Sunshiny Goodness...

Yesterday I went ice climbing! It was pretty funny because I couldn't see my feet and you kind of need to see your feet to ice climb efficiently. But it was good fun anyways. Definitely pulling a lot more weight around these days. :)



Today is a BEAUTIFUL sunshiny day! Another restful day off for Tim and I together.

Roses are Red...

And so is my HUGE Amaryllis.
It was taking it's sweet time and just getting taller and taller without opening up... until this morning, when it pretty much just burst open. Crazy.

Oh Mister Sun...

Today was BEAUTIFUL. Sun has been a little bit rare these days around Nordegg, so when he decided to come out we took advantage of it. Tim gathered some other hockey fans and I gathered my wool blanket, camera, book, and chair and we headed down to the lake.



It was an awesome day for Tim and I to just hang out and rest. We are learning to cherish every moment we have left as just the two of us.

Money Can't Buy Me Love...

I paid $2 for this adorable little plant. It was near death in the Ikea "As Is" section and as soon as I saw it, I knew I couldn't leave it behind. I have been tenderly nursing it back to health ever since.



(Apparently it's some kind of Succulent plant, but for the life of me, I can't find any info on this specific one.)

"Earn-Save-Give"

I listened to a podcast this morning by Bruxy Cavey and really liked what it had to say... so here are some notes I took from it:

"God asks us to regularly give a portion of our income to God as acts of worship and thanksgiving. This practice will keep our hearts focused on God and lead to a life of contentment and generosity."
-Edwin Friesen

"Life is not measured by how much you own."
-Jesus, Luke 12:15

Why Should We Give?

1: Giving is at the heart of the Gospel.
-Ephesians 5:2 "He loved, therefore He gave"
-John 3:16
***When we are giving, we are living the gospel.

2: God wants our hearts (and we tend to attach our hearts to the things we own).
***Giving helps me experience the heart of Christ.

3: Giving helps free us from the myth that money can meet our psychological needs.
-1 Timothy 6:17 "Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment."
***Contentment is an intentional, conscious, mental state that we need to work at cultivating.

*Giving should be a joy and not a burden.
-Acts 20:35 "...it is more blessed to give then to receive"
-2 Corinthians 9:7 "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully"

21 days and counting...

I know I'm a bit behind in my Picture-a-Day goal... but Tim and I were in Edmonton for a few days, and there is no rest for the weary there. Our time was packed with errands, car maintenance, and baby stuff.
We also had a midwife appointment, which went very well. They tell us that we're boring. Apparently, I am having an uncommonly almost perfect pregnancy. Baby is engaging - which means that it is dropping and settling for birth, and is in a good position. I am 37 weeks todays. That is considered "full term" and our midwives said I am allowed to have the baby any day. Woohoo! I'm just trying to not get my hopes up for an early birth. :) We still have a bit to do to get ready, but mostly I think we are just treasuring these last days of quiet evenings and "us time".

In other news... it got suddenly VERY cold here in the last couple of days. Here is yesterdays picture and the view we get out our windows:



In other OTHER news... we got a new couch and leather chair for VERY cheap from Ikea before Christmas and were able to finally bring them here. I know hardly any of you who read this have been to our house, so you'll just have to take my word for it: we rearranged and love it!! Way more open and baby friendly. Today's picture is of our shelving unit which used to divide the kitchen and the livingroom. We moved it up against the wall and tidied it up a bit.

I may or may not...

... have an obsession with baby booties...
But really, can you blame me?

Happiness...

...is a fridge full of memories.



This is what I see at eye level on my fridge.
Your fridge doors are something that you really have to make a conscious effort to notice everyday. They are easy to take for granted and just look past at the food within... I love it when people come over, stand in front of our fridge and ask me about the pictures. Telling the stories reminds me of the memories I've made, the places I've been, and the people I love.

And that makes me Happy.

A Picture A Day:

So I decided that one of my not-so-set-in-stone goals for the year is to take a picture a day. When I informed my mother of this she FORCED me into putting them up on my blog. :) I guess in a way that means I get to count this as two not-so-set-in-stone goals for the year... a picture a day and a post a day. Nice.

Well I started the picture a day yesterday, so here's yesterdays and todays.

It was frosty frickin' cold last night, but I'm such a supportive wife that I went out anyways to watch a game of pond hockey. :)



There's nothing like a homemade "fancy coffee" on a quiet, lazy afternoon. Love it.