2011 Wrap Up

Though I did my best to get our Christmas cards and yearly update to everyone who may be interested, I know I was missing some address'...

Here was our letter and love to you:)

Dear Family and Friends,

It is so hard to believe that we are wrapping up 2011! We had such a fun year with our busy boys. Jacob had his first birthday at the end of January and has been on the go since. He is a very happy little boy with a great sense of humour, he loves to make people laugh with his dancing, singing and silliness. His words are coming along quickly now but he never has a problem making his opinion known. He really looks up to his older brother and enjoys being included in Ben’s activities. Ben is fortunately, very patient and loving with him. They have a wonderful relationship that is a joy to watch.

Ben and Jacob both participated in a program at a local working farm run by our city this past spring. They had tractor rides and learned how to care for the many animals. Their favourite activity each week was grinding the corn to feed the goats. They learned to make new things in the kitchen and enjoyed a weekly animal craft. We were fortunate to have Gramma join us as we got to experience a little bit of farm life.

Summertime was full of swimming, playground picnics, outside fun…and the yard sales that Jenn loves! We were more successful in growing a garden this year, in that we harvested more than weeds. Our raspberries did the best and we were pleasantly surprised to keep picking into our mild October. We canned strawberry jam and applesauce for the first time and enjoyed the experience…not too much can beat the smell of strawberry jam cooking on the stove.
The boys participated in a gymnastics club summer program which they both really enjoyed. The trampoline was their favourite gym activity and Jacob made us nervous every time! He has no fear in anything he does.

Ben Turned four at the end of August and we celebrated with his friends at the farm. He has really grown up and is full of questions and imagination. He talks incessantly and amazes us with his creativity. His interests include firefighters, superheros and space. He loves to draw. Most afternoons will find him at the table (or sprawled underneath) with his paper and art supplies. He will, on some days stay there for hours. He is learning his letters and is very enthusiastic about learning to read.

Jon is busy at work and we are fortunate that his office is only 5 minutes away so he is home early in the afternoon. He is still helping to teach a Kung Fu class for children two nights a week that Ben has recently started attending too. He is working at obtaining his higher belt levels in the adult class held afterwards.

2012 will bring some big changes to our family as we recently sold our current home that we have lived in for four and a half years and are busy looking for a new home that will suit our growing family. We are excited to be expecting our new baby in late June!

As I mail this off I can’t help but think of all of the loved ones in our lives and further away that we wish we could see more often. We hope this card finds you well, in good health and spirit. We send you our love and wishes for a Merry Christmas and wonderful 2012.

Love Jon, Jenn, Ben and Jake
xoxo

2011 Christmas in Pictures

A delicious Christmas Eve dinner with Grammie and Grandad. A quiet Christmas with the four (and a half) of us with some visitors throughout the day, a relaxing brunch with Gramma and Grampa on boxing day, many generous gifts... We enjoyed it all!

"Mary" Christmas

Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, Lamb of God, Jehovah, Emmanuel, Jesus the Christ, Son of God.
Son of Mary

I have been reflecting on the reasons we celebrate this time of year this evening. With all the expected excitement of the season it is almost easy to forget the little baby it is all about.

In thinking about this tiny person born for great things, I have been unable to stop thinking about his Mother.

Jon and I played Mary and Joseph three years ago in our church's production of a live outdoor nativity. The production is such that the audience takes a live walk through Bethlehem outdoors to different sets presenting the events of Christ's birth night.

The first stop was with the angel Gabriel and I, Mary. The audience listens as he tells her of what is to come and the child she is carrying. We did the scene many times for every group to come through for almost 5 nights. There was one particular time we ran through the scene that I began to suddenly fight back tears. I became emotional at the lines I had heard repeated by the angel countless times before.

"And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His Name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the LORD God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David" (Luke 1:30-32).

"33 And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God"

The Son of God. This is how we think of Christ, the magnitude of such makes his strength, influence, sacrifice and legacy understandable. He was after all, the son of God.
But his Mother. She was just a woman. Asked to do the impossible from the very beginning. To carry a baby, immaculately and miraculously conceived.
It seems obvious then, that she was in fact far from being "just a woman". Mary needed to encompass all the strength, determination and faith of all womankind to do what she must.

Holding her new born baby, she must have felt the rush of overwhelming emotion that all new mothers feel. She must have felt the inadequacy, fear and incredible love that Mothers for all time feel when holding their precious gift from God.

In this moment, though she knew that he was the king of kings, lord and redeemer, he was first and foremost her baby boy.

What a responsibility she had. What faith.
It seems more and more that there are elements of the world I want to shield my children from. It is hard to look at such a precious child and the harshness of the world and know they need to find their place in it. More difficult yet to look at your precious child and know that he is the one to save it.

Did she know what was to come? Did she know of the babies killed after their departure from Bethlehem. Did she know what kind of Mother she would need to be to raise the perfect man? I suspect much of the compassion, love, kindness and wisdom he imparted on others in his life did not come to him from his birthright but from a Mother who loved him dearly and taught him well.

I think of her in his infancy, toddlerhood and early boyhood. She was his Mother, in every respect of the word, with all the needs of any child. And he would never stop needing her. The Son of God, savior of the world. His mother never left his side.

I can barely think of the absolute shattering of her heart as his last day came. Though it was what he was born to do, Christ himself asked, in the final hours to his God for the cup to be removed from him. This was not an easy thing for him to go through. He knew this but he moved forward. For his mother, she had been prepared for the impossible since his conception since no mother could bare what she was about to.

In testament to her great strength, faith and deep devotion to her son she went through this torturous crucifixion with him.

Even when he wondered in the final excruciating moments of his life where his father was, crying out "My God My God, why has thou forsaken me?" He never had to question where his mother was.
Right in front of him.

As painful, as it was, the selfless sacrifice he went though for the never ending sins of the world. His Mother had to watch him do it.

When, on the third day Christ returned, I believe a resurrection was necessary, less as proof of his identity but for his Mother's comfort. He knew that she had born more than a mother's heart is naturally capable of.

I am so grateful for her example, the trials and hardships she faced with grace and with courage. I believe when God gives us one of his children, like Mary, he also blesses us with the capacity to raise them in a way that will deliver them back to him, should we accept the sometimes difficult path that presents. I know I need his guidance and assurance as I try to raise these men who may not be born with a purpose as legendary as our savior, but one as important as making this world better in following him.
I look to Christ for his example in life, in deep gratitude for his sacrifice that offers me salvation. I also look to his Mother whose example still lives, on this day, when she held her new baby, so long ago.

Moving Day

I told Ben that we had sold our house and were going to move to a new home in the spring time, he didn't really seem to have much of a reaction to this. I assumed he really didn't have a frame of reference for it and thought I would simply bring it up again closer to April. Little did I know the wheels were turning and a while later I heard Ben call down "Okay Mommy! I am ready to go!"
He had packed up everything he wanted to bring with him (in plastic grocery bags...) and was standing by the door waiting to leave. To say that unpacking was entertaining would be an understatement- he had mostly toys, a box of cereal, socks, some books, his markers, a baby bottle and diaper for Jacob, the tv remote control, my itouch (that he likes to play games on) and his firefighter boots.
I am still laughing.

By Ben

...Random. Interesting.

Bubble Bath

What better way to spend some dreary, foggy, damp December days (where IS the snow?!) than neck deep in a warm bubble bath. Every morning this week the boys have asked for a "swimming" bath (...deep enough to swim in). They stayed in over an hour one day. The secret to the bubble bath success is the discovery of the whirlpool jets that make the bubbles grow 3 feet tall.
Then they get out...put on warm jammies and drink apple cider with Nemo (the current movie of choice).
Life is good...made better with bubbles.

Hello Baby!

We "met" met our baby last week at our 12 week ultrasound.
The direct words from our technician were " your baby is so stinkin cute!- they don't all act this cute you know". And I am not one to dispute her professional opinion so I would have to agree that our baby is pretty stinkin' cute!
(S)He was showing off all her(his) new parts...quite proud of fingers and toes especially. (S)He kept flipping around and waving. Quite happy to be here.
Watching this new little life made us so excited to hold him/her in the next 6 months. I have a feeling it will go by quickly.

The photo's at the ultrasound are of the profile, hands, and underside of the legs - though it looks like some boy bits are present...it is the umbilical cord...it was too early to get that exciting information...6 more weeks and we will know if we are adding to our soccer team or if we should start buying pink! We will be absolutely thrilled either way- life with three boys is bound to be exciting and a little girl would surely be a new and fun experience as well.

Right Now- To Remember...

Oh these boys. They make me laugh so much every day... they are each so different and I equally love where they are both at right now.

Jacob.
His words are coming fast and furious now. He has the sweetest little falsetto voice that he uses in such a pitch that he usually gets what he wants the first time around. If not...look out. He is not so accepting of his ideas (getting in the knife drawer...climbing on the stove....putting nails in the blender...unrolling all the toilet paper rolls...) being denied. "Mooooooo-MMY!" he glares, and pouts....then shrieks....then flails on the floor, miniture fat limbs being flung in all directions...finally with no notice he is back up on his feet, wandering off to find what other kind of chaos he can rustle up.
He LOVES "Old Macdonald had a Farm" - "EIEIEIEIEI-OOOOO Mommy?" He has a little catch in his voice that is impossible to refuse...even for the 5oth time a day. Tractors are an obsession... he just says the word over and over to himself as some sort of comfort he loves them so much.
Jake still has the appetite of a small horse. He prefers fruit and vegetables to anything else. I had some cut up vegetables in the fridge last week (to try and get MYSELF to enjoy them equally...clearly this is not a hereditary trait...) Jacob kept getting into the fridge and dragging out the container of broccoli and carrots. By the end of the day he had eaten almost 2 full heads of broccoli! I was relieved that he spared me from it.
Oh he adores his brother. He is always watching Ben, trying so hard to make his 2 year old self 4. He thinks Ben is the funniest person in the world. As soon as Jacob wakes up from his nap, at the first little noise Ben jumps up- "Jacob is up!" he darts into his room and slams the door. For the next half an hour or so they can be heard laughing, talking, singing and of course using the crib as a trampoline. I am pretty sure that on of these days they are both going to go right through the bottom but until then I love hearing them play too much to interrupt.

Jacob is a cuddler. So is Ben, but not the degree of this boy who literally melts into me when I hold him. He buries his chest into me and his body goes limp. Even as he grows, he still loves a lap. Curled up in his rocking chair on my lap with his tractor blanket is his favorite place in the world (and we sing "EIEI-O" 10 more times...) Jakey LOVES to laugh...he will take any opportunity to let that belly laugh rip. It comes from deep inside him and catches his breath. It doesn't end until everyone in the near vicinity is also doubled over. It is as contagious as he is positively scrumptious!

Ben.
Ben, Ben, Ben. Where to even start. There is so much I want to remember about him right now! He is finally completely out of diapers/pullups... this is a big accomplishment for him considering the process we went through. This was something that was scary for him and we had two steps forward, one step back for almost 2 years. He won't let you anywhere near the bathroom if he is in there...in fact he would clear the whole floor if he could, but he is going and that is the main thing. He took off his night pull up this month and has been dry since. ...Now we get to start to the whole thing all over again with J...
Ben LOVES to create. He will pick through my recycling pile before it goes out and find things to glue, tape, paint and cut into something completely different and useful. He made a toy airplane out of toilet paper rolls and most recently a "chip crusher" out of a cracker box. "It turns 10 chips into 100!"
He is so happy. Ben wakes up with a smile, he goes to bed with a smile...he is often heard during the day declaring his love for random things including "this great day". He is a joy to be around. He makes me happy.
He loves bubble baths, making strawberry/orange "ice cream" in the blender, playing in the snow, building forts, drawing and having his afternoon show and glass of milk.
Ben is such a sweet boy, always ready to help his brother or give someone a hug. His feeling can be hurt easily and It is hard for me to think that I can't be beside him his whole life to protect his little heart. His shoulders slump, his eyes turn down and tears will run silently...

Ben and I do "school" every afternoon. Every day he asks "Can we do school today Mommy? I LOVE school". Last week he said "I want to learn something new EVERY day! Can we do that?" I think he learns at least 15 new things a day that I have nothing to do with but I didn't tell him that. He is printing well now and close to reading...which he is so determined to do.

What I love most, right now is how much they love one another. they are protective and loyal to each other ...they are quick to offer comfort and enjoy playing with each other over anyone else. I love that my boys are best friends and it is certainly the dream I had for them. Both are excited about the new baby, Jacob adores babies and I know he will be a loving and doting brother. Ben knows what being a big brother is all about and was very enthusiastic about welcoming another sibling as soon as he was reassured that a "new" baby doesn't mean we get rid of the old baby!

These boys. I love them more then there are words. I am so grateful for every day I get to spend with them I am so proud of who they are and who they are becoming.

Jr. Baker

I usually leave baking and extra involved craft projects for Jacob's nap time. He has been in the eating glue and throwing flour stage for awhile now and Ben enjoys the one on one time. Today however we decided to let Jake in on the Christmas cookie baking to see how it went.
Jake LOVED every second of measuring, pouring, stiring (and dough eating). It is hard to believe...and accept that my precious and precociously adorable toddler is going to be TWO years old next month! I am not quite ready to let my baby be a boy just yet...

Christmas IS coming!

I usually decorate for Christmas the day after Jon's birthday in the middle of November. This November...I was lucky to make it off the couch to reach the bathroom by the time my breakfast made it's second appearance. Christmas was the last thing I had energy for. Fortunately as the weeks go by I am slowly feeling better and better with a few days here and there that I actually felt human again! Today was one of those days so quickly we baked up some cookies, dipped some pretzels in chocolate and rustled up the Christmas cd's. We had ourselves a tree trimming party for 4 (and 3/9th's) and got our house Christmafied! I feel much more festive now that the soft glow of a Christmas tree is in our window.