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

five months ...

After taking a while to get the four month post out, here's month number five ... on time!

Having five months under my belt, I'm pretty much independent ... at least I like to think so.  I sit and play by myself, talk stories to my blankets (I love blankets!), grab the spoon of food Mama is feeding me (if she'd just let go, I'm sure I wouldn't get it all over my face!).  When I need to get to a new position, I just "go" (though, Mama calls it "lunging").  So, yea, I guess I still need their help in the transportation department but, I'm quite certain I'd be able to feed myself.  I've tried some more fruits & veggies since last month ... why don't they start you right off the bat with this stuff?

There's this new trick I discovered ... it involves rotating my wrists.  I do it a good portion of the day, that is, when I'm not napping or trying to suck on my hands.  I've heard them call it "conducting", whatever that means!  In other news, I was in the bath the other day and Mama called for Daddy to come and watch me as I put my face in the water and blew bubbles.  I do it all the time now ... it's fun to make them laugh and clap for me.  After this month, I've decided that being sick and teething is not fun ... it's too hard for me to giggle in the worst of those moments.  Glad I'm back feeling better again.

I'm growing into more 'big boy' clothes, as Mama puts it (9-12 months sizes).  I even got a pair of snow pants the other day.  I wore them to the Remembrance Day service on Sunday since it was super cold.  Besides our regular day-to-day stuff, we've done some visiting with friends, hung out with family, and have had some of our own family time.  I'm just loving taking all of this in ... 

Even though Judah's forehead is a bit overexposed in this shot, his expression was too cute to not post!

our day in pictures

1. snowy morning.
2. sweater kind of day.
3. a pattern I love.
4. telling stories.
5. making pear sauce.
6. tortilla soup & crossword.
7. music before bed.

pace

Listening to Matt serenade me with some Paul Simon, Neil Young, Mumford & Sons (just to name a few!), I'm enjoying our unedited life as it's happening.  There are laundry baskets full of clean clothes in each room, our bellies full with a delicious dinner, music filling our little pad, an organized mess of paper piles, the odd laugh, one sweet boy fast asleep...

It's been a quiet week since that cold bug infiltrated our systems.  Though being sick really bites, I've enjoyed just slowing down.  For, with quiet comes simplicity.  With simplicity, appreciation for God and His grace towards us.  With gratitude, in turn, can bring peace.

I'm a real geek when it comes to words, their meanings, and how they sound (yup, I'm a pun lover!).  I also love words in other languages...go figure(!).  Lately, when I've been thinking of the word "peace", I've immediately thought of it's italian counterpart "pace".

[pace/peace (italian): freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, etc.]

[pace (english): a rate of movement...]  

With entirely different roots to both of the words (peace - pax; pace - passus), it's more of an "interest" thing that these words overlap across two languages.  But the irony of their spelt connection is what draws me to ask this spellbinding* question tonight ...

Is my living pace bringing me peace?  Is yours?


pic pix: iPhone pic (taken with vscocam) of the park down the hill, 07.Nov.2012, Calgary, AB


*a silly pun for you :)

thoughts. things.

Since mid-last week, we've been fighting colds over here.  I haven't picked up my camera much, but here are a few shots of what some of this last week of life has looked like ...

Trick or Treat

We didn't go trick or treating, but after spending a whole afternoon sleeping, I knew we had to get out.  It being halloween and given our short time to be creative, we went for simple.  This little man sat still enough only for a few moments to let me draw a moustache on for his "costume".  Before I completed it, he had a few moments in front of the mirror admiring it so.

Lazy Days

One morning for brekky, because we were all feeling so under-the-weather, we made some homemade chicken noodle soup.  One word: yum!  My 'get-well' bouquet is peeking into the one picture ... I have the best husband ever :)

The guys caught up on some reading while I made some banana bread (another one of our family comfort foods).

And after being inside most of the day, we decided we should take in some fresh air.  Turns out, we weren't the only ones going for a family walk ...

Cutie

After he realized that he was making us laugh by keeping the apple in, he didn't want to take it out!  He may not be totally in the clear yet, but he sure is a happy fellow.  Oh do I ever love this little munchkin to bits.