show me your glory.

...I long to look on the face of the one that I love,

Long to stay in Your presence it's where I belong...

Kim Walker Smith - Show Me Your Glory

When I went to do a re-cap of 2012, all I could think about was how God has shared His glory with us. Starting up a new company and already seeing fruitfulness and bounty...having Judah enter our lives and having them changed entirely for the better...time and time again, being reminded of the grace He gives us everyday...I'd say, we've seen His glory.

As we are about to embark on this new year, that is my hope for you and yours: that you would see and know His glory in 2013!

Happy New Year!

pic pix: trees on tunnel mountain road, Banff, AB, 23.Dec.2012

our christmas.

After a busy few days - from our house to the grandparents' houses and back again - I wish we could go back to capture ALL of Judah's first Christmas on video!  

We had fun lounging, visiting, EATING, and combining both of our families' traditions (Matt's family - Christmas bread & gjetost...mmmmm!  my family - getting up early to talk around the Christmas tree) and creating new traditions for just us.  The mattress was once again brought into the living room for the Christmas Eve camp out, pyjamas (and jerseys!) were all that were worn for 2 days, gifts were exchanged, afternoon naps had, the story sharing the birth of our King told & celebrated...

We were with family, we were with each other.  Regardless of how busy and packed it seemed, it was worth every moment to be together and I can't help but feeling over-the-top blessed.

Hope you all had a beautiful Christmas too!

xo

pic pix: Judah's first Christmas (1st shot - Juju's first ornament), 25-26.Dec.2012 ,Calgary AB

merry & bright.

Merry Christmas Eve!

My computer technically fizzed out this week and I've tremendously missed sharing over here!  I'm hoping it's just a battery issue...we'll see(!).  Once I get my technical situation under control (and my head out of the 'holiday game'), I'll be back with regular posts.  Maybe my computer broke down around Christmas for a reason ... hmmm!

Within the hustle and bustle going on around us, we took this past weekend to go veg up in the mountains for a few days...our second home.  We booked a hotel and spa services (my husband rocks!) last minute and figured the 'important' things that weren't done before Christmas were just not going to get done this year.  I'm so glad we did.  The fresh -and freezing!- air did us good.  Simplifying our to-dos merited a sweet rest right in time for Christmas.

pic pix: Banff Getaway, December 21-23, 2012

thoughts.things.

Here are some (random) smatterings of what's been going on over here ...

House for ... SOLD!
What a relief it is to have our flip-property sold!  After being on the market for almost 6 months, a deal came through and now it's all moving so fast.  As we weren't living in the house, we've been renting an apartment for the last 2 years.  With the house sold, we gave our notice to be moved out of here by March 1, 2013...let the house hunting begin!  We dream of an acreage with a mountain view, but for now, will be looking to buy in town (I'm still secretly hoping we find our dream place sooner!).  It's going to be a crazy story how the timing will work out!

Judah & the bean.
This little clip is just a sweet glimpse into the fun I get to have daily with Mr. Judah.  I'm loving every stage of being his mama!

'bean' there, doing that. from Sarah Nadine Arsenault on Vimeo.

Visiting.
We had the chance to visit Matt's Grandma last weekend.  They are still living on the farm (in their late 80s!) and keeping things going tickety-boo.  Amazing really.  It's always so refreshing to get up there and hear nothing but your own voices, animals, the wind & trees, and sometimes the machinery you are in!

Cleanse time.
I've been on a cleanse since the middle of November, and am craving a good cup of coffee, some dark chocolate(s), and good cheese.  It's interesting to learn these new things about myself (aka the foods I am addicted to!).

Blessed.
Once again, I've been beyond-the-feeling of grateful for this man.  He brings me so much joy, he is my constant support ... my wonderful husband. xo.

tree pickin.

I've always wanted to go and cut down a Christmas tree, and yesterday, my childhood dream was fulfilled.  Instead of picking one out at a lot, we went to a tree farm just outside the city (though our original plan was to go get one in the mountains ... we'll just have to do it next year!).

As most Alberta winter days, it was nippy - a chilling -6 C - with that snap of a wind biting at your cheeks.  The sun was out, the skies were blue ... we had some serious tree shopping to do!  We dressed Judah up with as many layers that would fit him(!) and he was STILL cold after our brief tree search (a whole 10 minutes because even I was freezing).  Next year ... a sled, hot chocolate, and blankets will be in tote!

Now, with the smell of white spruce in my living room *glee*, I have some decorating to do!

pic pix: the Christmas tree hunt, 09.Dec.2012, Elbow Valley, AB

our day in pictures.

1. toys kind of remind me of christmas / 2. deckin' the halls with chalkboard walls (work in progress...i ran out of chalk!) / 3. the eye of the trunk seen on our afternoon walk / 4. trying on new thrifted finds for juju / 5. l.o.v.e. / 6. i am seriously addicted to this tea (thanks to mariel!), the mint/vanilla combo mmmmm!

the smallest of things.

Baby step up, baby step down.  *pant* *pant* Baby step to the side, baby step to the other side *pant* *pant* *sigh* {repeat} ... the sounds I hear myself uttering as I attempt to work out ...

After having Judah, not being able to jump back into a rigorous workout regime (for my body's best chance a full healing/recovery) was difficult but at least I knew there was an end in sight,  Now that I've been given the go-ahead to give 'er, I'm finding to take things slow and peg success in small increments seems incredibly more challenging - mentally and physically!

I'm needing to stretch more.  Stretching to release and bring movement to all of the small fibers that make up each muscle (that darn gluteus maximus!).  I'm needing to ice the most tender muscles - which feels like them all.  I'm needing to change my standing and sitting habits (that have morphed while working at a desk for 2 years)...

Much like the small tires hanging on the fence posts (photograph above), the smallest of details give something or someone flare, character, individuality.  In a muscles case, the smallest of movements and attention to detail result in agility, flexibility, strength, and decreased pain.  How the small things make big differences ...

"...don't you know that a little yeast leavens a whole batch of dough?"   

1 Corinthians 5:6

Little things make big changes.  Making my bed in the morning means (at least) one clean room.  Saying a kind comment to a stranger, even if it's just 'hello', may be what you both need to brighten up your day(s).  Starting my day with a simple breakfast, warming up my brain with a daily crossword, consistently spending quiet moments with God throughout the day, stretching every day, etc.

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. ~ Vincent Van Gogh

pic pix: driving from Alberta/Montana border, Apr.2011

that time ...

Around here, Christmas is gearing up and we're about ready to deck these halls!  'Cool Yule' and 'Oh Holy Night' are two of our daily tunes, my pinterest food board keeps getting more Christmas treats added, the advent tree is almost done, some Christmas reindeer showed up in my oven this afternoon, a date set to get our Christmas tree ... it's almost here again!

I've never had the time before Christmas to let the infusion of the season saturate and permeate my day-to-day.  Since I've been an adult, it's been either an exam due, a rush to get work deadlines done before year end, or just the plain busyness of other events that have taken my time away from home.  So I am plenty excited to take it all in this year and have this time to celebrate the birth of our King!


pic pix: 'it's time for Christmas' - shots around home, 28.Nov.2012

why blog?

Some people blog about a hobby, to display their photography, to communicate with their clients (as a business), to share their expertise, to express their opinions ... why do you?

Tonight, I heard this lady's experience about how she started writing a blog (just last month!) and the steps/stories leading her to it.  Perhaps a wee bit coincidental ... my question "why do you blog" was already titled to this post (in my drafts).  Coincidental, or maybe just that I am more curious to hear about your blogging story after hearing her talk about hers (which started differently, has a unique humor, has a different message to share, etc).

When I was in high school, I was part of this sociology type class where the question was asked:  What 5 things do you want to accomplish by the age of 25?  We were told to dream big, set no limits.  These were my 5 written items:

1. learn a language
2. travel the world
3. fly a plane
4. open a cafe
5. write a book

Surprisingly so (and God-graced), these "dreams" really weren't that far fetched.

1. learn a language - I had taken high school french, but really wanted to know spanish.  So that I learnt!  No, I am by no means fluent ... but I do understand and connect with it.

2. travel the world - Working for an airline allowed me opportunities to travel 4 different continents (including places I got to use some spanish!).

3. fly a plane - For my 21st birthday, Matt (who was taking flying lessons at the time) surprised me with a flight lesson ... and I can proudly say, I flew that little Cessna right over the beautiful Foothills and successfully landed it.

4. open a cafe - This was a dream I thought wouldn't happen until I was older with older children, with more money, etc, etc.  It was an overnight decision a friend and I made to DO something and not just work for "the man".  Alas, SPROUTS was founded.

5. write a book ...

As I am now 26 and writing this, I did not "technically" accomplish my last goal.  In November 2009, I thought by writing a blog I would one day (by the end of my year as a 25 year old) have material to fit into a book/ideas to go off of.  I wanted to somehow incorporate my photography, God, God's beauty, and truth.  I came up with the name "The Object of Today" from the idea that one of my images would give me inspiration to speak about ... it would be the day's "object" to look at and my words would be the "object lesson" of a message that was on my heart.

That 1st post has now brought me here: adding/sharing new objects in my life (like this little boy!), learning new and sometimes old object lessons along the way, making new friends (whom I have never seen face to face but can relate to what they blog about), and realizing a lot about myself through what I write.

What are some of your blogging "roots"?  What prompted you to start a blog?

Let me know in a comment below or by posting your own post on why you blog (and link to this post so I can read it!) ... I'm interested to read them!


pic pix: back in April @ the Main Dish, Apr.2012

our day in pictures

1. healthy, juicy start.

2. somebody LOVES to make the bed!

3. & 4. a little bit of project time.

5. layers.
6. & 7. winter boulevard walk.
8. playtime.
9. prep for dinner party tomorrow night.

a simple thought.

If you're a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don't call your wages a gift.  But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it's something only God can do, and you trust him to do it - you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked - well, that trusting-him-to do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God.  Sheer gift. 

Romans 4:4-5

. . .

It was on our way to the Apple store the other day.  We had decided it was time that I get a new laptop.  I've had mine for 4/5 years and though it's still in workable condition (for the time being), certain quirks have been a little more obvious lately.  A write-off for the business.  The computer is old.  We need to be able to get the new updates ... just a few of our justifications.

As we were approaching the mall, neither of us were pumped to go inside.  Our conversation at this point was focused on how the mall really seems to serve no purpose except to encourage buying stuff, comparing stuff, and consuming more stuff.  Stuff, stuff, stuff.

Driving into the parkade (as we were right amidst 'bashing' our society of consumers), we verbally, and obviously realized that we were no different.  Our mission was to buy a new computer because we "needed" it ... {I keep thinking of that scene in the movie "What About Bob?" - gimme gimme, I need I need!}.

That little incident stuck with me.  It's caused me to evaluate:

How far from the thinking of "being right with God is a sheer gift" have I drifted?  

It seems unnecessary to depend and trust God for things that I feel are 'entitled' to be mine (like my wage) because the thinking is, "if it really came down to it I would get them for myself somehow".  How backward is that?  The Creator of all things isn't trusted to take care of His creations and their needs ...

My simple thought:

Sheer gift = the simplicity of a life trusting in Him.

pic pix: simple trees, Fish Creek Park, Alberta, 14.Nov.2012