I Am Blessed

I had a hard time going to sleep last night...you see, I kept replaying in my mind all the things that need to get done at work. Things would be busy no matter what this time of year, but add to that the fact that two of my staff are off sick and what lies ahead of me next week is daunting... And yesterday I learned that my IS Manager will be off for at least another week, if not two (his situation has gotten worse).

Now my heart and prayers just go out for these people who are off sick and that tops my list of concerns right now. But I also can't help but feeling overwhelmed and that there is no way that I can do all that I need to get done next week...in particular, handling all the technical things that must be done in the IS Manager's absense (especially with my current workload). Please pray.

So in the midst of this, the Thanksgiving sermon I heard last night told me to find the blessing in the midst of this current struggle, and trust me, I am looking it, so I'm pausing for a moment to list out all of the things I'm thankful for right now:

- God's grace and love.
- My handsome husband whom I adore and how he love me.
- Our daughter and how her character is growing.
- Our health.
- Our extended family and the fact that most of us can see each other this Thanksgiving.
- Friends who have been so there for me.
- Our home.
- That we have jobs.
- Amanda's school and the friends that God has drawn to her.
- A new small group.
- Tea ...I think I'll go and have a cup before I get into my 'to do' list today:)

Tagged

Donna tagged me to go through my blog archives, find my 23rd posting and to paste the 5th sentence from it below. Here it is....

"I have so many memories of hours upon hours spent playing and imagining!"

Now I'm to tag 5 others to do the same...so here's the list:
Jackie R., Carrie C., Gloria R., Arilee H. and Cathy J. If you are reading this and are so inclined, what is the fifth sentence of your 23rd post? (Participation is completely optional:)

Well, I made it through the inventory count!! ...enough said (I do believe that work has taken up more than its fair share of time already this week).

Les is at work and Amanda is at Grandma's, so I had the house to myself to do my workout this morning, then I showered and headed out to get my hair cut. I love getting my hair cut, I'm not sure why? It could have something to do with the fact that I enjoy spending time with my hairdresser or the fact that it feels so good to have her massage my head or just that right now I feel pretty:) Whatever it is, I'll take it!

There sure is a fall chill in the air today, so I'm off to make some macchiato's for Les when he gets home! Enjoy the falling leaves:)

Three Wishes

Les and I taped the premier of this show last night. Then we watched it together after his evening shift, and we both loved it! In truth, I was in tears more than once during the show, touched and moved by the personal stories that were told. I think what encouraged me most was seeing everyday-folk be inspired and join in in reaching out to one another:)

Grant's Wish
"It's a teaching tool," Grant says. "Yes, it's a television show, and we are using network dollars, sponsorship dollars, to do a good thing for people. But we live in an age where
people are not connecting the way they used to, not meeting each others' needs
on a basic level. My hope, when I first went to NBC -- I just said I hope that
people see this show and feel inspired to reinvest. That's my hope, that people
are re-energized."

After shooting several episodes, the recording artist and TV host says she has already seen that hope realized, to some extent, just among the people she and her team have met in the towns the show has visited. While only three wishes are chosen for each town out of however many hundreds or thousands are presented, Grant says many times other wishes get granted off camera and behind the scenes, as a result of people
coming together to share their needs. "

Weekend Update

Friday was the third anniversary of the day my amazing husband proposed to me! :) And so we got a sitter and had a date-night to celebrate! Les took me to see the premiere of Just Like Heaven followed by macchiato's at Starbucks and book-browsing at McNally's...an awesome date-night if I do say so myself!! When I saw the previews for the movie, I was a little unsure about whether I wanted to see it. On the one hand, it was a romantic comedy (my favourite type of show!), but on the other hand, the previews seemed to suggest it somehow dealt with the issue of the afterlife in a way that I may possibly object to. As it was the premiere showing, there was no way for me to check out what others thought, so we just gave it a shot and went to the movie. And I'd have to say that it was one of the best movies I've seen in a while! It wasn't a typical, predictable story, it had some interesting twists and turns. And in the end, yes, I was in tears (as is often the case with a good love story...*sigh*) You can check out Carolyn Arends' review of the movie here if you're interested.

Saturday, we had Amanda's friend, Steph, over for a play-date and supper and then we all headed off to Church for the carnival. Amanda and her friend had a blast!

Then on Sunday we went to my inlaws for lunch and then out to Bridge City Speedway to see this year's championship races! It's been a long time since Les had a weekend off like this and we were able to do so much together...I loved it!

Jewels

Most people who know me personally have heard me talk at one time or another about the 'jewels' God gives me. Sometimes they have been rewards for obedience and sometimes (often) they have been completely unmerited on my part. All of the time though they are affirmations of His love. I confess though that sometimes when I don't slow down my life enough I miss out on seeing His hand on me in that way. That's something I feel I need to confess today.

Roses in my heart is the name of this blog, but it really falls out of a much bigger story that has to do with God's woo-ing of me, and how many times He's shown me His love through roses, a jewel that so hits this romantic heart of mine. I don't have the time to tell the full story here, but let me just give you a bit of background. You see, when I was a single girl, before God "turned my waiting into dancing", He used to send me roses regularly. Many of my married friends would even comment to me that although I was single I received them more often than any of the married women they knew! God knew this over-romantic heart of mine though and He knew just how to woo me. Roses have had a big significance in that...not only the receiving of them, but the learning through them, the experiences in gardens, etc.

Flash forward a few years and I'm a wife and a mother and He has given me so much more that I could even ask or imagine. But in truthfulness, I'd have to say that I don't have much time for myself these days and this week has been an even bigger example of that. You see, work is very hectic right now. And when extra is called for at work, I usually end up not taking proper lunches or breaks because I can't just stay late every day like I would when I was single. I have a daughter to be home for after school and a husband who works shiftwork. Well, without going to all the details, let's just say that this week I was running day and night and the lack of down time was definitely wearing on me.

My plans for this evening were to race home from work (I had to leave before a meeting I was part of even came to end), heat up the supper I prepared the night before and wisk Amanda off to her worship dance class all by 5:15 (Les is working this evening). Then while she was dancing, go to the store and pick up the things we need around the house (you would not believe how much milk we go through?!)

Anyway, so as not to make a long story too much longer, let me tell you God's plans for me tonight... get my attention after dropping Amanda at dance, woo me to Starbucks and treat me to a carmel macchiato (no fat and no sugar) and an almond biscotti (which was even balanced carb-wise) with a Mary Engelbreit magazine and some time alone to just relax. As I dipped my biscotti in my coffee it dawned on me how many free Starbucks treats I seem to get these days (all with their own stories) and I saw God's fingerprints all over it! What I need is some down time from time to time and God, knowing what I need, has been wooing me this way. What a jewel?!

Well Amanda's off to bed now, I've done some laundry and finished my workout, but rather than just quickly wash off and get back to the laundry I'm going to linger a bit longer and have a bubble bath right now and enjoy what I am learning. I feel a bit guilty though, did I mention that I forgot to pick up the milk?!! Oh well, hopefully there's enough there to get us through breakfast! I won't think about that right now though, I'm just going to get my tea, some candles and some bubbles. G'night y'all:)

Starbucks is on my side:)

Work has been crazy busy for too many reasons for me to go into here, but let's just all agree that I deserved the Starbucks I treated myself today, ok?! So I'm working away, sipping my Starbucks when the inspirational saying on the cup catches my eye:

The Way I See It #63
"Our lives are inspired by the dreams we have from the earliest stages of our youth. When you combine passion and hard work, then success is always possible. While no road is ever straight, dedication and persistence will always lead you toward your dreams."

Add in about faith, God's will and prayer, and that pretty much sums up the essence of what we try to teach Amanda. See, Starbucks is on my side, now if I could get the teachers there!

_____
OK, I can't end this post without making sure that anyone reading this blog knows that on most things I have total respect for ALL of the teachers Amanda has had. They have all been gifted educators with a heart for children and learning, so if I come off as though I'm dissing them, I'm not, it's just this candy-method and over-rewarding expected behavior that I question. But let me just say that being a teacher must be such a tough job these days and I SO admire those doing it. It was my dream growing up, so I will always have such a soft spot for teachers:)

Royalty Trumps Conspiracy!

Yesterday during handwriting class, Amanda's teacher told Amanda that she was "the Queen of handwriting" as she passed by her desk and reviewed her work, and then, in front of the whole class, she said, "Yes, when Amanda was first born, I'm sure her mother held her in her arms and looked into her eyes and said, 'you will be a Queen I tell you, the Queen of handwriting!' " Evan, the often teasing boy who sits beside Amanda, grabbed her book to see for himself, and then he affirmed, "You are! You are the Queen of handwriting!"

Amanda beamed when she told me about this this morning. I, of course, confirmed that she does have beautiful handwriting, to which she replied (unaware of my blog-post from yesterday), "Mom, when the teacher called me the Queen of handwriting that was way better than getting candy!" I, of course, agreed....you see, royalty does trump conspiracy with my daughter:)

It's a Conspiracy!

In our home, we try so hard to make healthy choices for our family and set a good example for our daughter when it comes to eating and exercise, hoping that one day she will choose so on her own. We don't obsess about this, but we do try and live it out... And this means that Amanda doesn't get candies and chocolate bars EVERY day. Those are once-in-a-while treats. Oh trust me, she gets plenty of her favourite things, but in moderation, and we really try to make sure that she doesn't get a message that 'food is love'. We'd rather her feel loved by the way we care for her each day...the time we spend together as a family (special times and just every day times like supper at the table together every night or prayers together before bed every night), words of affirmation and love spoken consistently and often lavishly, and the way we serve each other as a family. But tonight I've decided that the rest of the world is all against us! Look at the teachers for one, they reward everything and anything they can throughout the day with candy and chocolate bars, and the Church is even in on it too?! I wish they would think about the message that this is sending. I mean, often they reward what should be expected behavior (like listening when the teacher is talking) with extra candy, and I just really think that food as a reward on a repeated basis sends a dangerous message. Is it just me, or do you worry about this too?

Oooh this looks so good! I'm going to have to go out and get my copy this weekend:)

Sunrise Apples

It is officially autumn! I found sunrise apples in the grocery store this week. These are my favourite!! Juicy, soft, sweet apples that I can only find in the store for a short time each fall. Why, oh why, can't we have sunrise apples all year?!

Rainy Day Treat

It was a rainy and cooler day today. Les was up before six and off to work. I did my workout and a bit of scrapbooking (since the housework had already been done this weekend:) Amanda and I hung out and talked about books she's reading and ways we could redecorate her room. Then this afternoon, we had her friend Britney over for a play-date, and now, over two hours later, I still hear their excited voices creating new story-lines for their Beanie Boppers to act out! Those giggles and gushes are music to my ears:)

Amanda's having a friend over also meant a bit of time to myself for me - because they always play so well together, so I decided to do some experimenting and make a treat for when Les came home from work. There seemed to be a bit of a chill in the air, so I thought I'd try something hot...too bad Starbucks isn't closer, I thought, I could get us some Carmel Macchiato's. Well, since it was pouring out and I didn't want to drag out my two girlies who were so happily playing, I set up the kitchen to try and make my own macchiatos...and they turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself:) ...so here's the recipe:


Carmel Macchiato's a la Sherri (good, but not as good as Starbucks, of course:)

vanilla syrup (we have the sugar free from Starbucks)
skim milk
espresso (I brewed half a pot of Starbucks expresso beans in my coffee pot...double strength)
carmel sauce

In each mug, put 1 tablespoon of sugar free vanilla syrup. Boil some skim milk in the microwave while the coffee is brewing. Use a milk frother (my latest purchase from IKEA!) in the the boiled milk when you take it out. Pour one cup of steamed milk into each mug. Use the frother in each mug to mix the milk with the vanilla syrup. Spoon some milk foam on top of milk mixture in each mug. Pour 1/2 cup of espresso in each mug over the milk mixture...the foam will rise to the top. Drizzle a bit of carmel sauce on top and enjoy! ...Les & I sure did this afternoon:)

Espresso beans from Starbucks - FREE
Milk frother from IKEA - $1.99
Enjoying a rainy day treat in the arms of my husband - PRICELESS!!

First Hillary Duff, then The Queen and now The Prime Minister of Canada...

...it's been quite the year for Miss Amanda! As you'll recall Amanda got treated to the Hillary Duff concert back in January. Then in the spring she had the opportunity to attend the Centennial Gala and see the Queen, and now she's going to meet the Prime Minister of Canada! The school called yesterday with the news that as an honour student she has been invited to have breakfast with the Prime Minister on Friday! She's thrilled beyond thrilled and has been thinking up questions that she might want to ask him (if she feels brave enough!)

This morning was registration for school. Amanda's going into Grade 5, and somehow I had us in the Grade 4 line...where does the time go?! Anyway once we straightened that out, I met her (likely) teacher, and for the first time it's a man?!! He seems very nice as does his TA! And given the amount of prayer we've sent up over the matter of who her teacher would be, I'm eager to see what God has in store for her with this talented duo this year:)

Spoiled!

She just got back from a 7+ week vacation! I haven't gone on vacation yet this year, but we may get a few days off soon...so I'll live vicariously through her in the meantime:) Yesterday we saw some of the pictures and heard some of the stories:) It is always intriguing to learn what different people choose to see and do when they go places. And she brought me something(s!) back...6 (!!) different fabrics (2 of which are Mary Engelbreit!!!) and some scrapbooking supplies!! Boy do I feel spoiled?!! Thanks again, you really shouldn't have...but I'm so tickled you did! :)

A Rational Fear

Yesterday I labeled my fear of falling on the ice as an 'irrational one', and today I'm back to say that I've reconsidered and have decided that it is a completely rational fear for me. You see, when I'm on skates I feel completely out of my comfort zone and out of control. I feel as if I could fall at any moment. And below me is this hard cold ice that doesn't seem pleasant to fall on. Furthermore, I never learned to skate when I was a child and more adaptable and limber. So I've re-categorized it...it's a rational fear!

I'll still keep trying to learn, but IT IS A RATIONAL FEAR!

(There, (sigh), my feeler-heart feels so much better now:)

I Got Skates!

...that's right, it's August, and my husband just finished buying me a new pair of skates?! Talk about a zealous man!!

Friday night we had a 'date-night' to celebrate a recent accomplishment of Les' at work (Way to go, Baby, I'm still SO proud of you!!), and in between the dinner and the movie, on bended knee, he tried skate after skate on my foot... (yeah, he knows how to make me feel like a princess!:)

You see, he hasn't given up on the idea of us romantically skating togeher as a couple (despite the fact that I'm still not a fluent skater and have this irrational fear of falling on the ice!), and the skates I inherited from years gone by not only do not fit right, but are horribly uncomfortable. Les says that a new pair of top of the line CCM's will fix that, and that this is the best time of year to buy skates because you can get last year's top of the line model at a discount as this year's versions begin to be released. So now I have a pair of Sale and Pelletier's that I've been walking around our family room in this weekend.... (The things we do for love:)

p.s. We had a great date night! ...tried out a new sitter with Amanda, who was wonderful ...had a great meal at Tony Romas ...saw a romantic comedy (Must Love Dogs) ...and capped off the evening with Carmel Macchiatos at Starbucks! ...who could ask for more?! :)

Biking Shorts

Our biking shorts arrived!! (And no, I'm not posting of picture of us in them!) We had no sooner opened the package on Friday than we put them on and took them out for a test ride. Wow, what an improvement?!!

We've been riding our bikes a fair bit this summer, but were getting tired of walking like c'boys when we were done. We tried an array of gel seats to no avail. So Les set out to find some good biking shorts, and in truth, there was really nothing much to be had around here, so I set about researching them on the internet and found an AeroDesign company that makes pro-biking shorts with different designs built for men and women. We did some finageling on price and shipping and saved about $40 in total. The shorts arrived within a week of ordering them and work wonderfully!!

Now at the beginning of this all I had such mis-givings about the whole idea and told Les that I couldn't see myself wearing them, but he said he could ;), and after this weekend, I tell ya, I wouldn't be without them! :)

Let me see...

...let me see, what HAVE we been doing lately?

- One night we headed to Long & McQuade for a look-a-bout. This was my second time in the new store, and I really like it!
- Last Friday night Les and I went to the races. I'm amazed at how many drivers I either know or know of?! I bbq'd some salmon for supper first and then when we got home we were treated to a Northern Lights show from our deck! (I love it!!)
- Visited with both sides of the family.
- Facilitated a lot of 'play-dates' for Miss Amanda.
- Yard work, house work, a walk or two and bike riding.
- Became a second cousin again (my youngest cousin, Crystal had a baby boy, Dominic...he's over 9 lbs and 23 inches...why give birth to a baby when you can give birth to a toddler?! :)

It's amazing how fast the summer seems to be going by. Les has been working a lot, but it looks like we're going to have 4 days off as a family together later this month, so I'm looking forward to that! We're loving our yard a lot this summer, but lately have been plagued with a few un-invited guests on our deck at supper-time...wasps! We can't seem to find a hive/nest, so I don't know where they are coming from, but a couple of them seem to like my cooking, so we're looking for ideas of how we can deter them from the deck at meal-time (any and all thoughts are welcome:)

And on a completely unrelated note, last night I caught a few minutes of 'Crossroads' before Les got home from work. I was flipping around and paused when I heard a familiar song coming out of Martina McBride's mouth...it was 'Promises in the Dark', and then out came Pat Benatar to sing it with her! The whole show was the two of them doing each other's songs, and it was so good! When I was a little girl, my brother was mostly grown and had this big stereo and quite a collection of rock music. I used to borrow his records and then give concerts of my own, often singing Pat Benatar's hits, so seeing this pairing on Crossroads was such a hoot to me! And it turns out Martina McBride used to do the same thing as me?! She says that singing Benatar tunes in her bedroom is probably where she developed her vocal range. The highlight for me though was probably hearing Benatar sing the chorus from McBride's 'Independence Day'. It rocked! It was such a strange but interesting pairing of the rocker and the country star, but these two women have so much in common...they are strong intelligent women with strong voices, both with real partnerships in marriage and both with daughters. I didn't get to see the whole show, but it certainly put Suzi Rawn's reprise of a Benatar song on Idol last week in it's place...that was just all 'Raw'g! (in my humble opinion:)

As I read this piece of prose today, I couldn't help but think of my handsome husband and what we share together...


Now we feel no rain,
for each of us will be shelter to the other.
Now we feel no cold,
for each of us will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness,
for each of us will be a companion to the other.
We are two bodies,
but there is one life before us and one home.
When evening falls,
I'll look up and there you will be.
I'll take your hand;
you'll take mine and we'll turn together
To look at the road we traveled to reach this - the hour of our happiness. It stretches behind us,
even as the future lies ahead.
A long and winding road,
whose every turn means discovery.
Old hopes, new laughter, shared fears.
The adventure has just begun.

God is good!!

Gotta Love Starbucks!

OK, I know it's a bit over-priced, but I have to admit a weakness for the occasional treat from Starbucks! This spring, Les and I got a Duetto card and now we earn points toward free Starbucks stuff, which certainly helps! I can't even remember the last time I PAID for a coffee:) And to top that off, the other day when I was in there getting some light fraps for Les and I, they gave me a half pound of the coffee of my choice just for using my Starbucks card! Also when we brought the mail in on the weekend, they had sent us a coupon to have one of their new treats (three different green tea products) on them! All this, and a couple of weeks ago they sent us a postcard thanking us for our business and giving us more $s to spend on our Starbucks card! There must be a catch?! ...the people are even friendly when you go in to order your drinks!! ...and a few weeks ago, when they were having a problem with one of their machines, they gave me a free macchiato just to make sure my 'flavour experience' was the best!! And you know, another thing I like, is that they have healthier options for people's different ways of eating. I order everything non-fat and it's still delicious! My favourite picks are (hot) the grande carmel macchiato, no fat, no sugar, and (cold) the grande light carmel frappucino...mmmm! Gotta love Starbucks!