This afternoon we decorated the Christmas tree. Actually it was 99.9% decorated by the kids, I just helped to make sure the lights went on properly and mostly evenly.
As I opened the boxes of ornaments so many delightful memories came back. From the box of hand me down ornaments from when I was a child, to the ones that I picked up at the craft fair last year, each one had its own special story of how it came into our lives.
I am so very grateful for each of these memories that I was so blessed to have. As I handed each one of the "breakable" ornaments to the children to place on the tree I said " this is special, please be careful with it", and they held it with care and pride as I allowed them to place it on the tree. For some of the ornaments I told of the origin, but I should tell of them all so that my memories can live on in my kids!
I think now, while the hearts of the children are still so young and innocent, it is important to fill their hearts with beautiful stories of their own past and their connection with us as parents. It is funny how even if you just tell a story to a child, their imagination goes wild and they can create their own pictures in their head. Sometimes they create and even more exciting story!
I do wish everyone their own special memories as you unpack the Christmas decorations and share your traditions with the family. Make every moment count and enjoy the time together while we still can :)
Blessings
Lee-Anne
Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (NIV)
Monday, December 10, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
The Girls
I just got home not too long ago from an afternoon out with all the beautiful ladies in Martin's family. His mom, two sisters, and niece!
It seems we started a tradition of a night out of shopping then a nice dinner. It coincidentally happens to be close enough to my niece's birthday, which is on December 24th, so we celebrate her birthday as well :) Last year was Chelsey's 13th b-day so it was a perfect year to have her join us ladies!
I am grateful to be blessed with such amazing women in my family to share these fun new traditions! My in-laws are a huge support system for me and I know that I can count on them no matter what, just as they know they can count on me! To have this kind of sisterly bond is a gift from God :)
Blessings
Lee-Anne
It seems we started a tradition of a night out of shopping then a nice dinner. It coincidentally happens to be close enough to my niece's birthday, which is on December 24th, so we celebrate her birthday as well :) Last year was Chelsey's 13th b-day so it was a perfect year to have her join us ladies!
I am grateful to be blessed with such amazing women in my family to share these fun new traditions! My in-laws are a huge support system for me and I know that I can count on them no matter what, just as they know they can count on me! To have this kind of sisterly bond is a gift from God :)
Blessings
Lee-Anne
Proverbs 3:15 ESV
She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Little Belly
Today I am most grateful for having Jacob's health back to normal! Since last Friday he had been hit with the worst case of flu that I have seen in a long time. Without being able to hold down anything for 4 days I am surprised he had enough energy to walk at times. Now today he was screaming and laughing and running around with his friends like nothing ever happened!
I am so grateful that he was healthy to begin with and that he had enough "reserves" to help him stay afloat :) I knew that chunky little belly of his would come in handy!
Now I pray that our bout of illnesses is DONE! It has been a pretty rough past 4 weeks and I am ready to get out of this cycle!
Blessings
Lee-Anne
"And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness..." Deuteronomy 7:15 [If you follow His commands and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior]
I am so grateful that he was healthy to begin with and that he had enough "reserves" to help him stay afloat :) I knew that chunky little belly of his would come in handy!
Now I pray that our bout of illnesses is DONE! It has been a pretty rough past 4 weeks and I am ready to get out of this cycle!
Blessings
Lee-Anne
"And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness..." Deuteronomy 7:15 [If you follow His commands and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior]
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Zumbalicious!
I love love love ZUMBA fitness! I am so grateful that I jumped in and got licensed to be a Zumba instructor!
Honestly, for those of you who really know me, know that dancing is in my blood. I hear music and I have to move to the beat. Ever since I was a little girl I have been choreographing my own dances just for fun. I was always part of a dance club if there was one. I even remember having a very small group of friends when I was in grade 5 and we created a break dancing club!
Through the years, I have helped choreograph dances for community theater and for various school performances. Yet, other than my last year of high school, when I majored in dance, I never really had any formal training.
I got certified to be a group fitness instructor in 2001 so I had the formal fitness training. Even though a Zumba instructor isn't required to be certified in anything, it certainly does help to make sure form is suitable for everyone and body parts are where they are supposed to be! I would not recommend teaching any form of fitness without some theoretical and practical background with a certificate!
Zumba is the perfect medium for those who love to dance and enjoy a great workout. Seriously, I have so much fun dancing in class and showing others how to do the moves that sometimes I forget that I am "working out" :) The sweat that comes off me and my participants is evidence that it is a super duper workout!
Not only do I get to teach adults, but I went the extra step and I am licensed to teach kids their form of Zumba, ZUMBATOMIC! Yes you have to be licensed or you cannot teach it or at least you cannot call it Zumbatomic. I teach two classes a week at my children's school during lunch break. What a fun way to promote health and fitness and FUN!
I am licensed in Zumba Gold as well so I can give the active older adult a good workout without all the hip action! This is also great for beginners, people recovering from injuries, and women who are pregnant.
Basically Zumba is for ALL AGES!!!
Oh yes, I am the only Zumba Instructor in town! I have been at it successfully for a year. ON MY OWN SCHEDULE! What a great way to earn an income! What I am even more excited about is what my plans will look like in 2013. I am scouting out some possible people who would like to teach Zumba so that there can be more classes available and we can have substitutes in case of emergencies :)
Who says you can't be paid for your passions or that you have to put your passions on hold? Not Me!
Can you tell I am running off a Zumba high? I taught my class tonight!
What are you passionate about that keeps you moving and grooving?
Blessings
Lee-Anne
Dear Lord, Thank you for blessing me with two legs to dance and the heart to feel the rhythm!
Honestly, for those of you who really know me, know that dancing is in my blood. I hear music and I have to move to the beat. Ever since I was a little girl I have been choreographing my own dances just for fun. I was always part of a dance club if there was one. I even remember having a very small group of friends when I was in grade 5 and we created a break dancing club!
Through the years, I have helped choreograph dances for community theater and for various school performances. Yet, other than my last year of high school, when I majored in dance, I never really had any formal training.
I got certified to be a group fitness instructor in 2001 so I had the formal fitness training. Even though a Zumba instructor isn't required to be certified in anything, it certainly does help to make sure form is suitable for everyone and body parts are where they are supposed to be! I would not recommend teaching any form of fitness without some theoretical and practical background with a certificate!
Zumba is the perfect medium for those who love to dance and enjoy a great workout. Seriously, I have so much fun dancing in class and showing others how to do the moves that sometimes I forget that I am "working out" :) The sweat that comes off me and my participants is evidence that it is a super duper workout!
Not only do I get to teach adults, but I went the extra step and I am licensed to teach kids their form of Zumba, ZUMBATOMIC! Yes you have to be licensed or you cannot teach it or at least you cannot call it Zumbatomic. I teach two classes a week at my children's school during lunch break. What a fun way to promote health and fitness and FUN!
I am licensed in Zumba Gold as well so I can give the active older adult a good workout without all the hip action! This is also great for beginners, people recovering from injuries, and women who are pregnant.
Basically Zumba is for ALL AGES!!!
Oh yes, I am the only Zumba Instructor in town! I have been at it successfully for a year. ON MY OWN SCHEDULE! What a great way to earn an income! What I am even more excited about is what my plans will look like in 2013. I am scouting out some possible people who would like to teach Zumba so that there can be more classes available and we can have substitutes in case of emergencies :)
Who says you can't be paid for your passions or that you have to put your passions on hold? Not Me!
Can you tell I am running off a Zumba high? I taught my class tonight!
What are you passionate about that keeps you moving and grooving?
Blessings
Lee-Anne
Dear Lord, Thank you for blessing me with two legs to dance and the heart to feel the rhythm!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Day 4-The Little Things
What an amazing day! It is so crazy how the little things in my life, which are a big part of my life, truly showed up throughout the day.
The first was to be able to say I couldn't be there for my son's skating day with his gym class. Now I wasn't saying no "just because". I knew that other parents would be at the arena to help the kids get ready. More importantly I had a very sick little 3 year old at home, I still wasn't feeling 100% , and I had my husband who needed to work.
Guess what happened? Martin, my husband, at the last minute decided he could hold off work for a little longer and joined Logan and his class at the arena :) It was a good thing too because there were only two other parents there! It also made Logan's day that much better!
At lunch time I went to teach my Zumbatomic (Zumba for kids) class at the school. I went in with an agenda and it totally got busted! Sometimes children (especially those between the ages of 6 and 8) have their own agenda and then I have to adjust the class accordingly so we can actually have fun and still get a couple dance routines in! Usually dance games are the answer. Today they even invented a new one called Danse et Cache :) (Dance and hide) It was fun and it kept everyone going! Sometimes I really forget to come from a BEGINNER'S MINDSET.
On my way home I stopped at the grocery store for some dinner items. As I went to pay, the gentleman in front of me had forgotten his money in the car so I had to be PATIENT ( as there was only 1 checkout available) and wait for him to return. I do not usually have to wait for very long in line and there really wasn't anything else I could do so I figured this time wasn't going to hurt me.
After I picked up my kids from school I proceeded to make the preparations for supper. I totally UNDERESTIMATED how long this project would take! My super yummy and healthy supper that I was determined to make took 2 hours from start to finish instead of the 1 hour I anticipated :) The veggie side dish I had planned on now needed to change because I took so long to prepare the chicken! By 5:15 pm my kids were getting a little hairy, by 5:30 pm they were looking for snacks, by 5:45 pm the crying started, by 6 pm the drumsticks still needed to cook for another 10 minutes. I was so grateful when everything was laid out on the table and the fussiest of all fussy children, Logan, practically drooled with excitement! It was a very yummy supper :) Lesson learned, truly plan ahead and read directions carefully to plan out all the time needed!
Bedtime had its own special learning moments. After reading our Christmas story for the night I laid down with Mason first to help him go to sleep and Daddy laid down with Jacob. Mason proceeded to tell me how excited he was for Christmas to come, how much he loved me, and then asked if his arms would ever be as long as mine? He made up funny situations a if he had long arms and how they would get tangled up :) I chuckled and told him to draw pictures in the morning of his long arms.
I am so grateful for all these little happenings today. Each has its own lesson which can be taken in many different ways. Taking time to breath, say no if necessary, be patient, read the fine print, and be grateful for all the love that is given to me.
Enjoy the life that God has so freely given to you. If you don't like something, guess what, you can change it!
Blessings
Lee-Anne
Zechariah 4:10 English Standard Version (ESV)
For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
The first was to be able to say I couldn't be there for my son's skating day with his gym class. Now I wasn't saying no "just because". I knew that other parents would be at the arena to help the kids get ready. More importantly I had a very sick little 3 year old at home, I still wasn't feeling 100% , and I had my husband who needed to work.
Guess what happened? Martin, my husband, at the last minute decided he could hold off work for a little longer and joined Logan and his class at the arena :) It was a good thing too because there were only two other parents there! It also made Logan's day that much better!
At lunch time I went to teach my Zumbatomic (Zumba for kids) class at the school. I went in with an agenda and it totally got busted! Sometimes children (especially those between the ages of 6 and 8) have their own agenda and then I have to adjust the class accordingly so we can actually have fun and still get a couple dance routines in! Usually dance games are the answer. Today they even invented a new one called Danse et Cache :) (Dance and hide) It was fun and it kept everyone going! Sometimes I really forget to come from a BEGINNER'S MINDSET.
On my way home I stopped at the grocery store for some dinner items. As I went to pay, the gentleman in front of me had forgotten his money in the car so I had to be PATIENT ( as there was only 1 checkout available) and wait for him to return. I do not usually have to wait for very long in line and there really wasn't anything else I could do so I figured this time wasn't going to hurt me.
After I picked up my kids from school I proceeded to make the preparations for supper. I totally UNDERESTIMATED how long this project would take! My super yummy and healthy supper that I was determined to make took 2 hours from start to finish instead of the 1 hour I anticipated :) The veggie side dish I had planned on now needed to change because I took so long to prepare the chicken! By 5:15 pm my kids were getting a little hairy, by 5:30 pm they were looking for snacks, by 5:45 pm the crying started, by 6 pm the drumsticks still needed to cook for another 10 minutes. I was so grateful when everything was laid out on the table and the fussiest of all fussy children, Logan, practically drooled with excitement! It was a very yummy supper :) Lesson learned, truly plan ahead and read directions carefully to plan out all the time needed!
Bedtime had its own special learning moments. After reading our Christmas story for the night I laid down with Mason first to help him go to sleep and Daddy laid down with Jacob. Mason proceeded to tell me how excited he was for Christmas to come, how much he loved me, and then asked if his arms would ever be as long as mine? He made up funny situations a if he had long arms and how they would get tangled up :) I chuckled and told him to draw pictures in the morning of his long arms.
I am so grateful for all these little happenings today. Each has its own lesson which can be taken in many different ways. Taking time to breath, say no if necessary, be patient, read the fine print, and be grateful for all the love that is given to me.
Enjoy the life that God has so freely given to you. If you don't like something, guess what, you can change it!
Blessings
Lee-Anne
Zechariah 4:10 English Standard Version (ESV)
For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Faith and passion
I am writing today's blog in conjunction with the blog I was supposed to write yesterday. I ended up flat on my back in bed with a fever and stomach issues last night and I didn't get a chance to write :(
I am still in bed, but I am taking a few minutes to write from my IPad.
Yesterday I enjoyed a peaceful time at church. I only had my oldest boy with me and he was in Sunday school. I was very grateful to be able to concentrate on the message the Pastor was giving because it was right in line with my 31 Days of gratitude. I know I was meant to be 100% present so I could hear every word. Usually I am running after my 3 year old:)
His message was that of taking our passions and making them work to bring others closer to God. About serving and giving rather than sitting on the side lines expecting someone else to do the work. Doing what God created us to do so that others might see Him through us.
When I got home I was very grateful to have my husband ready to take charge and allow me to go to bed without any questions. Martin truly is a wonderful man with a heart of gold :) He made dinner, put the kids to bed and when he woke up he made the lunches and took the kids to school!
Of course I am also very grateful for my in-laws. They came and took Jacob back to their house for the day so Martin could get some work done. Red and Adele are such amazing grandparents. I honestly do not know how I could survive in this little town without them! They are always ready to help out and are always so welcoming to everyone.
There are so many things I have to be Grateful for and I look forward to sharing them with you in the following posts!
Blessings
Lee-Anne
Dear Lord please guide me in the right direction and help me to live my life with true passion and faith.
I am still in bed, but I am taking a few minutes to write from my IPad.
Yesterday I enjoyed a peaceful time at church. I only had my oldest boy with me and he was in Sunday school. I was very grateful to be able to concentrate on the message the Pastor was giving because it was right in line with my 31 Days of gratitude. I know I was meant to be 100% present so I could hear every word. Usually I am running after my 3 year old:)
His message was that of taking our passions and making them work to bring others closer to God. About serving and giving rather than sitting on the side lines expecting someone else to do the work. Doing what God created us to do so that others might see Him through us.
When I got home I was very grateful to have my husband ready to take charge and allow me to go to bed without any questions. Martin truly is a wonderful man with a heart of gold :) He made dinner, put the kids to bed and when he woke up he made the lunches and took the kids to school!
Of course I am also very grateful for my in-laws. They came and took Jacob back to their house for the day so Martin could get some work done. Red and Adele are such amazing grandparents. I honestly do not know how I could survive in this little town without them! They are always ready to help out and are always so welcoming to everyone.
There are so many things I have to be Grateful for and I look forward to sharing them with you in the following posts!
Blessings
Lee-Anne
Dear Lord please guide me in the right direction and help me to live my life with true passion and faith.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
The Gift of Nothing
Three Christmas's ago a beautiful girlfriend of mine sent a special package to me and my family. Inside, along with some yummy treats, was a cute little book called The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell.
A perfect little story about finding the perfect gift for that special someone who has EVERYTHING! It really touched on the importance of being genuine and spending time with those we love.
I am so grateful for my friend Alicia and her precious gift to us of adding a new storybook to our family's traditional Christmas reading list!
Linking this story to my youngest child, Jacob, I grasped the opportunity to spend a little extra time with him tonight. While Logan and Mason had already fallen asleep a not so sleepy Jacob quietly crept down the stairs looking for Mommy :)
Knowing that he had had a very long nap this afternoon, one that I willingly partook in, I allowed him to come downstairs for a couple extra QUIET stories. I stressed quiet because his idea of a really good story is anything that makes noise!
Once we were complete he was quite happy to return to his bed and quickly fell asleep in my arms :)
You really can't buy these precious moments or plan them. I love all my children and I realize as they grow that I cannot buy back time and that every moment counts. Sometimes I find that I wish time away too quickly and miss out on some wonderful opportunities to connect with my kids.
I am working at putting more focus on being completely present at home with my kids and husband when we are all home as a family. I look forward to including them in more of the things that I do and participating in and celebrating the things they do. Yes I am already involved in many activities with them, but I mean on a level of heart to heart connection. Being more vulnerable is scary for me, and that is just what the doctor ordered :)
Blessings
Lee-Anne
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (NIV)
A perfect little story about finding the perfect gift for that special someone who has EVERYTHING! It really touched on the importance of being genuine and spending time with those we love.
I am so grateful for my friend Alicia and her precious gift to us of adding a new storybook to our family's traditional Christmas reading list!
Linking this story to my youngest child, Jacob, I grasped the opportunity to spend a little extra time with him tonight. While Logan and Mason had already fallen asleep a not so sleepy Jacob quietly crept down the stairs looking for Mommy :)
Knowing that he had had a very long nap this afternoon, one that I willingly partook in, I allowed him to come downstairs for a couple extra QUIET stories. I stressed quiet because his idea of a really good story is anything that makes noise!
Once we were complete he was quite happy to return to his bed and quickly fell asleep in my arms :)
You really can't buy these precious moments or plan them. I love all my children and I realize as they grow that I cannot buy back time and that every moment counts. Sometimes I find that I wish time away too quickly and miss out on some wonderful opportunities to connect with my kids.
I am working at putting more focus on being completely present at home with my kids and husband when we are all home as a family. I look forward to including them in more of the things that I do and participating in and celebrating the things they do. Yes I am already involved in many activities with them, but I mean on a level of heart to heart connection. Being more vulnerable is scary for me, and that is just what the doctor ordered :)
Blessings
Lee-Anne
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (NIV)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)