Such Things

Snapshots::Sunny Long Weekend

We couldn't have had a more beautiful couple of days this Remembrance Day long weekend.  As every year, we spent it at our beach house with lots of leaf burning, building at the beach, exploring, biking, going for night walks, running, having muffins and hot chocolate at Brewsters and of course jumping into leaves. One of the best ways to experience gratitude for family, love and peace.

Off to the Hills

We escaped some of the Vancouver rain by heading to Manning park after Christmas.  The kids were so excited to play in the snow!! 

We camped in our tent trailer with the little heater pumping away, but it wasn't nearly as cold as the last time we were there. 

We did cross-country and tubing on day one. 

We were happy to meet up with our good friends who brought their RV as well.  We all did some late night tobagganing together. 

On the second day we awoke to brilliant sunshine. 

The kids did downhill ski lessons for the first time! 

They all did very well and independently mastered the bunny hill and rope tow! 

Best of all, they loved it!

Welcome winter and Happy New Year everyone!!

Good Old November

I've always had a bit of a fondness for November.  There's something about November that makes it a relaxing month.  It's an in between month, at least here in Canada.  In between Christmas and Halloween, in between festivities and start-ups.  A month of some sun but also rain and cold.

It's a month of leaves,

wind,

fall fires,

 and bikerides around our neighbourhood to see the local salmon.

It's a month that feels "settled", yet still looking ahead. 

Here's to enjoying November.

Loving Winter

My husband, Mark, and I were having one of those "dreaming about the future" conversations that we often have, and he asked me, "What would you think about living in Hawaii? 

Would you want to live in Hawaii?"  To be honest, I surprised myself my saying,

"No. I would love to go on a trip to Hawaii, but I think would actually miss the changing of the seasons if I lived there."

I would miss the outdoor winter adventures, like skiing,

tubing,

skating,

 and winter camping.

Admiring the winter star-lit skies,

and waking to see a stunning sunrise.

At least for now, I think I'd like to keep living right here where we are!

:: all of the above photos were taken on a weekend adventure to Manning Park.  Mark took the nighttime photo with a tripod and a 30 sec. exposure time.

Hope you are enjoying the season you are in where you live!

Back from our New Year's ski trip!

There's nothing better.  Snow,

play,

skiing,

eating,

fun with friends (yes the kids were jumping into the snow from the hot tub),

and discovering a beautiful little Bavarian village, Leavenworth, Washington,

complete with a sled hill in the middle.

A perfect winter get-away.

Here's to 2011!!  My word for the year is:  "give".

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy!

Each Christmas season, I try to meditate as much as possible on the true meaning of Christmas.  As I was listening to this song on the Glee Christmas album, I was struck again with the joy that the message of Jesus brings.  

So many people confuse "religion" with Christianity.  Religion is about rules, expectations, judgementalism and even condemnation.

I often love to photograph my children running in natural settings.  It reminds me of the absolute freedom that we have when we are living in God's love. 

Throughout the scriptures, God blesses his people and delivers them.  Again and again, His people turn away from Him.  He then gives us an unthinkable gift.  He sends his own Son as a helpless infant.  A most humble act for an Almighty God. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  John 3:16-17

God sent his Son to save the world.  For me, these are words of great comfort and joy.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
   I will build you up again,
   and you...will be rebuilt." Jeremiah 31:3-4

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.   Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory."

Ephesians 3:17-21

True love and true joy.

We are heading up to Steven's Pass with some friends for some skiing and New Year's celebration.  I'll see you in 2011!! 

Happy New Year!

December Weekly: Concert Week

Well, it's been over a week for sure and lots has happened!  This is the first chance I've had for an evening of relaxation.  Being a teacher and a parent of school-age children, the last week or so of school before Christmas break is non-stop.  This week, being an awfully busy week already, was unfortunately interupted by all of us getting the stomach flu.  Mark and I were all dressed up and leaving for the girls' evening Christmas concert when Myles started to get sick.  The babysitter, understandably didn't want to spend her evening contending with Myles' stomach.  I cried after letting her out, cleaning up the floor and putting him to bed.  Mark took the girls by himself, but then Megan got sick at the side of the road on the way out of the concert.  Despite all that, there were a lot of highlights to this December week:

:: Christmas train birthday party, parent viewing week at the dance school, some quick trips to the mall, concerts both at my school and the kids' school, school wide skate (at my school), more baking, a trip to Minnekhada, then ending the week with a Muppet Christmas Carol movie night and sleep-over under the tree (unfortunately interrupted by more of the stomach flu), and of course our tradition of Advent (as many nights as possible) with readings from the Bible, singing, and treats. 

Christmas is about finding those peaceful moments amid all the business, and reflecting on the gift that God has given us. 

Here's some more Christmas inspriation that I've found on my favourite blogs:  Weeks of Elving, Sleighride and some good old Posy Gets Cozy.

Enjoy the last week before the big day!!

We Got Snow!

It has come...

We skipped dance lessons today to tobaggan on the hills at the school and to enjoy the white surroundings!

Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends!

I Love Where I Live

I mentioned some time ago that we moved last spring.  We used to live in a neighbourhood that was nestled next to the Coquitlam River.  

We had our little river bank spot that we would visit each season and the woods that we would take walks in. 

Realizing how much we love nature, we moved to a place where we are still next to the woods and the river, 

and even more nature, abundant nature. 

It feels a bit like the countryside.

It feels like living in a kind of sanctuary.

In the past we spent time on the weekends adventuring to new places,

but lately, we've just been out exploring our place.  Our new place. 

Biking, walking, running.

Completely overwhelmed with the beauty around us.

The house we are building is coming along well too.  Have a peek at Mark's blog: The Build for more details.

Have an amazing week!

Bringing Spring Inside

I missed the forsythias this year.  I usually pick long branches of them and put them in a short white vase in our livingroom.  

Fortunately I had a new inspiration.  I've been feeling particularly enamored with the cherry blossoms this year, cheerfully lining the streets and walkways. 

We have a small cherry blossom tree in our backyard, that I love to admire out the window from the kitchen downstairs

or the bedroom upstairs, and I thought to myself, why not bring the beauty and the fresh smell inside?

So I did.

And I admired it 

all day long 

from the other side of the house.