don't get me wrong, I still order pizza every now and then, but MUCH less than we used to. I'm discovering many of my mom's cooking talents and enjoying putting them into practice myself.
Now that winter has come it's been getting a little trickier, but Tyler and I go for walks as often as we can. We bought the best stroller ever that is small and lightweight and yet still acts as a travel system so I am totally mobile. Now instead of walking outside we walk around the mall with starbucks in hand with friends. (umm...also, I have become a starbucks addict. No, seriously. I think I have a problem. It's been 2 days since my last caramel macchiato and I'm getting shaky)
Haha okay this doesn't really correspond with the rest of my post, but I have to tell you something I love: having a baby gives me an excuse to be a hidden pentecostal! I get to dance in church and no one cares because it just looks like I'm rocking my baby. HA!
Now that the Christmas season is here I'm also enjoying time just...relaxing. I always feel a deep relaxing feeling when this season hits. It's full of puzzles, tea drinking, burning candles, snuggling under blankets, and classical - then transitioning to christmas - music. I also currently enjoy dragging my child by the ankles away from the tree again and again.
Yes, I realize this is turning into kind of a directionless list, but I dont' feel like stopping yet.
I was contacted by the MB herald recently to write a book review for them! I submitted it last week and I will soon be a published writer. Kind of. It's a start, right? I'm kind of hoping I did a good enough job that they'll continue to ask me to contribute. I'm feeling like my opportunities door has been thrown wide open with this camp job and the world is my oyster. Taking over the world doesn't seem too hard right now. Armed with optimism, I'll keep walking through this wonderful time in life right into the next.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
On life, transitions, and the desires of our hearts.
I have exciting news!!
I am going back into camp ministry.
Ooooo even typing that gives me just a few shivers. I am PASSIONATE for camp ministry. I worked as a camp counsellor for 5 years combined at two different camps and loved every minute of it. The first summer I spent away from camp in my entire life (as a staff or camper from the age of 7 on) was the summer I got engaged. It was actually pretty hard for me to accept that the camp 'era' of my life had ended. I told Mitch that I was still going to pray that God would bring the two of us back to camp ministry one day. He was somewhat skeptical that this would happen as he's the exact opposite of passionate towards camp ministries. (Bad camper experiences will do that to you...) Nonetheless, I prayed.
I had truthfully somewhat given up on this dream at this point in my life. Going back to camp with a small child realistically in my mind did not work so I didn't entertain the thought. Then this winter I was approached about the possibility of a job at camp. I left the converstaion and wept. I had forgotten how desperately my heart wanted to be there. It was a wakeup call for me, and also for Mitch I think. We talked about it for many hours over the next little while and Mitch told me straight out that if this was something I wanted, he was going to do his best to make it possible on the home front for me to explore this opportunity. Just in the last few weeks I entered into conversation about the camp again about working for them. It turns out a position had opened that was PERFECT for me. It's an office administrative position. I'll be working part time (half or a little less), in the city, close to Mitch and home, and during the summers I get to spend it out at camp. They are also excited about my past camp experience and are looking forward to expanding my job description to include things like music and other areas as I grow in the job.
I can't begin to explain how my heart feels with the decision Mitch and I made to take the job. God KNOWS me. He knows my heart and my innermost desires. He has given me several jobs before this one that have perfectly prepared me for this one. He has put me back in camp ministry in the capacity I was hoping to work in while having kids. He has given me a boss who understands having small children and is willing to be flexible. I feel so blessed. I went in to my previous work today to tell them that I won't be coming back after my mat leave is up. They were sad to see me go and I left on a very positive note. The road before me holds so much promise. Remember how I said I was excitable? Yeah...I'm bouncing.
So here we go. It's so interesting how just a few short months ago I blogged about how I felt like something was coming. Remember that? I blogged that I needed something that I'm passionate about. Mitch and I have been feeling for a long time that we've been in a state of 'waiting'. Content where we are, but knowing this is not where we'll stay. Perhaps this is the first step forward in where God is wanting to move us.
I am so excited.
I am going back into camp ministry.
Ooooo even typing that gives me just a few shivers. I am PASSIONATE for camp ministry. I worked as a camp counsellor for 5 years combined at two different camps and loved every minute of it. The first summer I spent away from camp in my entire life (as a staff or camper from the age of 7 on) was the summer I got engaged. It was actually pretty hard for me to accept that the camp 'era' of my life had ended. I told Mitch that I was still going to pray that God would bring the two of us back to camp ministry one day. He was somewhat skeptical that this would happen as he's the exact opposite of passionate towards camp ministries. (Bad camper experiences will do that to you...) Nonetheless, I prayed.
I had truthfully somewhat given up on this dream at this point in my life. Going back to camp with a small child realistically in my mind did not work so I didn't entertain the thought. Then this winter I was approached about the possibility of a job at camp. I left the converstaion and wept. I had forgotten how desperately my heart wanted to be there. It was a wakeup call for me, and also for Mitch I think. We talked about it for many hours over the next little while and Mitch told me straight out that if this was something I wanted, he was going to do his best to make it possible on the home front for me to explore this opportunity. Just in the last few weeks I entered into conversation about the camp again about working for them. It turns out a position had opened that was PERFECT for me. It's an office administrative position. I'll be working part time (half or a little less), in the city, close to Mitch and home, and during the summers I get to spend it out at camp. They are also excited about my past camp experience and are looking forward to expanding my job description to include things like music and other areas as I grow in the job.
I can't begin to explain how my heart feels with the decision Mitch and I made to take the job. God KNOWS me. He knows my heart and my innermost desires. He has given me several jobs before this one that have perfectly prepared me for this one. He has put me back in camp ministry in the capacity I was hoping to work in while having kids. He has given me a boss who understands having small children and is willing to be flexible. I feel so blessed. I went in to my previous work today to tell them that I won't be coming back after my mat leave is up. They were sad to see me go and I left on a very positive note. The road before me holds so much promise. Remember how I said I was excitable? Yeah...I'm bouncing.
So here we go. It's so interesting how just a few short months ago I blogged about how I felt like something was coming. Remember that? I blogged that I needed something that I'm passionate about. Mitch and I have been feeling for a long time that we've been in a state of 'waiting'. Content where we are, but knowing this is not where we'll stay. Perhaps this is the first step forward in where God is wanting to move us.
I am so excited.
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