Thrive

So clearly I have a ton of catching up to do as we have already had 4 of our five birthdays for the year and easter and who knows what else! But first I will tell you about my new addiction! I have recently become a consultant for a totally awesome company (Thrive) and am having a LOT of fun collecting their products, eating them and sharing them with people. I even have my own website people can order off of! For your entertainment it is

http://www.randacook.shelfreliance.com/

AND I have bussiness cards!!

(I feel so grown up)

Think fantastic, healthy, convenient food with amazing shelf life!

That is all. I figure if I start small I will be less intimidated and get down to the bussiness of updating my blog =).

Randomness

So its official. I am officially booted out of the best calling ever. That sounds a bit dramatic doesn't it? Okay lets try again. I am finished my turn at helping in the SUPER FUN young womens program at church. There thats much better! I guess it has been four years so I can't selfish the funnest calling forever. I will so miss my girls and the fabulous women I got to work with! We just wont get to play as often anymore! A nice part is that I don't have to worry about the girls at all because they will be fabulously taken care of by the wonderful women in charge of them. Its funny cause I remember being so scared when I was first called and felt like I could never get comfortable and feel like I belonged with such a responsibility. But the Lord really can and does make our burdens light in so much that we do not even feel that it is a burden! Mostly I just keep feeling like I am slacking and dumping my job on someone else. But then I tell myself again that the Lord calls who he wants at that time so it is now my time to be somewhere else and be happy about it =). I am excited to be able to attend relief society again though so that will be fun!

Dear Father

You told me to serve

so i have

i have answered the call

again and again

i have answered

and stretched my soul more

everytime.

I finally understand

why it hurst so much

everytime.

You told me to serve

with all my heart

might

mind and strength

so i do.

And every time

Im realeased

my heart is broken 

again.

But i guess

thats the point

isn't it?

To arrive at your feet

with a broken heart 

and a contrite spirit

to be gathered 

in his arms and hear

well done.

So i will continue 

to serve

and cry a little

everytime. 

And stretch my soul

so i can turn

my face to the light

when the tears fall

and allow they love

to dry my tears

and give me strength

to rise again. 

Sorry enough drama again - I wonder where my kids get it from? Here are some of my favorite places to take pictures in the Tyrell museum. We went again with my mommy when we were visiting so the boys could get some work done without little helpers =).

Talia was hilarious! She was sooo interested in everything and walked around like this looking very carefully at EVERYTHING!

Face painting of course and sweet smiles at all times!

If she could articulate: how much longer mom? She would. But how much more need we say after that awesome face?

The fingerprints on this glass must be fantastic by the end of the day! Just sayin.

Want another random glimpse into my insanity? So my little man who JUST turned four has like three cavities. SIgh - the poor kid got my teeth. Mostly its sad cause he is my MOST dedicated about brushing his teeth but he can't seem to win anyway. We are talking about sneaking out of bed to brush his teeth. Ah well what can you do? Genetics can be a kicker! So we have been recomended to have him sedated while they are filled to reduce trauma and actully get it done without him dodging or gagging while they do it. The place we have been referred to has been fabulous and very helpful while discussing this and they sent me the forms for eating and drinking guidelines blah blah blah. Ready for the line that gets me? "Failure to follow the guidelines for eating and drinking prior to surgery may lead to life threatening complications". Then mommy's blood pressure increases and I am glad I don't have to watch as they put him to sleep cause its giving me issues already. I am a bit freaked out with him going into a surgery where the only risk is about the anesthetic. Not whether or not the surgery will work, whether he will survive, whether his heart will work properly, whether his brain will be affected ....or the million other worries parents of children with serious challenges have as they wait and pray through ANOTHER surgery. I have a LOT to be grateful for everyday. 

Is anyone else

living just waiting

for the other shoe to drop?

Waiting for cancer

to hit your

3 year old

for no apparent reason?

For your husband

to die

on the way home

from work?

To see your child

hit by a car

in front of your eyes?

To watch one you love

suffer in horendous pain

everyday

for the rest of their lives?

Is anyone else 

looking over their shoulder

expecting life to get

so much harder?

Because it can't possibly be

so easy?

Do you ask yourself

if the reason you don't 

have that challenge

is because

you are too weak

to handle it?

You cant handle the heat

of that refiners fire?

Its not that I dont find my life

challenging.

Or that I don't whine

about the things

that I find hard.

I just don't see 

how I have anything

to whine about.

Perhaps I am just not listening

well enough to learn

all I should be right now.

Perhaps that is not the lesson

I need to learn.

Perhaps what I need most

is to learn precise obedience

in the routine of life.

Perhaps my lesson now

needs to be finding joy

in the journey,

to serve with joy,

to get myself in line

when God inspires my leaders

to teach me what I need to know.

To have more patience and

develop the self diciplne

I need 

to be financially responsible

take care of my house and

my family.  

Perhaps my role

is to be one who serves

those who are living

through their greatest trials.

I guess there needs to be someone

who is able to serve

or just listen

or just love.

Now that I can do!!

More tangents apparently I have a lot to say today. My kitchen reno pictures will come eventually for those anxiously waiting but we first have to finish the lights - get myself an electrician =) and paint the other half of the room! It will happen eventually when things settle down a bit now we hope. So much to do and so much laziness to battle! Later!

Skating Skills

Getting suited up:

Melia and Vance about to race..on your marks, get set...

Go!!!

Break!

Balance practice

GO!!

Kyan loved the freedom of taking off with our golf ball game contraption =)

Mommy doesnt get to put her skates on quite yet cause by the time we have those three suited up and skating one of them is done and someone has to keep an eye on Talia who conveniently fell asleep while we were looking for  rink that was not a puddle. Its been a warm year. In the beginning of January all our snow melted and Melia was very upset so she asked me if we were gonna get more snow and I promised her we would get more. Mid february comes and I was beginning to worry I would be breaking a promise I felt was a VERY safe one to make! Really if you cant promise your kid more snow in Canada in January what is the world coming too!! Finally the snow came again and I was safe! We have been greatly enjoying the return of winter but Vance is starting to watch wake boarding videos already so I think we will find something to do in summer as well =)

Face painting!

My mom's new hobby is another one I love! We tend to benefit from all her genius but this one is more visible.

I love her expression! She is very excited to be a canvas for grandma to practice on.



Kyan surpised us all by wanting Shamu =)

I've decided to start wearing war paint in basketball. It even matches my A&W uniform!!

I may have had fun being a canvas as well =)

Kyan wanted a Siberian tiger next of course - keep grandma on her toes.

Dolphin time!

A dinosaur that roars when you talk!

Arm snakes for those children uninterested in having a sticking coming at their face =)

Melia decided to get into Grandma's new hobby and asked to paint her face. She definitely has an eye for colors!! She said it didn't turn out exactly like she planned but I told her that mine never do either =)

SNOW!!!!

Being the fabulous Canadians we are we love to play in the snow!!

Pardon her lack of appropriate winter clothing - she has been living in California for a couple years. We helped her stay warm by letting her haul everyone =)

Snow angels are essential. Fruit loop angel's also happen on occasion when some sweet child dumps an entire bag of fruitloops in the kitchen and another sweet child decides to make - fruit loop angels!

Swings are fun year round. You just have to dress up a bit more in different months =)

We make our own snow hills when it is late and dark.

Talia's turn!

We LOVE SNOW!!

ITS YUMMY!

Christmas 2011!

I am only three months late! New record? Possibly. =) As an update to my last post about the bullying you will all be happy to know that the issue has been resolved and we have had no further trouble. It has been a valuble lesson for all and her faith in her teachers has been restored so hopefully no future problems will get so far again. As per my usual technique you will all now be inundated with more info about what we have been up to then you ever wanted to know! We will begin with Christmas!

To start with my kids love pyjama's so a tradition that says you get new pyjama's Christmas eve is one we happily embrace and I highly recomend the disney store when they have sales on cause they are super cute and actually wear really well.

The highlight of Talia's Christmas and also greatly loved by Melia and Kyan were the stuffed animals Vana and Will  brought them from Sea World - SUPER CUTE!! Talia still carries her turtle around every day and Shamu and Splash (melia's name for her Dolphin) have the exclusive spot of being thier stuffed animals in their beds. (My kids only get one for a variety of reasons).

Kyan was in heaven with all his sweet toys!

Melia LOVED all of her awesome presents too. A bit smug perhaps?

Talia refused to open any presents and screamed at me when I handed her one started or unopen. Who hides fun presents in paper anyway? Its a good thing she got her turtle unwrapped or Christmas may have been a write off entirely for her. sigh

Vana and Will with their stash. He clearly belongs in our family because he has some fantastic facial expressions which is kindof a family trademark =)

Tyler got exactly what he wanted - its like mom and dad knew what he would like! They may have had him for the past three years because of random switching when we pulled names =)

Mom got too many presents - no chair for dad =)

Now on to one of my favorite parts of our Christmas Traditions! Acting out the Christmas Story! (Another awesome one is having everyones favorite junk food and apetizers for Christmas eve)

Grandpa got to be narrator and Donkey and Melia got to be Mary of course! So she arrives in bethlehem to deliver her baby and finds sanctuary in a stable.

When baby Jesus is born the star appears and the angels go about spreading the word.

Jesus is born they proclaim to the shepherds!!

So the sheep come with the shepherds of course

And the wise men also follow the star:

 Along with the little wise guys helper.....

And they all come to worship the new born king!

We had a lot of fun with the gingerbread houses and gingerbread trains and the kids had a great time eating the candy as usual... Melia was definately into decorating as well this year and she did a fabulous job!

Kyan and Talia helped with the candy. The eating part of course.

That is her candy smile - its how i buy her love =)

We also enjoyed our ward Christmas party this year and Melia was excited to bring her new friend from school, Mariam.

The classic Santa picture of course! No one is even screaming though which Vance was a bit sad about since he wanted to win a screaming kid with santa contest.

That is my little belated summary of Christmas for 2011!