Gone Again....

No, not gone on a trip this time, only my computer is gone.  I'm having a bit of trouble with it staying on, so it's getting fixed again.  Hopefully it comes back soon, but in the mean time, I won't be around much.

Alot

A friend sent me this link last week, & I thought it was too good not to share.  I myself, have taken issue with reading something that’s not grammatically correct.   Though I can’t say that I take it as far as this guy does.

Happy Friday!

My Favourite Post of 2009

Vintage Dutch Girl asked us to look back atour posts over the last year & pick a favourite to share.  As I was looking through & re-reading them I discovered this little gem.  I just love watching this video because it totally encapsulates both my son & my dad.  Asher  just keeps on repeating & repeating until you have acknowledged him, and my dad, well, he just really loves taking picutes & videos of the grandkids.

Have a favourite post of your own?  Head on over to Vintage Dutch Girl's blog & link up!

A Giveaway!

No, I'm not having a giveaway,

but PChad is!

Head on over to his blog for the chance to win one of 12 great prizes!

So No One Told You Life Was Gonna Be This Way....

I was given the "Friends" Award by none other than QuirkyLoon. She's a blogger who posts w/ a bit of snark & frankly, sometimes we all need a good dose of snarkiness.

The "rules" for this award are quite painless.

Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who can choose eight more and include this text into the body of their award.

Without further ado, here are my 8 nominees:

Rach @ In His Hands -She & her husband are eagerly awaiting the arrival of "Baby O" the baby they are adopting from Korea

Jen @ Absolutely Bananas -A Seattle stay at home mum who sees the humour in the day to day.

Nikki @ Blah, Blah, Blah Blog -She has the funniest dogs & the funniest sense of humour!

My Ice Cream Diary - She keeps it real & loves ice cream

Queen B - I just love reading about all her little family gets up to

Vintage Dutch Girl -She's Dutch, shops at Walmart & has the cutest kids

Elisabeth @ Roy's Progress -The sweetest lady who set up a blog about her husband's battle with cancer.

Andrea @ Forever Is Tomorrow Is Today -She recently moved back to the States from England, is into photography, & has such a cute little boy!

I'm so glad I have the opportunity to get to know each of these lovely ladies through their blogs, virtual friends are great!

"Cherish These Times"

I have found that there is no shortage of people telling young mum's to "cherish these times while your children are young, b/c they grow up so fast!" Ok, I can see their point, Sometimes I have trouble remembering what Asher was like when he was Chancery's age & that was only 2 years ago. I can only imagine how hard it will be to remember when in 10 years.

Sarah at Life in the Parsonage wrote a post yesterday that got me thinking. I do want to remember these time & I know they are special, but sometimes it's just so busy around here that it's not easy to take a minute of an ordinary day & think this is a wonderful time right now. That's part of the reason why I blog & take lots of pictures. I have found that I wish I had taken more pictures in the past, so I'm trying to make up for that now, so I won't be thinking that in 10 years as well.

Just before Chancery was born, Asher had just gotten to the point that I could really do things w/ him. We could do some crafts, we'd colour, practice the alphabet, read, etc. And then during his nap I could get the things done that I needed to & also relax a bit. I'm finding now that I don't have as much opportunity/time/mental capacity to do those kinds of things w/ him as much as I would like. During their naps (thankfully they take a long one at the same time in the afternoons), rather than doing things that should be done, I tend to try to relax a bit. I need to have that break in the middle of the day or I am NOT very patient for the afternoon/evening stint.

I'm trying to just make it through this first year so Chancery can entertain herself for more than just a few minutes here & there. When Asher was a baby it was fine b/c I wasn't trying to keep another kid entertained & out of trouble, but I'm finding 2 to be much more difficult than I anticipated. It's not just like doing it over again, it's a whole nother ballgame.

So, yeah, I am trying to cherish these times amidst the business, but I think alot of those who tell us to appreciate it now, don't remember that it was so crazy, either that, or they were just more organized & better at coping than I!

I Got An Award!

I received the "Real Person" award from Brittany. Apparently she thinks I'm real, which is nice to know. I don't think I could make this stuff up if I tried.

I'd like to thank Brittany for this honour (and for changing the spokesperson from Marie Antionette to Pinocchio), & pass the award on to Natalie at I AM (not). She's another Pastor's Wife & her blog is one that I enjoy reading b/c she keeps it real.

I've Been Interviewed!

Today I'm being interviewed by Sarah of Brit Gal' in the USA.

1. You've moved 9 times in as many years, you have to be highly organised to pull this off without a nervous breakdown! Do you have a moving plan/list always ready, how difficult have you found all this moving and how quickly can you feel settled somewhere new?

I generally start packing things about 2 months before we move, which drives PChad crazy b/c he's constantly looking for things that've been packed away already. I've gotten really good at figuring out what will fit in the boxes, & tend to hoard nice boxes. This is the first time since our first move that we've gotten rid of the boxes (We'd better be staying for awhile!) I find it harder to move now that we have kids b/c I'm not getting into the new community as quickly as when I used to work, now I tend to stay in more. But it usually doesn't take more than a month or so to feel settled, we get involved in the church right away which really helps.

2. Where has been your favourite place to live and why?

Definitely England. Of course when we first moved there we were not ready for the culture shock. I think that we thought since they spoke English it would be like moving from the States to Canada, but there are so many cultural differences (as I'm sure you could attest)! The churches were different there so it took us awhile to find one where we felt like we fit. I had to figure out how to get a job (luckily the Visa wasn't a problem), we had Canadian dollars w/ the exchange rate being $2.50=£1. We were poor, but we had the most fun just walking around exploring b/c we couldn't afford to do anything else. We just really fell in love w/ the culture & it was refreshing to not hear everyone's business while waiting in queues! We'd love to move back there someday, but we'll see if that's what God has planned for us!

3. I am in total awe of you not wearing make-up for 5 years! As your picture shows, you are a natural beauty, but aren't you ever tempted to put on a little mascara or lippie!? Why did you stop wearing it?
I'm not real sure why I stopped, but to start again, I just am not that good at figuring out what looks good & what's too much, & I'm really bad at putting on eye stuff (luckily I don't really need that). I've been experimenting w/ lipstick again lately, but I figure that if I'm not sure that it looks good, it's probably better to go w/o, then at least I'm not showing the world I have no make-up savvy, it just looks like I didn't have time!

4. You lived in London for awhile, what did you like most about it and the least, is there anything you miss about the UK?
I just really liked the city. I loved taking the trains & tube & reading on the way to work, the FOOD! There's a restaurant in Chinatown called "Wong Kei" & you could get each plate for £5, so we'd go w/ some friends & each pitch in our £5. The waiter's weren't overly friendly, & you ate cafeteria style, but we always had a good time. I think it's still my favourite Chinese restaurant. I really enjoyed the people that I worked w/ there. They've all moved on from that company now, but they really helped me to understand & fit into the culture.

I think what I liked least was not being able to find things I wasn't used to having to look for. There's no Walmart, so when I needed socks for cheap, it took awhile to figure out the best place to find them. I cut myself fairly early on & I was looking all over for Hydrogen Peroxide or Rubbing Alcohol & couldn't figure out for the life of me why I couldn't find any!

5. What adjustments have you had to make to your personality or persona, since you became the Pastors wife. Have you had to tone anything down about yourself in order to fit the title?

I've had to stop talking about my husband! I think more about what I'm going to say before I just open my mouth. I really think about each blog entry before it goes up, not that I always have to show us in a great light but b/c I don't want to be a stumbling block for anyone. I'm not (quite) as sarcastic as I used to be, but it's hard to know if these changes are b/c I'm a Pastor's Wife, or b/c I'm getting older & maturing (a little). But I haven't learned to play the organ & I haven't joined the choir. I feel like I'm just another parishioner at church & that's the way I like it.

Here's the instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the
questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions and let me know when you have posted it, so I can link it.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview
someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask
them five questions.

What's In A Name?

Why the "Dominee Huisvrouw"?

My husband is a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church. This church was started by Dutch immigrants & there are still many Dutch people in the churches today.

"Dominee" in Dutch means clergyman, pastor, or minister.

"Huisvrouw" when translated from Dutch means: housewife, homemaker, married woman who manages her home full time.

I am, by definition, the Dominee's Huisvrouw!

My Blog Has Personality!

PChad sent me the link for typealyzer. It's a site that analyses your blog to determine what parts of your brain are working when you are blogging. I found the results to be quite interesting, but it wasn't a shock to learn that I am a performer. So go on, click the link, discover what your blog is & leave a comment so I can check out how accurate your results are!

ESFP - The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

A Poll

Well, apparently my comments work again, so I need some reader input. Would you prefer I move back here to blogger, or should I just stay put on wordpress? There is a poll in the sidebar, so please visit either site & let me know your preference!

Blog Rating

I said "Poop" & "Dead" apparently those are no-no's

Curious

I've been a bit curious for awhile now as to who's been following my blog. Don't get me wrong, I'm HAPPY that there are 3 or 4 of you out there besides my parents (who I send every post to, so they are kind of forced into reading my blog), but I'm just curious as to who you are. Are you people that I know? Or just people who found me randomly & decided I write something interesting every now & then? I know a few of you (Katie, April, Jodi, Jennifer), but would like to know who else is out there. So if it's not too much trouble, leave a comment & say "hi!" Also, if you have a blog, leave a link so I can visit yours too.

Nope, Not Dead Yet

After a loooong hiatus, I'm back! I have a new house all the way across the country from where we were last, a new baby & a son who wants extra attention. All this leads to nit having much time to get on the computer. Today I logged on to discover I had 89 new emails & 443 blogs in my reader. Needless to say I feel very behind, but I can't foresee it getting much better for the time being. I hope to be a little more consistant than I have been lately! Don't give up on me yet!

An Explanation & An Apology

I really enjoy reading people's blogs. One thing that makes it more enjoyable is regular posts so I remember who the person is & keep up w/ their lives. On that note, I want to apologize to you, dear reader, for my recent lack of posts. Here comes the explanation.....

We recently moved in w/ my in-laws. This in itself, is not a reason to stop blogging.

We have internet (obviously), so I should be able to keep up to date a bit, but the problem is that I am now sharing a computer w/ Chad. This also should not be an issue.

We brought our desk-top computer along as well, but it seems a bit silly to pull all the pieces out of the box to set it up for just a few months, so here I am, trying to vie for a little computer time here & there.

I am no longer blogging during Asher's nap b/c I am tired. Don't get me wrong, I don't really have much to do here, it's like a vacation! I have no cooking to do, I realyly only have to keep our bedroom & washroom tidy, & do our laundry every now & then, but trying to keep a 2 year old entertained in a none kid-proofed, new environment, can be tricky & tiring. Not to mention that I have about 6 weeks left until "Baby X" makes it's appearance into the world & I get NO chance to sleep for the next year (does that sound a bit pessimistic?).

So, hopefully I will be able to keep up w/ blogging, even if it's not everyday anymore. It's not that I don't have anything to blog about. We still have a funny kid, we're going to new & exciting places, I just haven't found the time to get it from my head to the computer.

So, there's my explanation, here's the apology.....

I'm really, really sorry if I'm not writing as regularly as you'd like, I'll try to be better, please, PLEASE don't give up on me!

Oh, He's A Funny One!

Last night I found this blog. I was telling Chad how interesting it was that I found the blog of a woman whose husband is in the ministry, she has a son born in June 2006, & is 30 weeks pregnant (Since I also have a husband in the ministry, a son born June 2006 & am 31 weeks pregnant).


Chad's response? "Are you sure you weren't reading your own blog?"


He does keep me laughing!

It's Real Life

I'm having a go at the "It's Real Life" blog party. Here are pics from my real life (keep in mind that b/c we are packing to move, things are probably a bit messier/tidier than they would normally be in real life!) Without further ado, here's my real life:








Fridge:
Usually the fridge would be covered w/ pictures & magnets, but since my fridge died recently, it's been clean ever since.



The inside has less stuff than normal b/c we are moving & I'm TRYING to use up what we have.


Closet:
Chad & my closet. We came from a house where we each had our own closet this size.... I think we are doing pretty well sharing it!

Kitchen Sink:No dishwasher, so those dishes are drying. I decided if I have to wash after every meal, I am NOT drying the dishes too.

Toilet:Here's our throne.

Favourite Shoes:
I'm glad it's getting warm enough again!

Favourite Room In The House:
I like to sit in the bit chair & read/watch TV after Asher's in bed.

What Asher's Doing Right Now:
He's not in his jammies, but I didn't want to wake him, so here's an older pic. Imagine he's 2 months older.

Laundry Pile:
Not much here b/c I just did it yesterday, but I am anal enough to have it sorted into darks & lights.

Self Portrait:
Here I am!

What would you like to know?

In an attempt to come up with something interesting to write (and something interesting for you to read), I have decided to ask you, Dear Reader, what you would like to know about me. Perhaps this will initiate some communication as I have no idea who reads this, or how many people read this. I admit that this is getting out of thinking for myself, but the way my memory has been (not) working lately, that's probably a good thing. I await your responses (and hope I get some, or I will be very depressed).

Time

Why does it always seem like when we get a little free time, it's just that.... a LITTLE free time? I have so many things it seems like I never have a chance to get around to b/c I never have enough time. I have a book I've been trying to read for about a month, A blog that is sadly waaaay behind, a house that could use a good cleaning (Katie? April?), Movies I would really like to watch... There's just too many things, and too little time. I can't wait 'til I'm retired.... although by then I'll probably need large-print books, close-captioned TV, and a house cleaner, but I don't think I'll mind having a house cleaner.

I was planning on updating this blog today, only to discover as soon as I started, that Asher has decided he has slept long enough. Guess I'll have to get around to it another day.