four months ...

Took these shots around his actual 4 month "birthday"... finally getting to the posting part(!).

Though teething has become my new norm, I still manage to bring a happy light wherever I go with my still-toothless smile.  And that jolly jumper?!  I'm pretty sure they named that for me :)  All smiles on when I get my jump on!  I'm no longer the baby boy that likes to lay under my mobile ... I like to sit and play with my toys now.  Preferably the ones that squeak or make a lot of noise (much to Daddy's chagrin!).  I haven't gotten the hang of crawling yet, but find myself face down swimming in the carpet because I think I can.  Mama loves my giggles, so she tickles me a lot.  Bath time, mirror time, Mama time, ... they're all my favorite pastimes but there's something special about when Daddy gets home to play with me.  To add to my party tricks, I now hold a grown-up cup (with something in it!) and drink from it - it seems to get me even more attention!  I try to grab others things, but I don't get the same reaction ... I wonder why?!  Mama has let me try some new tastes, and I've loved every new exciting flavor.  I got to celebrate my first thanksgiving dinner(s), took a road trip to see my Gigi (great-Gramma), meet my second cousins...there's no end to all these new things!           

the bragging boots

Ever found yourself an amazing deal on something, and can't keep it in with how well you scored on it's price??  Maybe you're not that kind of person - that feels the need to share exciting news with others ... but I sure am (like after we got engaged, I shared my news with random strangers in the elevator, on the bus, in the street...!!).  Was I ever in the advertising mood after finding these cute lil winter boots for Juju.  While thrifting the other morning, I picked up these bad boys (plus a pair of brand new socks) for a steal at $2.99!  I must say ... I was pret-ty happy with my incredible find.  Until ...

I lost one of them.

Yup.  My finder's pride was halted when I went to go show them off to my sister-in-law and the one tiny boot was gone.  I drove back to the store we were at and retraced all of our steps with no avail.  The perfect fit/style (and price) of boot, no more.  As was my bragging ... no more.  Until last night ...

M'love was down in our complex's parkade, and what was sitting in the wash-bay?  That itty-bitty boot!  I'm back to bragging again!

As I was thinking about how excited/proud I could be over a little deal like that, I started thinking of an ever bigger thing to be over the moon about.  Something that I didn't even have to pay for, but it was given to me, and is a lot longer lasting than any deal thrifted or bought new.

God's forgiveness in my life.

Here I am, living my little life "on cloud nine" over my short-lived find and bragging about it, when there is something GREATER and more POWERFUL that actually constantly fuels my existence. my joy. my peace. my strength...

My freedom to not be enslaved to sin!

God has set me free and I need to gloat about that.  He has covered my sins with His never-ending love.  He has set my feet on solid ground.  He has vowed to never leave me nor forsake me.  He has created me so that He may love me.  He promises us eternal life in heaven with Him.  And ALL this for three easy payments of ... free!  Nada, zilch, nothing.

Now that's a DEAL I should be (and am going to be) bragging about.

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be BOLD for Christ, 

as I have been in the past.  And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.  

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.

Philippians 1:20-21

pic pix: the bragging boots, 29.Oct.2012, Calgary, AB

{a smidget of} our day in pictures

1. friendly kisses with a special amiga.

2. words.

3. seems i can't properly dress myself these days ... wrong buttons done up.

4. bringing mid-day coffees to papa.

5. creating new ways to 'play' guitar.

slice of apple pie

I've been meaning to post Judah's 4-month pictures, but haven't gotten to editing them yet (1st, 2nd, 3rd months here, here, and here).  Really, there is no huge reason I haven't posted it yet, except for my terrible procrastination.  While procrastinating, I work myself into thinking, "Well, I can't go any further until I've gotten that post (or whatever it is I am procrastinating) out of the way..."  Then, I don't get things done (other posts written).  I set an order or a timeline of how things should happen and 'give up' when life doesn't progress that way.

Obviously, there are some things in life that require a specific order (i.e. a proposal would not be as exciting/special if you got married THEN got proposed to!) and just wouldn't work without going in a orderly sequence.  But I do think we limit ourselves from moving into the next stage our lives when we focus too much on what/how the progression should be.  Sometimes it's a job, relationship, life event, or even a simple blog post that hasn't happened in the "correct order" that hinders us from leaping to he next lily pad ... allowing us to miss out on enjoying life's moments.  Today's moments!

Imagine life as an apple pie.  A whole pie that you get to eat to yourself.  You eye up the best looking piece (or circumstance) that you think you should enjoy right now.  But, the slice that gets served to you is not that piece.  Eventually, in the course of life, you'll get to eat that initial piece and it'll be just as delicious as the piece(s) you had before it.

Don't get hung up on the order that you get to eat it/live life.  Savor what's being served up to you right now.

**new test-kitchen pie crust recipe ... thanks Martha Stewart!

pic pix: Judah & I making apple pie for last night's company, 24.Oct.2012, Calgary, AB

too fast

Almost 2 weeks ago, I managed to mangle my left pointer finger in an electric hand blender ... yea, not cool.  Fortunately, the closest medical clinic was down the hill and I was able to get in ASAP.  During the brief wait for the doctor and my overall prognosis, all I could think about was, "In one week this won't hurt even half this bad.  I know I'll look back at this moment and be so glad of where I am then..."

Fast forward to this passed Wednesday afternoon.  Judah was going down for a nap and as part of our little ritual I was holding him and singing to him.  Then it hit me that it had been over a week since my little incident, and here I was, remembering and feeling exactly what I thought.  Then another surge of a thought came to me as I looked at that precious boy in my arms ... "One day you will be a strong good man and I'll look back at this moment and wish I were here..."

Life is so fleeting.  So fast.  I'm-a gonna hold on to this little one and drink up all these delicious moments.

pic pix: Judah wearing Daddy's hat & playing, Oct.2012, our living room - Calgary, AB

exposed

We were out for a walk the other day.  The weather was perfect - sunny skies, warm breeze, fall cool crisp.  I had my camera and couldn't wait to capture the beauty and colors.  I got set up as I continued to admire the golds, greys and greens ... "spectacular," I thought to myself.  After snapping what I thought was perfect, I checked the back of my digital screen to examine the results.  Though the image looked nice, it wasn't as *amazing* as what my eyes were seeing.  Usually, it never is, but I darn well do my best in trying to reproduce what I see.

But the colors in front of me seemed near impossible to emulate into my replicated, still image.  Where I live (where the Rocky Mountain Foothills meet the Prairies) most leaves turn to yellow, and the odd tree may have red leaves.  Grey overtakes the landscape as the grass turns grey and the fallen leaves reveal tree trunks that seemed to get lost in the composition.  The gold jumping out to the naked eye looks only like a simple yellow leaf with brown dots.  The sharp contrasts of colors - blue blue sky to the monochromatic palette - don't seem to pop as easy.

I feel sometimes life can look like that.  Different seasons, with different lights shining on and exposing certain areas ... not everything about me looking exact, complete and orderly all the time.  Though those attributes about me still exist, there are specific times of the year that my personality/character colors can't be captured on film as showpieces to be shared with others.

Right now, this is my season.  A time where I feel some of my strengths are being stripped down, and now exposed with my leaves all fallen off.  It maybe pretty in it's own way, but not ready to be photographed by others.  A time where my colorful palette is awaiting the debut time for when the Creator will fill my barrenness with a new vibrancy and gravitated qualities for me to share.

For now, it can't matter how others see me ... I know that God sees me as His creation ready to be photographed.  For in my exposed state, He still finds me beautiful, worth showing.

We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us. 

~ Albert Einstein

pic pix: hard to find colors, Fish Creek Park, AB, 16.Oct.2012 

thoughts. things.

The past few hours before last night's slumber I spent playing catch-up at home.  With all the business going on around us lately, housework has been put on the backburner ... I'd say all for pretty good reason(s) :)  Here's what's been going on over here ...

Thanksgiving Dinner.
Us Canadian folk like to get our thanksgiving celebration on in October.  For seven years now, our friends (dubbed the 'family') have gotten together to celebrate thanksgiving.  Deep fried turkey and a ton of fixings, caramel apples and painted pumpkins, another year of tastiness shared together.  We had such a good turn-out this year (27+ people), I'm so glad they were all willing to help (especially my sister!)  In total, Judah had THREE thanksgiving dinners this year ... no getting around it, this is definitely his year of all things new!  He was just a wee tuckered by the end ...

Crabapple Juice Canning.
I had my first go at canning this year, and absolutely loved it!  The morning after one of our big meals, I went over to my mother-in-law's to make this beautiful crabapple juice (from the apples we picked the other day) with her and my sister-in-law.  Soooo tasty!  I think I've officially caught the canning bug.

Gramma's House.
Seeing as our Thanksgiving weekend was taken with lots of other visiting, we weren't able to go see my Gramma.  So visit her is what we did.  Wednesday morning, we grabbed our overnight bags, picked up Yaya and set off to see GiGi (great grandma to Judah).  Our 24 hour visit was filled with the best meals (no joke), tea parties and playing store, great conversations and visits, and laughs with all the little boy second cousins.  Isn't family a wonderful thing to be a part of?!

pic pix: our past week or so, October.2012

our day in pictures

1. morning light, morning fun.

2. thrift store finds.

3. sprouts comfort food.

4. apple picking.

5. not sure if we really like apple picking.

6. lovin bath time.

7. home-made cranberry sauce for thanksgiving dinner.