five and six months ...

Apparently, this time of year, I am busy.  Last year, at this very same time, I combined two of Judah's month-by-month posts as well(!).

Onto the little rascal ...

 Wow ... to recap all that's gone on the past two months?  Mama doesn't realize how hard that is to fit into one post.  I'll try to hit the biggest highlights for you.

As of my 5th month milestone, I've been a big boy, sitting all. by. myself.  I keep hearing Mama say something about me being independent at a young age ... I'm pretty sure that means a good thing!  I like to hold bottles, books, toys.  Mostly everything.

Literally 3 days before I had my 6th month birthday, I cut two very painful teeth.  Nobody could have prepared me for that one, ouch!  I really don't get the point of these sharp foreign objects.  Mama doesn't let me chew on her finger, even if it's just for fun anymore.  I guess she finds them pretty foreign too.

Since my last update, I've had the privilege of eating like all of you big people!  And let me tell you ... it's been wonderful!  Sweet potato, apples, squash, kale, carrots, I am so excited at meal times when Mama puts that bib on me.  I guess I'm a lot messier than my big brother ever was.  It's a good thing she puts it on me, because once that food comes close, my clean shirt is not what I am worried about!  Mama says I'm a bit like Papa that way ... loving my food like that, that is.

Lately, me and Papa have enjoyed hanging out watching hockey together.  When Judah was born, papa bought him a Chicago Blackhawks jersey.  And for me, well, he got me a my very own Boston Bruins jersey (I guess a cool guy by the name of 'IGINLA' plays for them).  They're my favorite team, ever.  I've been rooting for them my whole life (how may fans can say that?!).

My parents are super happy that this thing called "colic" is gone.  I really have no idea what that is, but apparently it left right around the time I turned 5 months.  It must be significant as they tell everyone we visit with(!).  I'm pretty excited for them, and I thought I should share that.

I've had a lot of new friends being born lately.  To date, since I was born, there are 8 family friend babies that have been born!  I can't keep up with them all!  I always look giant compared to them.  Mama says I will at this point, anyways.  It's just nice to know I'll be growing up with so many buddies close in age!

Before I close, mama said to end off with some things that I've been loving lately: my baths - can never too have many in one day (just like mama, papa says), morning laughs with my big brother, any hard/chewy/rubbery thing that I can sink my gums and teeth into, super hard(!), being upside-down (mama calls me an opossum sometimes), being outside, pulling mama's hair, and BANANA's!!!

I'll be updating you on my next month's report soon!!

pic pix: my handsome Hunter @ 6.5 months old, May.2014, at home

our [camping weekend] in pictures.

Our weekend was all about these little people ... six little people to be exact!  We went with two other families southeast of town for a quick "kick off to the season" camping trip.  With good food, great weather, stellar friends, the weekend was bound to be awesome.  We borrowed Matt's aunt's tent trailer and are now on the hunt to find our own(!).  It was a considerable amount easier than tenting, and with two young'uns, that's what we need.  Since we got home, all I can think about are the "glamping" possibilities for our future tent trailer!  I'm so excited about camping that I've decided to dedicate some posts to "camp stuff" this week!

Hope you all had a great weekend and are looking forward to some loving on camping this week!

pic pix: our camping weekend with friends, May 23-25.2014, Aspen Crossing, Mossleigh, AB

20/52

Judah West: Forever wanting to be outside these days...I love it!  In this picture he is sad because we just came in and he wasn't ready to retreat in from the outdoors.

Hunter Elias: My little cool cat.  He does pretty good at chilling with our outdoor addiction.  Here, though, I wonder if he's thinking, "Really mama, another picture?!"

names & and a giveaway. [closed]

There is something about simple art that I just love.  The rawest, shortest, minimalist amount of something can be so full. interesting. captivating.  Writing out a name being an art?  Who would've thought (I've been giving these to friends and all the new babies being born lately!).

There is also something powerful in a name.  Regardless of how short or long it is, it has a meaning that carries attributes that somehow, seem to fit the person no matter what he or she is like or how different one namesake is to the next (ie. one Sarah to another Sarah).

For the longest time, I did not like that my name, Sarah, meant princess.  In my mind, a princess was someone who was prissy, only liked dresses, and fashioned her life to do nothing but instead have things done for her.  I could not figure out why my parents would pick a name that (I thought) carried a weak meaning.  Until I thought into what/who a princess is.

Being a princess means that the woman is a daughter to a King.  In my case, I am a daughter to God, my Father.  A lot of princesses maybe didn't/don't lift a finger their entire lives, but some, fought in creative ways to defend for those around them - they have been women of influence and power.  From that thought alone, I've taken on a warrior princess attribute to my name(!).  And these are only a few of the possibilities that my name meaning carries!

Naming our boys felt a bit intimidating.  I had the thought, "what if my kid doesn't like their name...".  No worries, I tell myself, I came around to liking my name after a while.  Then I'd wonder, "what will other people think?".  That never clouded my brain for very long as I told myself, You've never been too concerned with what other people thought about what you did before this.  Why now, Sarah.

I suppose because of how much thought I put into my name meaning and how we've named our boys, I deem name meaning significant.  And love to research it!  It's probably the reason I love creating personalized name keepsakes like pictured above...

...which brings me to the giveaway!!!

giveaway
* the giveaway item: a personalized name souvenir of any name you decide (frame included - silver or black)
* how to enter: leave a comment with your first and middle name(s).  winner will be chosen at random name after 12pm MST Monday, May 26, 2014.  winner please check back to this post for further instructions.
* how to get an extra entry: share this with someone, have them leave a comment here also (stating they were sent here by you); you can refer as many people as you would like OR share this via twitter/instagram/blog post etc. and leave the link in the comments; you can share as many times as you'd like

rules:
* one entry per person (unless you have shared this with someone else who hasn't yet posted a comment)
* must be a Canada or USA resident only - sorry my international friends :(
* must enter before deadline

*robyn beth you are the giveaway winner! please email me at sarahnadine7@gmail.com to claim your winnings.  thank you everyone for playing along! *

pic pix: Theron Wayne - the name of the latest addition to our group of friends (aka 'the Family')

conversations lately / pennies

We were out with the boys for pizza (surprise!) the other night and an older couple walking by stopped and commented on our boys.  "Enjoy these years ... they grow up so fast," (as most parents of grown children will tell you).  After they were out of earshot, Matt said ...
"If I had a penny every time I heard that..."
I thought I knew what he was going to say, "I'd be rich,".
But no, he said,
"I'd have 3 or 4 pennies by now."

pic pix: enjoying these sweet moments, Mar.2014, at home

this mama is.

There really is such a thing called a "funk" after having babies.  Not that I didn't really believe it, but I never thought that I could be one to go through it.  It's not that I thought I was "above it", I just thought that by being super optimistic I would/could outweigh negative things.  A nice thought, but not super realistic, Sarah.  For, this mama:

  . is tired.
  . is still battling post-pardum blues.
  . is looking for my hormones as they are out for a long lunch or a long hike...or both.
  . is still learning that balance is an art and a science.

In life, it's like the ugly of this world is predictable.  The difficult things are definitely dreaded but not surprising.  There's not much "hard stuff" that you can guarantee that will not happen to you.  And as it happens, it's not like there is anyone in history who has not experienced that same thing (or similar).

That's where "good stuff" is different.  There is not a certain amount of "good stuff" that you can imagine can/will happen to you.  The margin for goodness is immeasurable.  There is no ceiling.

"For God is good, and He loves goodness..." ~ Psalm 11:7

We were driving to church sunday morning, and I said to Matt, "our kids are way cooler than I could have ever imagined them to be!".  After church, someone mentioned to me that life has so much more good than we could ever even hope for ... we just need to receive it.  God is that good and that loving on His children that He would want us to be blown away at how amazing life can be.  That includes these precious kiddos.

Sure, there will be days (ahem: like today.) when I have thought, "How in the world will I make it to dinner time?".  And then some days (like Sunday) when I get so overwhelmed with the reminder of the privilege and honour it is to be these boys' mama.

So, I guess through all of this rambling, I'm trying to say (to you and me!) that there is goodness around you.  There is still more in store for you.  More than you can begin to imagine.

You are blessed.

This mama is blessed.


pic pix: a blessed mama and her two boys, mothers day 2014, wr community centre, Calgary, AB

19/52

Judah West: some sporadic *humorous* potty training this week.
Hunter Elias: he's been such a character lately ... can't wait until he can tell us what's so funny!

colorboard / no.29

color: sunshiny yellows

word of inspiration: our May weather this year
source of word: "In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." ~ Mark Twain said it right, weather is a wild one in the spring.  Lately, it's been a mix of hot days and blizzardy ones ... I wake up hoping for the sunshiny yellow ones.

/1. i've always thought these flowers were neat  /2. chair no.1 - glossy yellow chair  /3. bag no.1  /4. pillow says it all, LOVE  /5. i've wanted one of these Kmix coffee makers (in yellow) for forever  /6. loving these earrings (local artist too!)  /7. yellow ray-bans? sweet!  /8. perfect summer/wedding shoes  /9. love me some cute linens  /10. this artist ... i love what she does! this pattern may be printed on pillows - which i will be buying  /11. bag no.2 - just because  /12. i saw this print in chapters the other day, almost bought it ... maybe still will  /13. chair no.2 - this belongs in my home

our {fri}day in pictures.

1. good breakfast today.
2. baths at 10:00am sound about right.
3. even though it's rainy outside today, these tulips bring much sunshine.
5. IKEA lunch cutie.
6. laundry for days years.
7. waiting patiently to hear if our friends baby was born.  more coffee while I wait, please.
8. FINALLY working on stuff for the wall in Judah's (and soon to be Hunter's too) bedroom.
9. night time reading in these funky chairs.
*no pictures of outside as it was much too wet.

14 - 18/52

FIVE WEEKS that I have been lazy caught up with everyday life that I didn't get to posting these pictures.  Thankfully, I did snap them each week, just never got to uploading them and creating their respective weekly posts.  Here's a catch-up of the weeks I've been behind on (and unfortunately, the ISO wasn't set correctly on my camera, so these are all a bit to grainy for my liking).  Picture post starting ... now!

14. (April 6, 2014)

Judah West & Hunter Elias: this is exactly how I picture them, for the rest of their lives.  best buds.

15. (April 13, 2014)

Judah West: these are a few of my favorite things - soother, nousnours, rubber boots
Hunter Elias: me and Judah are mama's favorite boys

16. (April 20, 2014)

Judah West: caught on the move ... with chocolate in tow.
Hunter Elias: caught reading and sitting on the rug ... again.

17. (April 27, 2014)

Judah West: outfits for days.
Hunter Elias: this wee one's outfit most days.

18. (May 4, 2014)

Judah West: his KEYS are quite important.
Hunter Elias: his sleep (for Mama) and jersey (for Papa) are quite important.

He will quiet you.

Through Instagram, I heard about a tragic accident that killed a 3 year old boy last Friday.  I don't know the family, nor had I heard about them before it became public.  After the moment I first read about it, I couldn't seem to shake it.  My heart aches for those parents ... I can't begin to know the first feeling of what they must be going through.  A sadness stirs in me when I hear of any parent that has lived beyond the life of their child.

For the past couple of days, it's just been like a non-stop "buzz" inside my head.  It's been a battle to keep fear of the unknown at bay and worry even further.  

Not knowing how else to control my thoughts, I simply asked God for a "quiet mind"...
quiet: (verb) make or become silent, calm, or still

The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zeph. 3:17

It's like the picture of the rocks in the snow.  The heat of the sun is just starting to thaw the cold.  Slowly, the warmth melts away the frost and the colors and the textures of the rocks make their show. Sometimes, when that "cold", lonely, and a hopeless feeling is around me, the frigidness can get to me and I feel covered up...as if I have to listen to the shouting fears and worries swirling around in my head.  But when the sun comes out, to melt away all the cold, everything becomes exposed.  There is a clarity as the stones bask in radiant heat.  Just the same, there is a clarity when I embrace His heat [His love], my thoughts get quiet.

How beautiful of a promise is that?  He will make me quiet with His love.  Noise, fear, worry can all be quieted with His love.  With an embrace or a gesture that I know as love (for you it may be an action or words you hear.  For me, it's the gift of beauty in front of me), my being can be quiet.  still.

Receive His love today.  Let your heart be quieted.

pic pix: stones outside of Blackstone Inn, 02.May.2014, Canmore, AB

learning new balance.

I feel like I might be writing this post for the rest of my life.  Living life involves finding balance - constantly.  It seems that with every new season, we have to evolve our balancing act yet again.  Let me walk you through a glimpse of where I'm coming from.

When I was single : I really gave everything extra to becoming my healthiest.  If I had to cut out a certain food, buy vitamins, go on a cleanse, exercise more, etc...I could go to the extreme and just make the decision and run with it.  No questions about it.  What I ate or did before bed didn't effect anyone but me, so I could be rigorous.  My other extreme - I was a yes person.  There weren't many things (if there were!) that I didn't try to make work.  Coffee dates, commitments, rides, new friends, parties, travel - I was there.

Then I got married: Those "me" decisions quickly became "we" decisions and I had to learn how to just say no.  A new found balance and freedom that I had never experienced consistently to this point in life.  My biggest everyday adjustment at that point was cleaning our apartment.  I wasn't used to living with someone where I carried most of the responsibility to keep the place clean.  I had to adapt my systems to work with his, allot more time to actually get stuff done, and had to learn to relax a bit over how spotless I was expecting our house to be!

Skip ahead to now: This Sarah, as a wife to a patient and gracious man and a mama of two beautiful boys.  I find that some days, I have to force myself to say "yes", ha!  Not entirely a "no" person but still trying to find the balance for what is too much and just enough - when it comes to other people filling my time.  I'm also quickly finding that my 'go-to' methods for cleaning, getting healthy, etc are still maturing.  When I break it down, I just can't be extreme!  Taking an entire day to deep clean every single room in our house or drastically changing my diet whilst still making 'regular' meals for Matt and the boys...proves to be difficult(!!).

So, what can I do to seek out my new balance?

With my time, responsibilities as a wife/mother/bookkeeper/daughter of the King/artist/friend - I need to get creative.  My process of change, maybe won't have an extreme approach, as I did in the past, but can be effective by taking baby steps.  More so, in the long run.

"...we may never know these [plans] until they have already happened." written to me in a note from a friend the other day

My advance towards balance right now requires a great deal of patience and a trust that good things will come from my smaller actions and accomplishments.  Down to the littlest of things like foods we eat, smatterings of verses that get memorized, and cleaning schedules.  Also, knowing and believing that God does know my ultimate plan, purpose, and how all my tiny pieces of progress will one day come together.

"...He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."  romans 8:28

How are you juggling this season of balance right now?  How do you see God working that process for good in and around you?


pic pix: spending some sweet moments with the boys this morning (they have this "thing" for holding each others' hands when they first wake up. mama heart burst right there!), 02.May.2014, on the couch