10 months, 4 months, and a grand opening service…

 

Is that not the most creative title in history?

Anyhow…

Lily has passed the 10 month mark.

(Excuse her sloppy clothes in the 10 month pic. I may have been behind by, oh… about 10 baskets in laundry.)

I think she may have gotten chubbier…

The fact that she eats anything and everything may have something to do with it. I am constantly stopping her siblings from sharing whatever it is they have with her. If she sees you eating, she’ll come stand up beside you and say,

“Ta. Ta? Ta. Ta? Ta! Ta!!! TAAAAA!!! Ta?”

On repeat.

Until you give her something.

Tonight, she really wanted my cell phone. I use to let her play with it. That is until she found it more amusing to throw my phone and watch it bounce that it was to listen to Veggie Tales on it… So when I told her no- the little diva yelled and then hit the table and proceeded to lie on the floor face down and cry. We may have another strong-will here…

Hoping those new chompers coming in up top have something to do with the attitude.

She sits in a squatting position all the time now and I’m sure it’s only a matter of days before she realizes that she can balance well enough to stand unassisted. She dances (bounces) to her toy bus music now. She says, “Dada, ta (please), waza? (what’s that?), momma (only when crying) and isses (kisses) along with a whole lot of baby babbling! It’s no surprise that she is a talker. She is a Polhamus girl after all…

We got into another discussion about skin colour with Ella recently.

Scott: That’s cause you’re white, Ella. (seeing what she’d say)

Ella: I am NOT white!

Scott: Ummm… ok. What colour are you then?

Ella: I’m brown. YOU are white. (Very matter-of-factly)

Scott called her over and put their arms beside eachother and said, “Who’s more white?”

Ella: Da-ad…

Hahaha…. she still insists that she wants to be “black.”

Prayer decided to get up early and take Lily for me one morning. She also decided that they were going to be twins for the day.

Here’s a shot so that you can kinda see the size of Justus now. He just turned 16 weeks old. He’s over 50lbs and he’s grown 8 inches sine we brought him home!

Justus and Lily are getting along a lot better now. He doesn’t run her over any more, or try to lick her face and knock her over in the process. He usually leaves her toys alone too. Unless we leave him in the room when she’s not there. She has learned to swat at him when he gets too close and she’s quick to snatch up her toys when he’s sniffing around.

He has stopped biting us. Which is really nice! We’re still working on getting him to walk on a leash nicely. He dragged Keona back from the mailbox today. Oh, and he still tries to chase and corner the cats every chance he gets.

He has mastered: sit, stay, paw, come, drop it, and jump commands. Teaching him to “jump” may not have been my brightest idea. He jumps up and puts his front paws in my hands. He thought Ella had a treat and jumped up on her… only he punched her in both shoulders and sent her flying backwards. As soon as she fell he started licking her as if he was apologizing. I’m now getting him to sit in a specific place before we do the jump thing.

The kids love to play hide and seek with him! We tell him to “Sit & stay” in the living room and then we run and go hide some where. Then they yell the release command- “Ok!” and he runs around the house looking for them. It’s hilarious to watch!

My older girls have been such a help to me lately. Eve is the back up church pianist right now. The girls have been playing their instruments at church. They’ve been helping with the nursery. With setup. They have helped out with whatever we’ve needed at the time. It’s such a privilege to be able to serve the Lord as a family. Oh, did I mention that we had our Grand Opening service for Hope Baptist Church? Check out the blog post about it here. I will probably end up posting the same thing on our family blog for archival sake.

A huge thank you to all of our family and friends who came to support us. It was such a huge blessing to see so many of you there. It encouraged us more than you know. And a special thanks to Joy for coming all the way out and taking these pictures for us.

There have been so many things on my mind lately that just aren’t “blog material.” Not that we’ve been busy at all! Please keep us in your prayers. We’ve experienced God’s grace so many times this past year- we are truly just depending on Him to work in hearts and lives while we do our best to serve Him.

Kindergarten Graduate!

Jeddy graduated Kindergarten!!!

I can not tell you how happy and relieved I am! He said to me, “Mom, kindergarten seemed soooo long!”

I thought to myself, ‘Well, that’s cause it took you two years to do it.’ Haha!

But to be fair to him- kindergarten does require a lot of one on one teaching, and during those two years we went through two first trimesters, a miscarriage, a move, and a new baby. I’m so proud of him! I gave him his diploma, graduation hat (he insisted on wearing a suit) and a little present to celebrate.

All of the other kids finished school on Tuesday. Everyone with an above 90 average! As much as we are ALL looking forward to summer break, I know that I’ll be equally excited to start school again next September.

I’m going to have a child in grade 8!?!?

I remember being in grade 8… scary.

Ella, will be starting kindergarten!

And I have a streak of white hair going…

 

On another note, we were sitting at the dinner table the other night and we were talking about what movie to watch. It was Jed’s turn to pick and there was a specific movie that the girls didn’t want him to choose. Prayer didn’t know what it was so I figured that I’d spell it really quickly cause I didn’t think Jeddy would be able to sound it out in his head that fast…. So I said, “W-A-T-E-R H-O-R-S-E” A few seconds later, Jeddy shouted out, “Waterhorse!!!” We all laughed and went on eating dinner. Two minutes later (no joke) I noticed Prayer sitting there saying to herself, “W-A-T…” Still trying to figure it out! How in the world does this child get 90’s in school??? I love Prayer and her “blonde moments” to bits. :)

 

Prayer, telling a story while she holds Lily…

Last weekend, was also the annual ladies’ retreat that I look forward to every year. I pumped diligently every night leading up to it so that I could leave bottles for Scott to feed Lily. We had baby food stocked up and the girls were excited to help Dad watch her. I spent the afternoon enjoying my child-free time, chatting with friends, sitting in on sessions and workshops, and then headed over to Timmies with some ladies. Seeing some other Mom’s with their still nursing babies almost made me say that I wished Lily was with me. Almost… Then I heard my phone chime and it was Scott texting me to tell me that Lily was losing her mind and refusing to take the bottle. Ha! Snap back to reality…. I drove home to pick up my baby and brought her back to the retreat with me. Thankfully, she was pretty quiet and I was able to hear everything. The retreat was such a blessing and a great reminder to “Choose Joy”.

  

Sunday, was also a big day! Sunday night, was Scott’s ordination service! We were so blessed by friends and family being there to support us. Pastor Wall’s message was so dead on… and quite the challenge to us as we head into the ministry. I’m so proud of Scott. So much was leading up to this… when we got home both of us were ready for bed. Such a relief to be officially into the next phase. Can’t wait to share more about how God is working and what He does for us over the summer months!

Now, on to our first week of NO SCHOOL!

Prayer cards and outtakes…

Where to even begin to catch up?…

Things have been busy. I feel like we may be slightly insane with everything that we’re taking on sometimes. Then I’m reminded that we aren’t alone…

“I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.” – Phil. 4:13

I also thought we were crazy during the Bible college years- but God was faithful to see us through. One step at a time. One day at a time…

By His grace.

We got our prayer cards in the mail!

 

That was exciting stuff for me.

We have been working on so many different things for our upcoming church plant, this September.

I get excited. Then I get nervous. Then I get anxious. Then I get doubtful.

It’s a continual roller coaster. I never in my entire life imagined being a “preacher’s wife”. I never wanted to be a preacher’s wife… ha! Yet, I’m incredibly thankful for what God has done in our life. I’m beyond excited (and slightly nervous) to see what else He has in store.

Our friend Joy (from Nostalgia Photography) did our photo for the prayer card. Here are a few of my favourite out takes…

 

Trying to calm Lily down…

 

Scott trying to make me laugh…

I may have been starting to lose it with certain people (who shall remain nameless… Scott and Elijah!) because of their lack of co-operation during pictures…

Trying to do serious faces so that they could trick people with the picture.

It wasn’t working for Eve…

And the best for last…

 

I struggle with what to share and what not to share sometimes…

Please pray for our family’s health. Nothing overly serious going on right now- just continual little things. We have made more trips to the doctor in the last 6 months than we have in the last 10 years.

On another note, Lily is getting to be so much fun!

Tonight, she tried peas for the first time. When she had finished her bowl full, I got up to walk away and she bawled! Seriously, cried! Prayer grabbed the bowl, walked back over, and she stopped instantly. My little piggy likes her food! Prayer got her some more and called me over to watch… every time she set the bowl down and showed Lily her empty hands, Lily would start to cry. Then she would turn the tears off as soon as she saw the bowl again. Ha!

She is now rolling consistently and even army crawling backwards. :)

 

Tonight, Charity asked me, “Mom, did you listen to Justin Bieber when you were a kid?”

Thankfully, no.

No, I didn’t…

Gotta love Pro Active commercials…

 

And our final family picture…

A head or two may have been photoshopped in… Maybe… :P

Thank you, Joy!!!

Embracing White Hairs and Other Such Ramblings…

This week, I have been told that I have “alot more white hairs!”

I believe there was a “WOW” included somewhere in that sentence…

Ella, asked to feel the wrinkles on my forehead.

She doesn’t have any… “Only Mom do’s..”

The girls saw a picture of me as a kid and laughed for a good 5 minutes at my “old fashioned clothes.”

And I heard them saying that an old puzzle Keona won as a white elephant gift, must be “like from when Mom was a kid.”

Why?

Cause it’s so OLD, of course!

Scott reassured me that he still loves me- white hairs and all!

Scott’s picture of Ella…

On the plus side, I lost another 5lbs last week! Only about 20 more to go…

I think I’m beginning to like my Sunday school kids more than my own. One little boy told me, “Teacher, teacher, I love your face.” Ha! Just kidding about liking them better than my kids- but I do love my toddler class and was super excited to be back in with them for the first time since Lily was born! :) They all loved seeing her in class. One little girl showed her affection by grabbing Lily’s headband and snapping it. Thankfully, Lily just slept right on through it.

 

Speaking of Lily sleeping…

She has started sleeping in her crib now! Of course, She still prefers to sleep with me, or Scott, or any of her siblings… But she is sleeping 5 or 6 hours a night in her crib!

Elijah adores having a baby sister this time around…

  

Gotta love the squished face…

Last weekend, Scott and I were making dinner when we heard a loud “BANG!” We both looked at eachother, and then Scott ran upstairs, thinking that someone had just fallen from a top bunk, or something severe had happened. What he found, was two boys locked in their room, with a broken door knob. (They had broken the door knob a few days prior, and had been warned about slamming the door) Scott shouted down to me, “Hey Jac! The boys are locked in their room. The door knob’s broken and I don’t know how I’m going to get them out. What should I do?” So I shouted back up, “Leave them in there!” (We were both teasing, of course!)

Jeddy started to cry and said, “Ohhh! Can we atleast dig a hole???” Ha! Dig a hole through the floor?

Anyhow, after passing a screwdriver under the door and instructing Elijah on how to remove the knob on his side, Scott finally got them out. Oh, and remember the big bang we heard? Apparently, when the boys realized they were locked in, Jeddy said, “It’s OK! I’ll just kick the door down!” Yep. That from the kid who punches holes in my walls. The big bang, was him attempting to kick down a door…

 

(snapshot from Saturday morning…)

Oh! And Lily’s baby shower was this past Sunday at church. I did plan on having some pictures from it- but halfway through, the fire alarm went off! It continued to go off for the next 10-15 minutes… until several firemen got there and shut it off. That kinda ended the shower…

So, we had a shower in our livingroom the next morning!

So, thankful for our church family. The ladies were such a huge blessing to us!

 

Lily, was thrilled about all the stuff she got! ;)

 

I’ll end with an answer to prayer:

Elijah, is off two of his medications and is currently still symptom-free! He’s going to see the paediatrician next Monday, and hopefully we can get him off another med or two. :)

OCD

It’s August 31st.

Tomorrow is the first day of September. Which means… 3 months to go!

I am by nature, a numbers person. Today, I quoted my 4th grade bike lock combination to Keona. I can tell you every phone number of every best friend I’ve ever had, and I create a countdown to almost everything without even thinking about it, in my head. Call me crazy… Keona did.

I am also a planner. I like to plan something way ahead of time, mark it on the calendar, prepare for that date, and then count down the days while looking forward to it. Maybe that’s where Jeddy gets it from?

6 more days til school…

11 more days til Jeddy’s 5th birthday…

7 more til mine…

16 until the Blue Jays vs Yankees game…

93 til baby…

Did I mention that I may have a slight case of OCD?

Which wouldn’t be such a big deal, if it didn’t cause me such problems when things don’t go as planned. Or when I can’t plan things. Or when there is no way of knowing what is coming next, if anything at all.

It doesn’t seem like that long ago, that I was blogging about Scott finishing Bible college and us praying about where God would have us go from there. Now, we’re praying about what’s next. I’m not ready to share too many details yet- but let’s just say Scott has a big dream. I completely share this dream with him, but like I said… I want to plan, and be practical, and analytical… And well… God doesn’t usually work that way. I’m learning a big lesson on faith right now- relying completely on Him. Because right now, none of it is in my control.

I’m so thankful that He has a plan for us, a countdown in His timing, and that He is preparing us perfectly for the job He has in store.

Speaking of Jeddy, (kind of…) he was watching a movie of his choice in the basement with Ella and Elijah the other day while the girls and I sorted through this years’ school stuff when he came wandering up the stairs. He climbed up next to me on the couch, put one arm around me and the other on my belly, and said, “I love you, Mom.” Just like that. Then, he hopped back down and wandered back down to the basement to finish watching his movie. How could I NOT want another boy???

 

Speaking of school stuff… we are finally ready to go! I’m excited to have some routine back in our lives, the kids are excited about their brand new notebooks, and freshly sharpened pencils… but what I think we’re all most excited about…

I invested in some old, character-building novels for literature this year. Twenty-seven of them, to be exact. All written in the 1700’s and 1800’s.

I have had to guard them under lock and key to keep my girls from getting into them and reading them before the school year! Our plan is to read one together each month. It may work out to be more than one a month- we’ll see how it goes.

I have a feeling that we may be doing some extra reading while we are on our extended Christmas break in December… ;)

 

Ah, how I love feeling my baby kick.

 

Remembering to slow down and enjoy the moment,

Jac

 

P.S. All my kids made it home safe from camp. No tornadoes- praise the Lord!

P.P.S. Yes, I always gain 60-70lbs. With every pregnancy… :/

School’s Out!

That’s right!!! As of today, we officially survived another year of home-schooling! Tests are graded, report cards are done, prizes have been awarded- school’s out for summer!!!

Eve and Elijah, tied for the semester- down to a tenth of a percent! They both had a 94.2% average. Everyone was above 90% and I am one proud teacher…mom… both. :)

I look forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning. That is, if Ella doesn’t wake me up asking for “bagels” or “moatmeal” at 7am…

(Pictures throughout this post are from a recent neighbourhood Bible outreach program our church held- Charity made a new friend)

So while I was grading all the tests and figuring out averages for report cards, Keona asked me if she could help with anything. I suggested she turn the oven on for dinner and she could throw some chicken fingers in for me. (Seeing as my Grandma came by last night at 11pm and dropped off 3 crates of mangoes and 12 boxes of chicken fingers- I think she may have thought of us while she was stocking up for her restaurant…) So, Keona put on chicken fingers, then she put on a pot of soup, and heated up some leftovers for the ones who didn’t want soup… this girls made dinner for 8 while I marked tests. I heard her open the oven and then she shouted in to me, “Mom, I think the chicken fingers are done!”

Me: How do you know they’re done?

Keona: Cause they look like your chicken fingers do when they’re done.

I told her to cut one open and make sure it was cooked through…

 

Rewind about 8 or 9 years to the first time that I cooked a turkey…

Me: Scott, I think the turkey’s done!

Scott: Umm… how can you tell it’s done?

Me: Cause it looks like my mom’s turkey does when it’s done.

Scott insisted I cut it open to make sure it was cooked through…

 

No joke.

It made me laugh.

Keona and her new friends

 

Speaking of making me laugh…

Ella, was sitting on my lap today when she looked at me and said, “You’re brown.”

I laughed and said, “Yes, I am brown. What colour are you?”

She looked down at her hands and said, “I’m brown too.”

I suggested that maybe she was a bit lighter, maybe a bit more white like Dad.

“No… I’m brown!” Was her response.

At this point, Jeddy came over to throw his hand in the mix and insist that he was brown as well.

Jeddy: I’m darker than you, Mom!

Me: See Ella… Jeddy is brown too.

Ella: I wish I was black.

Me: Like Jada? (her cousin)

Ella: Yeah, like Jada. I want to be black…

Even Ella made a friend

I found this conversation so amusing. As a kid growing up, I had a white family and a black family. I was in-between. I remember being asked ALL THE TIME “What are you?” I still get asked that question as an adult! Talking about race has never bothered me. Never even phased me really. But it was funny to hear Ella’s perspective. Like every little girl, I wanted to look just like my mom. I wanted to have skin that turned “pink” in the sun, long straight blonde hair, and anything but brown eyes. As I grew up, obviously I realized that I would never be white (or pink!) my hair would never be straight, and my eyes weren’t about to change colour, and I wouldn’t have it any other way now.

Sorry to disappoint you, Ella…

It was pretty amazing to see so many different cultures and ethnicities represented in one area. And all the different, beautiful skin tones!

I’m pretty sure Jed was just there for the food! :P

Conversations with the kids.

And a few random photos. Just for fun…

 

Are these two not the cutest little three-legged race team you’ve ever seen!?

 

Jeddy is starting to get over the whole, “Well, then I’ll just…” stage.

 

Example:

Me: Jed, you are too short to ride the ghoster coaster at Wonderland.

Jeddy: Well, then I’ll just go on anyways.

Me: Jed, the people who work there will stop you. They won’t let you passed the gate.

Jeddy: Well, then I’ll just climb over the gate and jump on the ride!

Me: Then they will call security and the police will make you leave the park.

Jeddy: Well, then I’ll just fight the police with my lightsaber and go back in the park.

Me: Jed, police have guns. Do you really think you can fight a gun with a plastic light saber?

Jeddy: Well, then I’ll just block all the bullets!

 

…and so on.

You get the point. We had a different conversation that followed this same pattern almost every day.

I’m relieved that it’s over. :)

Keona came to me with a Star Wars book that they borrowed from the library today and said, “Um… I don’t think you should let anyone read this. It’s about cannibals. It’s really disgusting. They cut people’s arms off and make stew out of them and stuff. Elijah will definitely have nightmares.” Ugh… and I thought these Star Wars books were safe. Cannibals!? At least she came and told me about it. Back to skimming every book before they read them…

Elijah told me tonight, “Mom, I am so excited about going to Nana and Papa’s house! Whenever I get so excited like this, my head feels like it will explode!”  Wow. That’s pretty excited, hun… :)

I was looking at wedding pictures this week and there was a shot of the bride and groom kissing with some nice bokeh in the background. Charity asked if it was fireworks, and I said, “No, hun. Just lights.” So she continued on, “Well, when I get married, and my husband and I have our first kiss- I want big fireworks to go off over top of us!”  I decided that I better make note of this so that I can remind her one day.

 

Jeddy’s plans: to have all boys when he grows up, and to name ALL of them “Robbie!”

  

Just had to post this picture because I love the expressions. The little boy in the front is Elijah’s new buddy at church. They always sit together in Sunday School. The boy behind him is his brother, and he’s in Jed’s class. But Jeddy would rather sit with Jessica…

“GO HUNNY!”

(He actually won the race, too!)

Today, we are headed off to London together for a wedding. I am very much looking forward to spending the weekend away with him. He’s in the wedding, and I’m doing hair for the wedding, so it should be fun! Then on Saturday, I’m shooting another outdoor wedding- one that I am incredibly excited about! Hopefully my head doesn’t “explode” from all the excitement! ;)

 

Oh, and I just remembered this and had to share. I was measuring the girls for their dresses for Nadine’s wedding- and Keona and Ella have the same waist measurement! Is that crazy? I mean, I know Ella has that cute little pudgy belly and all… but they were BOTH 21 inches!

Completely Random, still sitting on my desktop, waiting to be filed, items….

Scott and I, mid-water fight at the family BBQ…

Thanks once again, Nadine…

Who, by the way, is engaged!!!

Congratulations! :)

Jeddy, touching the snake at the mall. I did have my phone with me, but it wasn’t ready in time for the “ginormous” toad.

 

Jeddy, and his buddy Jessica, after church on a Sunday night. She wore her shades in the morning, so he had to wear his that night! They’re so cute.

(another camera phone pic!)

 

“Here Mom, hold my toad!”

 

Had someone send me this pic online.

I can’t remember where it was from, but they sell cards with phrases like this…

I thought it was hilarious!

My favourite pic from our vacation…

I still have tons of others to share as well! Just trying to get caught up on business photos first. :)

 

And… our whole family in our Old Navy Canada Day shirts! Gotta love Old Navy’s sales…

I had pictured us in these shirts, standing in a field, with tall grass blowing in the wind, and maybe even the sun setting behind us, using my tripod and remote…

Instead, I got this. A photo in our hotel room, right after swimming for 2 hours, with my camera balanced on some Nancy Drew books, and a son who would not quit making funny faces.

Will have to do! :)

Poor Eve… (in the grey)

We accidentally got her a ladies’ medium, instead of a girls’…

The 80’s knot-in-your-shirt, came in handy. ;)

  ____________________________________________________________________________

 

And last but not least…

Keona’s first solo in church- right before Scott preached on Sunday night.

Thanks for taping it, Nana!