Thankful Thursday

I have half an hour of Thursday left, although I'm sure I can be thankful on a Friday too :)

1. My baby slept 10 hours last night, which means mommy did too. I woke up feeling like a million bucks.

2. Today has been busy,  and my house is a mess but I love working along side my husband whenever I get the opportunity!

3. The bible.

4. I get to see some of my dearest friends in one week! I'm so excited, plus there's a wedding- I love weddings :)

5. For calendars. I'm fairly good with remembering dates, but lateley I'm very forgetful! Calendars come in handy...if I remember to write stuff on it ;)

6. Coffee. I love it lately.

7. We had a date night this week. It was needed, and I loved every minute of it.

8. It's Thursday, and it's almost over which means tomorrow's the weekend. Which means we get to hang out with daddy all day for two days, we're looking forward to it.

8. The heat in our house, it's getting cold out there. Heat in your home is not something to take for granted.

9. For prayer. That I can talk to God freely, with confidence and be humbled by his presence. Nothing compares. 

10. Soothers. They're magic, and I love them. 

Two Months

Little stinker is two months old today! Man, time sure does fly. Our lives have been forever changed by this little guy, and I wouldn't change anything about these past two months for the world. He has taught us so much, especially what it means to be selfless. Having a child is the perfect lesson in being selfless. All of a sudden you have this person who fully depends on you for everything, even when you don't feel like meeting all there needs! Whether thats late night feedings, lack of sleep, eating your food once its cold because your dealing with a fussy baby. The world doesn't revolve around you anymore. 

Canaan is growing so much, and looks so much like a little boy to us. He grew out of that newborn look pretty quickly (although I wouldn't of minded if it stuck around a little longer!) He is getting so long, just like his daddy! He already has to wear size 3-6 month old clothes sometimes just so they fit length wise! His hair is finally starting to come in, which is so very exciting! It's still super blonde, and kind of hard to see unless its in the right light- but I promise its there! Canaan smiles every chance he can get, and it melts my heart! A few weeks ago he started making little noises whenever we talk to him, and i'm sure will giggle very soon! This little dude is so strong, and is already very good at holding his own head up. He loves to kick his legs and move his arms around, and has been spending a lot more time being awake during the day. He sleeps through the night, and still loves his soother! We've travelled a lot these past few weeks, and he travels like a champ! He has recently gained the new nick name "stinker"- not to sure why I started calling him that, but its stuck! Poor kid :) Canaan can sleep for hours if he is covered in blankets, the more blankets the better! This kid loves being warm, just like his dad. We still think Canaan looks mostly like his uncle Nathan, although some days I can really see his daddy showing up in his looks. 

I absolutely love watching his little personality develop, and see him grow and change into a little man. We have been so blessed, and am so thankful for the gift of a son! 

He also doesn't mind all the pictures his mom takes of him, he cooperates mostly :)

Before the throne

"By grace alone somehow I stand, where even angels fear to tread. Invited by redeeming love, before the throne of God above."

These lyrics have been playing over and over in my head (and on my iTunes!) these past few days. These past few weeks I've even reminded and struck by the fact that I can boldly approach the throne of God. I don't know what it is that sparked this reminder but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I've recently just started reading Hebrews again and it has come a few times there too. Me, a sinner destined to an eternity in hell, because of the grace of God and the sacrifice if his sons blood am freed from the bondage of my sin, am free from condemnation and can approach the throne of God with boldness and confidence because that curtain was torn in two! I can come before a holy, perfect God because of his sob and lay my anxieties, my cares and my sin at his feet.  And not only can I do that, but because of Jesus God looks at me through the sacrifice that his son made. Because of the blood of Jesus when God looks at me he sees someone who is not only being made holy, but it already Holy. Obviously I am still a sinner, but I've been saved by grace and that sin no longer has a hold on my life. I have a way out, I have been forgiven and I am urged to longer live in the sin that I used too. I have been promised eternal life, and not only that but I get to spend eternity praising and worshipping the one who paid my debt! 

In light of everything that goes on in this world and in my life, I can so easily forget the importance of the Cross and the gospel. Oh May I never forget the importance of what Jesus did for me and the place the Cross needs to have in my life. May I pass on this GOOD NEWS to everyone I meet (can someone say scary) and onto my children so that they to can one day experience the forgiveness that I have so freely been given! That they would boldly be able go before Gods throne and have a relationship with their Saviour!

" Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize whit our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without soon. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4: 14-16

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith , with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10: 19-23

"A thousand years, a thousand tongues are not even to sing his praise!"

"This is the art of celebration, knowing we're free from condemnation. Oh praise the one, praise the one who made an end to all my sin!"

These lyrics are from the rend collective experiments song: boldly I approach- check it out:
Boldly I Approach- the Rend Collective Experiment

A week of firsts

This past week was one of the busiest we have had in a long time! But, it was a different kind of different and we enjoyed every minute of it!

For thanksgiving weekend we headed up to Belbutte, Saskatchewan for thanksgiving with my husbands side of the family to visit his aunt, uncle and cousins and there young family. We weren't going to go because the drive is 10 hours and we weren't sure how well Canaan would travel, but we decided we would go for it because we didn't want to spend thanksgiving weekend without family! It was such a wonderful time and we were so glad we went! Canaan travelled SO well! We left after work on Friday and only stopped to feed him once, the rest of the time he slept! On the way home we traveled during the day so he ate more, but he still slept the majority of the time and didn't fuss at all! Our family up (down? I never know which direction we are going) in Saskatchewan owns a ranch, with cows, horses, chickens,pigs and lots of cats! It was Canaans first time on a farm and seeing all of these animals! I know he is still really young and wasn't comprehending what he was seeing, but it was still fun for me :) He also got to go on his first quad ride! Well it was a trailer pulled behind a quad, but still. It was so good to be out in the fresh air and just relax. We didn't have any set schedule and we just enjoyed each others company. I loved it.

We traveled home, and on Tuesday all I did was laundry and re packing. On Wednesday we were heading to Grand Forks, North Dakota for the rest of the week. One Hope Canada brought all of us Manitoba Missionaries down there for two nights in a hotel. It was such a great time! I always enjoy getting together with the other Manitoba Missionaries and hearing whats going on at there camp and in there families. We have such a wonderful group of people working in Manitoba and I just love getting to work along side them. It was very relaxing, not much of a set schedule. We enjoyed two suppers together, and an afternoon at a water park. On Saturday evening the directors of our camp offered to look after Canaan for the evening so Michael and I could spend some time together. It was such a blessing to us. We didn't really do anything special, did some shopping at went out for coffee- but it was perfect. We just spent time together-my favorite. It was Canaans first time in the states, he did a lot of shopping and went in the pool for the first time! He liked the water, although it did get pretty cold for him quickly. He also starting cooing for the first time while we were there- its just the cutest little thing! He smiles away and makes these little noises, it just melts our hearts.

This past week was jam packed, but we spent every minute together as a family and I just loved it so much. It has been such a blessing to me to be able to spend time with my little family, creating new memories and watching our little boy grow!

Ten on ten: October

Ten pictures on the tenth day of every month. 

We have so much to be thankful for!

1. How I start my days. I wouldn't have it any other way.

2. Bath time! Lots of screaming this time, unlike the picture suggests. 

3 and 4. Art work for the nursery! Better late than never (not my artwork) 

5. Homemade chai tea egg nog! I was getting impatient for Starbucks to get there act together and put it on the menu again ;)

6. Afternoon nap time

7. Enroute to Belbutte, Saskatchewan for thanksgiving! 10 hour drive here we come!

8. Sleeping babe, so far so good!

9. My view from the backseat

10. Hello Saskatchewan! Only 8 more hours to go! 

Thursdays of thankfulness

With thanksgiving this weekend I've been reminded to be so thankful. I know we are supposed to be thankful more than once a year, but this time of year is just such a great reminder of how are to be the other 364 days of the year.

1. Our son. He is such a gift, something I never want to take for granted. THANKYOU Jesus for the gift of a son!

2. Stain remover and washing machines. Babies are messy. I've never done so much laundry and used so much stain remover!! I'm thankful I don't have to wash it all by hand!

3. For the health benefits we have through Michaels work. We both had much needed massages yesterday, and they are covered, yay!

4. Formula. I'm thankful that there are other options to feed my baby. Breast feeding didn't work out, and I'm so thankful that our little man is still able to be fed and is growing! 

5. Even though I'm technically not working, I'm really enjoying being able to be apart of camp ministry with Michael when ever I can. It's encouraging to know we're doing this together. 

6. The opportunity we have to go to Saskatchewan this weekend to visit family. Cananns first road trip! I'm nervous but I'm also so looking forward to it.

7. Our church family. 

8. My health. Everything still works great, I can walk, see, breathe, I'm alive. I'm greatful for that. 

9. Technology. My parents can see videos and pictures of Canaan everyday, makes te distance feel a little bit more bearable.

10.  The way my husband makes me laugh. He brings so much joy to my life. He makes life fun. 

Thankful Thursday

1. Babies that sleep through the night! That's right, my five week old slept through the night last night and I couldn't be more thrilled!

2. For the opportunity to mentor. It's not always easy to find the time, but it's stretching and I enjoy it.

3. Scarves. It's fall and it's cold- scarves make it better.

4. Being reminded of my sin daily and the  new found hatred I have for it. I'm such a sinner saved by grace and I couldn't be more thankful for that grace!

5. For pen and paper. I love the ability to write.

6. For a warm home. It's cold out now and I'm thankful we have a warm shelter over our heads!

7. For washing machines, dryers and dishwashers. I do an awful lot with these three things daily, I don't know what is do without them.

8. A husband who dreams. I don't always dream, I tend to listen to reality a little to often. But he dreams big and I love hearing about those dreams and being a part of executing them.