Party, presents and poverty.

Today was my son’s 6th birthday party.  He’s actually six tomorrow but we had the party today.  We decided to go with a Lego Theme birthday party and had so much fun preparing it.  We started on Tuesday by preparing melted crayons to make into lego men.  Then the rest of the week was busy printing stuff off, running to and from the kitchen to the living room to the bedroom just to make sure that all was taken care of for the party and for my family.  Birthday parties are always big in our house.  I’m not sure why….we just seem to make it that way.  This year I wanted to downscale.  I didn’t want to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a birthday party.  So I decided to go with the cheapest rental we could get (my house is in renovations stage) and play old fashioned birthday games.

I had the day off Friday and so after getting E off to school I headed to Walmart, Sobeys and the dollar store.  I had about $200 to spend and $75 of that was for the rental…so I knew that I didn’t have much to go with (and had really hoped not to spend that much).  My husband had two weeks off in a row where there wasn’t any work for him and so we are just trying to catch up on bills now…so the less spending that we could do the better.

Well….an hour and a half later that money was GONE.  😦  I got the lowest price I could on hot dog buns…as well as hot dogs.  We decided not to do treat bags but to pass out lego figure crayons that we had made with coloring pages.  (The kids don’t eat half the treats anyway…and they dont need them).  Since we were playing games, though, we needed prizes.  I found the “cheapest” prizes I could find at the Dollarstore….but seriously when all was said and done I maybe only spent about $5 that I didn’t need to spend.  Then there was the cake…which my hubby made.  That probably cost us about another $50 after all was said and done.

So…I probably spent close to $300.

We got home…I was tired…but hubby was determinded to get rid of the rest of the cake.  He went down to see if our neighbour down the road needed cake.  I didn’t know he was headed that way.  I thought he was headed to the kids across the road.  So I started unloading the trunk of the car.  After the third trip from the car to the house I was getting really really really annoyed that he hadn’t come back yet.  I thought to myself… “he’s probably talking to somebody…chatting it up like he always does”.  The fourth load went in the house and I came back for the fifth load.  I was tired…I was getting cranky and really annoyed.  I thought well maybe something happened and he needed to help somebody.  I came in the house and started doing the dishes from the cake making the night before.  (Hubby makes the cake and I clean up…sounds about right eh?)  After about five minutes of doing the dishes and running into the living room a few times to see what E wanted I was over the moon annoyed at my husband.  All I wanted to do was sit down after finishing cleaning up and relax…after all I had been on the go since seven this morning with party stuff.

I got on the phone and called him and it went to his voice mail….which made me even more annoyed.  So I called again.  E wanted somebody to help him with his toys and all I wanted to do was finish cleaning.  Hubby picked up this time and told me where he was.  Well…when he came in I let him know how annoyed I was at him.  Days and hours of stress just hit me and I let him have it.  How dare he not come and help me unpack while he’s out there just talking to the neighbours?

After I was done he told me that he was actually down at the neighbours house and as soon as he walked in the door she started crying.  She doesn’t have much money and she lives by herself.  She’s an older woman with a disability but still works.  She has declared bankruptcy and she told Kevin that she owed the court another $300.  She doesn’t have $300 and she said she just felt like she wanted to die.  She’s dealth with no money issues for the past few years.  We have tried to help her out when we can.

So guess what happened over the next two hours?  Yah…God worked on my heart.  I started thinking about how much money I spent on my almost six year old kid to throw him a birthday party he will probably forget or not appreciate in a week.  $300.  The same amount that this woman needs.  I threw it away on prizes, cake, hot dogs…and that’s pretty much it.

Seriously?

I’m not saying my son doesn’t deserve a birthday party but man oh man something is wrong here.  We go and we help people all over the world and I can’t even  help my next door neighbour out…but I can throw my kid a party?

Perhaps my priorities need to be better aligned.  Perhaps my priorities need to be better than things that I don’t need (like an ipad, iphone and a laptop sitting all in front of me right now…or a big screen tv).  Perhaps my priorities need to be put on helping my neighbour buy food so she doesn’t starve.

My goodness I have a lot of growing up to do…spiritually….emotionally….because I certainly didn’t have a servants heart today…and I certainly didn’t take the opportunity to show my neighbour Jesus.

I need to be better.

Laura

Encouragement

My friend, Christy, wrote on her blog http://terrishoyt.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/new-years-resolutions/ the other day about how her pastor challenged her to take a word for one year, focus on it and claim it…work on it…let it mould you. (You really should check out her blog…she’s quite funny)

I was sitting in church today and I was thinking about her post and was challenged to do the same.

So my one word for this year is:

Encouragement.

I want to encourage others through my words, actions and thoughts.

One way that I am planning on doing this is through facebook. I tried to do this last year but didn’t get very far.

So new year….new try.

This is my one and only New Year’s resolution. Sure, I have other things I would like to change about myself but I figure if I can focus one thing rather than twenty….that’s far better…and hopefully “easier”.

So my plan on facebook? To encourage people on their birthday. Sure…it’s great to come on Facebook on your birthday and see all those “happy birthday” wishes….but I believe it’s better and nicer to come on Facebook and see how somebody really feels about you. Picking out your great qualities….taking the time to really reflect on you and let you know that they are important to you.

Soooo….that’s my plan. I plan to encourage and uplift others on their birthday.

Who knows….maybe it will catch on??

Laura.

A Pinterest find – Nutella snacks.

I just made these!

I found them on Pinterest. Here’s the link.

http://pinterest.com/pin/128493395592063873/

Basically they Are pie crust, Nutella and banana…and then fried and sprinkle icing sugar on it.

Soooooooooooooooo good.

A little side note…have them all ready before frying them. I set off the smoke alarm with all the smoke from the oil…and it’s still smokey in here.

We love them though….a fun little treat!

Laura.

Halloween

I’m not here to write a bog post on the controversy of Halloween. I agree with the church side in part but I really really enjoy getting my little man dressed up for Halloween…and he enjoys it.  We don’t focus on the negative side that everybody says Halloween is…but just on the fun part.  That being said…that’s the end of my “controversy Halloween blog post”.

When we lived in our old town we lived on a really sharp turn and so there weren’t any kids that came to our house.  I ran the church’s trunk or treat program instead and loved it.

When we moved here five years ago I was soooooo excited to pass out candy on Halloween.  I had never had the chance to do it before and so therefore this was an exciting experience for me.  However, we lived on the top floor apartment and because of that no kids came.  😦  I was sad and disappointed…however we had a lot of candy to eat after and that was all good.    🙂

This year he was a penguin.  He was so cute.  (My computer is broken and facebook is being slow so I can’t find all my pictures)
After that year we moved and we decided that going out with Big E was more fun than passing out candy.  The next year Big E was a lobster.  Then the year after that he was a Monkey.  The year after that He was a Ninja turtle.   And this year he’s going to be a black Ninja.

All those years, except for one, we have gone around to houses with Big E.  Both of us.  The one year I decided to stay home to pass out candy and we didn’t have very many people.  So this year we will all be heading out together as a family again.  We have so much fun doing it.  It’s so cute to watch Big E go house to house and say trick or treat.  Probably not as cute as his first year when he was a lobster but still cute.  🙂

And besides…I have another reason for doing Halloween.  It’s free after school treats (and midnight chocolate treats for this gal) for probably half a year.  🙂

10 Things I’m thankful for – October 11, 2013

1)  For silence.

2)  For good memories

3)  For crazy family good loudness.

4)  For family.

5)  For being able to buy groceries this year.

6)  For finding enough food to last the rest of the week this week because we weren’t able to buy groceries last week.

7)  For oil in our furnace.

8)  For people who pray for us.

9)  For hot water.

10)  For a handyman of a husband.

Ten things I’m thankful for – October 4th, 2013

I have been busy with my crocheting side of things to blog which is sad…but good that I’m busy I guess.  A friend just posted a blog so I thought that I’d share you my top ten things I’m thankful for this week.

 

1)  For my husband getting safely to Georgia and having a time to refresh, renew and relax.

2) For 24 out at church on Sunday!

3)  For a great few days with my boy.  I thought it would be hard on him with hubby gone but he’s been really good.

4) For a nice quiet week so I could get some crocheting done.

5)  For being able to help out some animals in need.

6)  Warm weather.  Come on…who doesn’t love warm weather at the end of September / first of October?

7)  Cuddles with my cat.  He’s really the best (both of them).

8)  For a God who takes care of things financially for us.

9)  For almost 12 years married to my husband.

10)  A beautiful city.  I love it here.  Can’t imagine not being here.

 

I’ve got some more blog posts in my head…hopefully they will make it to the computer next week.  🙂

 

Laura

Apple Pie Lie

So a while back…like a couple of months ago…maybe more…my husband decided that we should bake an apple pie and take it down to our neighbour that doesn’t have a lot of food or a family to cook for.

It was a great idea, However, that week we just didn’t seem to have enough time to make a pie and he really didn’t want us to forget about it. So he went to the grocery store and bought one…took it out of the box and delivered it to her. I didn’t go for some reason.

Fast forward to last night. We were having small group in our home and hubby sees her just arriving home from work and tells her to come up for some pizza. She was very grateful as it was late and she hadn’t had supper yet.

She came up and met me in the kitchen and said that she was sorry that she didn’t have time to come and thank me for the pie. At first I completely forgot what she was talking about but then quickly told her not to worry about it… But that I was glad that she enjoyed it.

She then proceeded to tell me that was the best apple pie she had ever eaten. She goes on and on about the pie as I’m smiling and nodding…and then she hits me with this statement: “that was better than any store made pie. You did a really good job making it”

Meanwhile I’m watching her tell me this but see my hubby in the background smiling at me. I can’t believe he told her that I made the pie!!!! She’s going on and on about how all her friends had a piece and they just thought it was the best pie ever….better than any pie you could get in the store. I nod my head and tell her that I’m glad she liked it. Too stunned to tell her I didn’t bake it.

Fast forward to when the meeting is over and she’s leaving. I ask her if she would like some apples to take home with her as we have a huge bag of them. She said she would and then asked me if those were baking apples.

I told her no that they were just for Big E because he likes apples. She then compliments me on the pie again…over and over and then…..

Asks me for the recipe.

Seriously??????

Please know that up until now I didn’t lie. I never told her that I made the pie…but I never told her I didn’t either.

At this point I really didn’t know what to do. So I told her that I didn’t have it on hand that I would have to look for it for her. She told me that was fine just to give it to her whenever I found it.

She left and do you know what happened next? Yup…my hubby got a stern talking to for telling her that I made the pie. He said he repeatedly told her I didn’t make it….but I’m not sure if I believe him. He was getting quite the chuckle out of the whole situation.

What about you? Have you ever been in a situation like this before? What happened?

Laura

Throwback Thursday

This is a pic of our friend , Kirk, On my 28th birthday. He’s trying his first ever pickle.

He didn’t like it.

Spilled Milk and Grace

This morning was a typical morning.  Big E’s alarm went off and he crawled into bed with us for a little morning time snuggle.  (Seriously…if he doesn’t get this it’s bad news for the rest of the day).  After about five minutes we got up and ready for the day.  7:30 hit and we settled down for breakfast and morning devotions.  Throughout devotions I reminded Big E over and over again to be careful not to spill his milk.  Devotions finished.  I told Big E to finish his milk and instead of drinking it normally he decided that holding on to it with four fingers (two on each hand) was much better than 10 fingers….thus spilling his milk everywhere.

I got upset.  Yup….it happens every. single. time.  He’s not paying attention and spills his drink all the time.  Seriously…the kid is five and I’m sure he will be drinking out of sippy cups until he’s twelve.  Anyway…I got upset.  Milk was wasted…paper towel was wasted.  He had to change his clothes…which results in me having to do more laundry than normal.  Why was I upset?  Maybe because I had told him at least a dozen times to be careful with his milk.  At least….a dozen times.

Then I sent him off to school….after I got mad at him.  After he apologized at least half a dozen times and after I DIDN’T say…”it’s ok…I know it was an accident.”  Yeah..big time mom fail right here.  (Pointing finger at myself)

Half an hour later I was in the car by myself and listening to my own music which is a very rare occassion in itself.  Three minutes into my drive the song “Grace like Rain” by Todd Agnew came on my ipod.  If you  haven’t heard it…have a listen.

And right there, into the chorus, God had a teachable moment with me.

“And Hallelujah Grace like rain falls down on me”

Grace like rain.

Let’s just take that literary shall we.  Rain falls.  Sometimes it falls softly…sometimes it pours and beats down on us….but it always comes down and refreshes things that need to be refreshed.  We need rain.

We need grace.  Big time.  Can you imagine a world without Grace? Isn’t it simply amazing to think that God is up there watching us and “showering” us with grace when we need it the most…sometimes when we don’t even deserve it?  Sometimes He showers it lightly…other times He pours it down on us.  Have you ever met somebody who wasn’t grateful for the grace they received?  Me either….grace is wonderful.  Grace makes the world go around.  Grace  makes you feel refreshed, so much better and so grateful.  God gives it….God provides it and God keeps pouring it out on us.

So my lesson???  Yeah..you guessed it.  Grace.  I should have given Big E grace this morning.  He’s five.  Yes..he should have been more careful but haven’t we all done things that we weren’t careful of.  Hasn’t there been somebody in your life that has told you not to do something and you went ahead and did it anyway…the end resulting in “spilled milk”?

This morning I prayed and thanked God for the teachable moment of Grace.  I could have easily gotten in an accident and been killed and the last thing that BIg E would have remembered was me being upset with him.  God gave me grace this morning and I intend to pass that along.

I apologized to Big E and told him that I love him even when he doesn’t listen to me and bad things happen.  I told him I will be try not to get upset next time and that I hope he forgives me.  He knows what he did was wrong.  I don’t need to tell him again.

Instead…I just need to give him grace.

~ Laura

Picture Wednesday – September 18, 2013

I used to do Wordless Wednesday but they were never wordless…because let’s face it…I can’t be quiet that long.  So I’ve changed it to Picture Wednesday on my blog.  🙂  Thought I’d share a cool picture of the week with you all each week.  So enjoy.

I just love this kid!

Laura