Newfie New Year's

The festivities begin with a few b'ys showin up. At least they didn't show up empty handed!

And here's some of the fam by the tree.

And so this is Christmas

Well, there you have it. The momentous day has come and gone... the last few bits of wrapping paper hiding in corners has been cleared away, gifts have found their new homes, some semblance of order has returned, and finally, I breathe again. It was a whirlwind... and after 6 days of company, I can relax before the next set comes tomorrow. (don't get me wrong... it's been wonderful... but a little overwhelming when we're still finding our routine with our new baby...)

{queue music}

"And so this is Christmas, and what have you done?"

This song is used in a commercial for child sponorship agency and this year we decided as a family that we wanted to take up its challenge seriously. We wanted this Christmas to be different. We wanted our celebration this year to be intential... our giving to be meaningful. And it was.

We pared back our giving so that gifts were from the heart and not about a display of wealth. Not that we are wealthy per se, but we live in a nation that is rich in comparison to many in this world. We wanted to give to others, to clothe freezing children in Russia with warm woolies, to feed children who would go hungry otherwise. We wanted to pay attention to where there was darkness in this world, so that we might shine light and help bring hope. After all, was not a little baby born, and called the Light of the world?

We wanted to celebrate the little things, that need to be big things.

We celebrate our health and our lives.
Not to be trite or quote the adage "Well, at least you have your health..." We're serious. We attended far too many funerals this year, and we have far too many widows counted amongst our family and friends. Our dear friend succumed to his brain tumour. My father-in-law struggled thru his fight with cancer, chemo and a bone marrow transplant and is back on his feet again... Mark struggles daily with MD and its toll on him... with all it robs from him. He experienced a great revelation this year however, when he came to realize what a gift MD can be. He is forced daily to cast himself completely on God for the strength to put one foot in front of the other... and he has found that to be a most beautiful and peaceful place. We are so thankful to have the health we have, and the joy of one more day.

We celebrate our blessedness.
The day before Christmas, we were flipping channels while watching tv and we stopped at a horrifying sight... a room, littered with refuse, the windows were blown out, and one could only imagine what the odour was like that must have filled that place... and then, huddled in the corner, a family. This was their "home". They lived in a war-torn country, and this was all that was left of their dwelling. My daughter was struck by the severity of their poverty. "Why do they live there, Mama?" she asked me, not understanding what she was seeing at first. For my son, he was impacted by his own wealth. Earlier that day, we had reorganized his room to accomodate for the overflow of toys on his shelves... he had never thought himself to be rich before, but in seeing this sad family, he realized just how blessed he was. We have a home that keeps us warm and dry. Our fridge always have food in it. We have an excess of clothing. We have access to free health care and wonderful midwives. We live in peace. Blessings to numerous to count.

We celebrate our family.
What a joy to have a babe craddled in your arms on Christmas morning, while the original story is retold of a babe born so many years ago and placed in a lowly manger. We nestle in with warm blankets and hearts full of thankfulness.

We celebrate the greatest gift of all... the gift in the manger.

Knit 1, bake 1

Current wip: Melissa's chic ipod cozy... knit inbetween batches of mocha bites - yummo!

ok... the mocha bites look awfully small in the photo... but they are awfully delicious to eat!!!

Google knits

Gotta love the Google pic for the holiday season! Knitting kangaroos!!!!

Hi ho! Hi ho! It's off to knit I go!

Lots of Christmas knitting awaits... a wonderful surprise for Amanda... fruit cozies galore (my gag gift of the season)... and an Ipod hoody for Melissa... we'll see what else I can accomplish in 2 days... and then I'll get back to finishing my thrummed mittens!

More than a Midwife

I'm a little late posting this blog but I've had the words and thoughts swirling around in my mind for a while...

(Look at that gorgeous baby with our midwives, Daina and Genevieve. He's just a couple days old.)

I love my life. I love the place that I'm in right now. When everything around me is fading into winter, I feel as if my life is vibrant and blooming. My new son is a pure delight and I've been blessed to have some wonderful companions on the journey to welcoming him into the world. Midwives are more than just health care providers. They are companions, nurturers, encouragers. Words do not suffice in exemplifying them or thanking them.

For Mark & me, it truly was a journey... with a few ups and downs along the way. Jaden was a complete surprise to us, and it took me a while to adjust to the detour in the road... a most beautiful detour. Morning sickness was horrid, lasting into my 5th month, making it tough to be totally excited. We experienced loss along the way as well - Mark & I both lost one of our grandparents, and a wonderful friend finally succumed to cancer after battling it for 8 years. In the wake of all that, an ultrasound showed two cysts on our baby's brain... and although we were told that it's probably nothing, the possibility existed that it could indicate an issue that was "incompatible with life." Ahhh... but God is so good. Immediately, He spoke to me profoundly... it was as if the world slowed down and became distant... I was "in" but not "of"... and He said "This is not for you." And I knew that everything was going to be ok. And well, the proof is in the puddin! Just look at this wonderful baby!

Anyway...

The journey would not have been the same without Genevieve. She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. Her quiet confidence is remarkable and her smile and sense of humour are absolutely contagious. She nurtured our family. With each visit, she spoke gently and kindly to my children, helping them feel more prepared the transition of welcoming a new baby, and during the birth, she was a calming influence. (Jordan said that she is more than our midwife... she is our friend. I agree.)

I once heard someone compare beautiful people to fruitful trees... how wonderful it is to be with them, as if sitting in the shade of a fragrant apple tree... how fulfilling to share in life with them, to share the fruit of their lives. This illustration came to mind as Genevieve told funny stories about her family's orchard not far from here... Kind of ironic.

I remember sitting on my bed during my first week, postpartum. I journaled while regaining my strength. I wanted to write down every detail of Jaden's birth before they started to slip away. In the course of a week, I saw the leaves turning colour and falling off the trees outside, beautiful and vibrant. My life was changing too, and full of beautiful, vibrant colours. Genevieve was one of them.

She shared with us the wonderful book, Welcome With Love... a homebirth story, parallel to ours. For us, Genevieve will always be an important part of our story... and we are so thankful, that even though the book has closed, its final words were not "The End." A new chapter awaits to be written...

Sammy's back

found another face in my sammy at lunch yesterday... what can I say? I took the pickle out of the jar and it was smiling at me!

Ok... I admit it...

For breakfast this morning I ate a mini cheesecake and a 2-bite chocolate cupcake... the remains of a Christmas party I hosted for some of the moms from our homeschool support group. So much for my super healthy habit of Irish oatmeal with flaxseed oil. I'll have to fit in the omega-3s elsewhere today.... i'm so weak...

oh jo..

It reminds me of a joke from university:
A cup of Irish cream coffee has all the important food groups for a student: caffeine (from the coffee), fat (from the cream) and alcohol (from the Bailey's).

Not a bad start to the day!

Wonder-Full, Counsel-her

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

I love the names of Jesus... scripture is so full of them, each a new insight into who Jesus is.

He is Wonder-full... He never ceases to amaze me.

The Father has said to Him... Counsel her. She needs you.

He is mighty, strong enough to defend me, strong enough to stand up to me, strong enough to carry me.

He is everlasting... always there, always faithful... He is my Dad. My Abba.

He is a Prince... Songs of Solomon 1:2-4.

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—

for your love is more delightful than wine.
Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;

your name is like perfume poured out.

No wonder the maidens love you!
Take me away with you—let us hurry!

Let the king bring me into his chambers.

His Kingdom is Peace.

Bobber & Otter graduate

Last night Hannah & Jordan were thrilled to receive their certificates for swimming. They'll be moving up a level, with Hannah becoming a Bubbler and Jordan, a Seal. Pretty cool.

Embrace Sin... huh???

Last night I saw an amazing woman on a talk show... and I froze... she was beautifully well-spoken, and she shared from her heart, with great conviction of all that God had done... not just for her, but for all of us!

Thanks be to God
for his indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15

Then her name flashed on the screen... Liz Curtis Higgs. Wow! I nearly fell over, for she is one of my favourite authors. Her fiction is riviting, moving, and powerful... and her non-fiction is inspiring and challenging. Any one who can write a book called "Bad Girls of the Bible" demands attention. Her inspiration was her own life, being a "bad girl" herself. Yet in her adult life, God reached her... "in a pit of despair" she says on her website. Her real life story is just as moving as her writing... read more about her here: http://www.lizcurtishiggs.com/whoisliz.htm

I was floored as she was speaking. Her new book is titled "Embrace Grace" and on the show, she shared from one of the chapters called "Embrace Sin." ACK!!! My jaw nearly dropped to the floor! I couldn't understand such an idea... are we not to put "...aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." (james 1:21) ???

She clarified...

We must embrace our sin before we can let go of it. We have to own up to it, so to speak. We have to acknowledge the areas of our lives that are contrary to God's ways. She shared about her father who was a good man... but in his goodness, he was never able to embrace his sin, even to his dying day... he could never acknowledge his sin. I understood... how often we compare ourselves to others... I'm not as bad as so-and-so... I've never done (fill in the blank), I'm not so bad... but even our very best falls so short of God. Even on my best day of loving my husband and kids, my neighbours, it all falls short... His word says our righteousness is like rags placed before Him. That's a tough pill to swallow for most.

He is not a God who is waiting for us to finally fess up so that He can shame us and command us to grovel before Him... He is waiting so that He can wipe our sin away, and draw us close to His heart, in an all-encompassing embrace which fills us more deeply than we could have ever dreamt possible. It's about finding the heart's true home... with our Maker.

When we embrace our sin, we are embraced by our Loving God.

Click here for a link to read more about Liz's book, Embrace Grace, and to the whole first chapter. http://www.lizcurtishiggs.com/waterbrook/Embrace/Embrace%20Grace.htm

The face in my sandwich

After church, we got a little silly with our lunches. This is my grilled cheese face.

Daina's Scarf

One WIP I can cross of my list... a delightful project for a delightful gal.

Daina was our student midwife attending Jaden's birth. Like a rose coming into full bloom, it was wonderful to watch her blossom in confidence and skills on our journey to welcoming Jaden. She was always wide-eyed and ready to soak in everything around her. Encouraging, inquisitive, joyful. She's a truly lovely person. Often during our appointments she would be wearing a beautiful scarf, so as a thank-you, I knew that a scarf would be a fitting gift.



The yarn is a blend of alpaca and... and... oh geez... I forget. Anyways... it was gorgeous yarn to work with, incredibly soft and smooth. It's not a complicated pattern, but other fancier stitches didn't show off the yarn as beautifully. Sometimes less is more, as they say.

Pattern: Cast on a bunch of stitches. Knit 4 rows.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Knit 3, purl until last 3 stictches, knit 3.

Pretty simple. It's tough to block it enough to not get it to curl under though... but sometimes that's a nice feature too.

May God bless you, Daina, as you continue on your own journey.

Where's my knitting????

This is the cheeky little monkey that ran off with my knitting!!!

Look at those fingers fly!

Paffute!

Look at the cheeks on this kid!!!

Is there a chin in there?

Is there a neck?

He'd better watch out for all the Mama Mia's at the next (Italian-side-of-the) family reunion...

Che le paffute guance!

(what chubby cheeks)

Nana's WIP

Nana's WIP is finished, as seen here, shown off by my favourite model.

The Wonder of a Snowfall

I remember the joy of winter's first snowfall... starting in Nov, running to the window every morning to throw back the curtains to see if it had finally snowed...

Well, last night was our first snow and Jordan had to get out and play in it. This morning, I sat by the window with Jaden. The expression on his face is priceless!!!

Top 10

Top 10 Ways to Make Time for Knitting

1. Declare a Family Movie Night. Everyone will think it's a great idea to spend the time together... and then I get to knit during the movie!

2. Declare a Pizza Night. I get out of cooking and if we use paper plates, I won't have any dishes either!

Knitting Math

No cooking + No dishes = More knitting time

Put #1 and #2 together for a Bonus Night of Kniiting... I mean family time! Cha-ching!

3. Multi-task.
a) Knit while I'm teaching the kids during homeschool time.
b) Knit while in the bathroom. (Hey... why not? How many people take Uncle John's Bathroom Reader in with them???)

4. Knit while breastfeeding. Put baby in sling, so hands are free.

5. Have others do your bidding... Hubby: dishes. Kids: laundry. Wha-ha-ha. (my best tyrannical laugh.)

6. Declare it "Work." Knitting as gift-giving at Christmas is the perfect opportunity for this. hee-hee (my sneaky little laugh.)

7. Declare a "Mental Health Day." Say, "I'm too exhausted/drained/burnt-out from the demands of my busy life to do the dishes/laundry/cook... so I'm just going to sit here and knit. Trust me, this will be better for everyone." (see "Knitting Math" under #2)

8. Reclaim Sunday as a Day of Rest. After church, what could be more restful than spending time meditating on the goodness of God while knitting? Especially if knitting something for another person, it can be an exercise of gratitude as well, by focusing on prayers of thanksgiving for that special someone. How about making it an exercise of intercession, by bringing that person before the Lord in prayer. (don't I sound sooo spiritual???)

9. Knit everywhere. In the car (while hubby is driving), at the YMCA (while waiting for the kids to finish their swim lesson), at support groups/homeschool meetings... anywhere!

10. Skip going to the YMCA, support groups, homeschool meetings, etc to make more time for knitting!!!!

Thrumming

These are the thrummed mittens I am making for Genevieve, our midwife, to go along with the Welcome With Love socks. Mitten #2 is on the needles still, and #1 is finished and turned inside out, to show what the thrumming looks like on the inside. The ball to the right is the roving from Belle Vallee.

My Dad

My Dad.

Here he is as a school boy, growing up in Point Leamington, Newfoundland.

Mount Washmore

Today, I'm tackling Mount Washmore... and I'm about to find out if there is life after laundry...

Life with a new baby is wonderful, but overwhelming at times. With late night nappy changes, moonlit nursings, and sunrise spit-ups... well, something had to give... and laundry it is. But after several days of hearing my children and hubby cry for clean socks, I have had to cave in and tackle the oozing mass of soiled accoutrements pouring out of the closet...

So shovel in one hand, and 4 laundry baskets at my side, I have begun...

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion to the ongoing saga...

dah-na-na-na...

Fat Back and Molasses

I'm delving into my heritage tonight... making fish and brewis for our church potluck tomorrow. It's supposed to be an "international foods day" ... so I'm making Newfie fish & brewis.

Der's nuttin' more Newfie den dat, my son. No sir.

Can you hear I's the B'y?

Real Men Knit

Check this out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jYa_rJyG18

I remember when I was 8 and my mom taught me to knit... I was so excited... so proud! I made a scarf for my Barbie... then a blanket... then a little dress, cinched at the waist with an I-cord... oooo... I had the knitting bug!

And then I was amazed when my dad... my strong, manly man dad... told me he knew how to knit... all the boys my dad's age had to learn when they were going to school.

So, here's to you Dad! I raise my sticks!

Welcome With Love

Here is another WIP... a knitting work in progress. A pair of socks for my widwife, inspired by a most amazing children's book. It's called Welcome With Love, by Australian author Jenni Overend, with wonderful illustrations by Julie Vivas.

In Welcome With Love, a little boy tells of the (home)birth of his new brother. It follows the family on their journey of preparing for the homebirth, the midwife's arrival, the noise and emotion, and finally the joy of the baby's birth. It's such a warm and heart-touching story. The book wouldn't be the same with the handiwork of Julie Vivas. Her illustrations are warm and beautifully detailed, sketched to show the vast array of emotions encompassing birth. They are absolutely captivating... and I loved seeing the family wearing handknit garments... especially socks. When our midwife, Genevieve, shared this book with us, I knew that I would make these socks for her.

I couldn't find the separate colours in order to do the exact striping from the pictures, but this Peter Pan varigated wool has the same colours. The effect is different... but the inspiration is there. I hope she likes them!

My arrow WIPs

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them. Psalm 127:4,5

Two sons and a daughter. Blessings from God that He has given to me that I might train them up to know Him... to follow Him... to love Him.

That's a tall order... and that's why as a mom, I'm a Work In Progress. Most days are good days, and I lay my head down at night with peace... but there are days (said with the gritting of teeth) when my children do not rise up and call me "blessed" (see prov. 31) and neither are "the words of wisdom and faithful instruction" (vs 26) on my tongue.

And that's why I'm so thankful for God's mercy. Each day is new, and I can walk in that knowledge every morning.

Favourite WIPs

This is one of my favourite "WIP"s.

ima wip... what's a wip????

"He's still workin' on me
to make me what i ought to be
it took Him just a week to make the earth and the stars
the sun and moon and jupiter and mars
oh what a wonder i will be
He's still workin' on me."

Work in progress.

That's me.
That's my life.
I'm a Work In Progress... "ima-wip."

And every day I thank God for His mercy - every day is my second chance. :)