Introducing...

Introducing Bexx...
It is a little late but I would like to introduce our newest family member.  
Bexx was born on September 29th and she came to live with us on November 24th.  

Bexx first day with us.  She is still timid.

Jaelyn loves Bexx.  Here are a few shots to prove it.

Playing together in their cardboard house

Brushing Bexx after a bath

Then there is Ava, who is slowing warming up to the idea of a dog.

Jaelyn showing Ava how it is done.  You can only imagine the chatter going on.

Ava giving Bexx a hug.

Bexx is Brian's puppy.  That means she is Brian's responsibility.    I can not take on another project so when Bexx needs something, Daddy gets called.
I have to confession…. I am not a huge fan of dogs.  However, I will admit Bexx is pretty stinking cute.  She is growing on me and sometimes it feels quite literal.  She is always at my feet.  I have lost track of how many times I have stepped on her.  Sorry Bexx.
I will also admit that she is rather photogenic as well.  Here are a few more shots before I go.

Waiting for some loving 

Tired out after a long day of play

She has her eye on something

Ready to go

Merry Christmas and until next time…

Stationery card

Framed In Snowflakes Christmas Card

Customize your Christmas cards this holiday at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Where has my time gone?

Wow, I can't believe that that last time I blogged was in June.  I was sick at the time.  I have recovered! I just have been incredibly busy and haven't had or made time to blog.
The question you may ask, what have you been doing?  Sometimes I ask the same question.

I have 2 very busy children that love to take up my time. They currently are involved in several things throughout the week.

Monday is skating for 30 minutes.  They are finally getting the hang of it.  They need to slow down.  Everything is a race to them.  Jaelyn is a little better than Ava.  

Tuesday is swimming at the YMCA.  Both girls are really good swimmers.  Ava has been really negative lately about it.  We think it stems from the summer when she had an infection and was told she can't get water in her ears.  She seems to be afraid to go underwater now.  We bought her new ear plugs and that didn't seem to help.  We now have a swim cap and we will see if that helps.

Friday the girls do gymnastics for 1 hour.  They both love the bars.  They also like the tumble trampoline.  The beam is their weakness.  Again because it is about grace and balance.  Not racing :)

Saturday the girls take piano lessons for 15 minutes each.  They are starting to learn hand position and keyboard notes.  

We feel that swimming and skating are fundamental skills that should be developed while they are young.  Gymnastics is a fun outlet for them.  Brian has a musical family and thought we would stimulate that avenue as well with the piano.

Then there are my activities.  I play volleyball on Monday nights and I am coaching senior boys volleyball in my school.  Brian will tell you they are my priority.  I disagree, but I do spend a lot of time with this team.  We have 6:30 AM practices 1-2 times a week and 2 after school practices a week until 4 PM.  We travelled to 4 tournaments and hosted a tournament.  We are in the midst of playoffs right now.

My team (TDHS is black and gold) playing Sarnia Northern
at the Chatham Christian Tournament

So I am teaching 5 classes this semester.  I have an Academic and Applied split grade 9 science class, a grade 11 college biology and a grade 10 and 11 split girls fitness class.  That means 5 separate lessons, tests, projects.  That has been my life.   I spent more of yesterday marking.  Report cards are due this week.  I figured I better get my marking done.

My marking pile :)  It's DONE!!

We are getting a puppy in a couple of weeks.  Brian decided he wanted a dog to run with.  We are getting a Golden-Doddle.  

One of these puppies will join our family soon.

So I will end this entry with some photos of the girls.

The girls decided for about a week they needed to sleep together.  The positive aspect was they didn't come to our bed through the night.  The negative side was that they took forever to go to sleep.  I love how they are touching each other in their sleep.

Lightning and Mater went out for Halloween to a few houses in the neighbourhood.  Then they helped hand out candy here.  New strategy, take them out early, sort candy they don't like, and hand out as your candy.  That way I don't eat it.

I love their creative energy!  Do you know how much fun you can have with a box from No Frills?  They made a house with the box in their doorway and played for hours together.  

Ava playing Dora Uno with her animals.

Jaelyn relaxing on the couch eating an apple and playing the iPad.

Once volleyball season is done I am hoping to have more time for just about everything….but then again time will tell won't it?

Gotta Say I Love This Guy

I was a little unfortunate this weekend.  Maybe it was from all the stress of marking, exams, report cards, etc.  But I succumbed to the stomach flu.  Through it all was one little guy who never left my side.  No, no, it wasn't my husband.  He left with the kids to stay clear and prevent me from passing it to the rest of my household.  It was my wonderful Gizmo.  
He stayed with me the whole way.  He purred, snuggled, and kept his eye on me.  The only thing he didn't do was get me a sandwich which I did ask of him.  I even tried my telepathic skills but that sandwich didn't come.

For those who don't know Gizmo, he joined our family in the fall of 2000.  He was a small fluffy guy with lots of energy.  12 years later, he is a large fluffy cat with a little less energy.  We love him all the more.  Gizmo doesn't like photos and doesn't take very good photos.  But here are a few.

Chilling in the chair

Attacking the clothes hamper

Roaming in our old house

Gizmo playing with my slippers

His best photo to date

Till next time…

The Long Overdue Curling Blog Entry

Where has the time gone?  It seems like not long ago I was celebrating my 30 somethingth birthday.  It was way back in January.  The week after my birthday, Brian organized a curling event with couples from our church.  Way back on Friday, January 27th, 15 plus couples braved the ice and cold and enjoyed several hours of curling.  
Here are some of the photos.  Sorry for the poor quality pictures but  I brought my small camera so I could put it in my pocket.  

The rocks

The house - object is to get rocks in the button

Jimmy & Josh provided entertainment  

Action Shots

Good job Adam!

Thanks to everyone that came out!  We hope to do this again next year.
Till next time….

Reno Time Again

So Brian asked me what I wanted for my birthday back in mid-January.  I asked that he put my wash machine beside the dryer so I could you the work station that does on top of the set.  This unfortunately involved moving plumbing from behind the drywall and new drywall.  I then purchased a new laundry tub.  Because of new drywall it became a must for new paint.  While painting and moving the appliances around, we tore the flooring in about 5 different places.  This resulted in the need for new flooring as well.


So the tiny project became a little bit bigger than originally planned project and thus more costly than anticipated.


Painting in tight quarters is not as easy as it might seem.  I reached as far back as possible to hide the purple paint behind the furnace and air conditioner.  I used up the leftover paint from the family room.  It was called Overcoat by Benjamin Moore.  I ran out the first night and had to get more to finish the second coat.  Love the new colour!


With the help of my dad and nephew Alex, Brian and I placed the flooring in a matter of a couple of hours. We put in Sedona Allure Tile that where 12inches by 36 inches.   Thanks for the help!  


We also rearranged the fridge and freezer.  The whole room looks much bigger than before.
So now for some pictures:

BEFORE:

Shortly after we moved in  

Cabinets go up in early fall

 AFTER

Not sure who's crazy kids those are???

Until next time.

Faith

I just celebrated another birthday and with that came some reflection.  I felt I would share my thoughts in this blog entry.
So my birthday was on Friday January 20th.  I had a great day of teaching and my grade 9 class phys.ed  class sang "Happy Birthday" to me.  I arrived home and Janelle and the girls where making mommy a birthday card.  Very sweet!  I had a nice dinner out with Brian, my parents, my sister Melissa, and her boyfriend Kyle at Sale E Pepe. This was followed up by a quick trip to Walmart and Home Depot.

Ava's Birthday Card

Jaelyn's card with lots of help from Janelle

So my reflection:
I have been truly blest another year.  If there was one word that is significant in my life it would be the word "FAITH".  I have several things around the house with the word faith.  I was thinking about this and believe that with FAITH we can have HOPE and we can truly LOVE.  
You can take this spiritually and scripture confirms this in 1 Corinthians 13:13.  Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. (This was my wedding passage).  I have FAITH in a Saviour who sacrificed Himself so that I can have HOPE in everlasting life and this allows me to truly LOVE one-another.  
You can also apply this to daily life.  We have to have FAITH in others whether in a relationship, a friendship, or with a co-worker.  When we have FAITH we can then learn to LOVE.
So here are a few of my FAITH items.

Purchased this on Mom Swap 

These were in my bathroom at my old house.  Once I get my basement bathroom painted they will be up again.

Focus on the Family sent these magnets over a 3 year period and they are displayed on my fridge.

My last purchase that is found
in my main floor bathroom. 

 Faith is also a key component in another favourite saying you will see throughout my house.  With FAITH I believe you can LIVE, LOVE, and LAUGH.  

Found on my fridge.  

This is in my living room and has a Hoekstra clan photo.  We love them lots and have good times with lots of laughs.

The latest in my collection, courtesy of my friend Carol.  Thanks for the birthday gift.  It is in the main bathroom.

Lastly, my husband, surprised me with flowers on my birthday, as well as a rather large gift card to my favourite store in Chatham, The Paper Pickle.  A shopping spree will happen soon enough.  

Gerber Daisy 1 week later from The Purple Pansy.

I truly felt the LOVE this year!  Thanks everyone.  I will keep on in the FAITH!
A future blog will be on the curling excursion Brian organized for my birthday.  Good Times!