How To Raise Your Children.....

Some events and information that I have obtained in recent days has left me asking questions. Henry and I have talked a lot in the evenings after Zoey is tucked away to bed. I've been asking, 'How hard do you get to push your children to believe and do what you want?'
























We try our best to teach our children to make good choices. We start with their behavior, then the food choices, activities, friends, etc. Henry and I pray every night that Zoey's future includes a faithful and close relationship with our God. We pray that He keeps her safe and healthy and that most of all He would draw her near and help us to guide her in that direction.

I don't think that I want her to necessarily believe everything that we believe, although some day's it seems that it would be nice! I've been communicating with a dear friend and expressing some of my concerns and personal beliefs about a situation and it's left me wondering how to do that for our children. If they make life decisions that we disagree with, how much do we get to push to make or encourage a different choice? Or do we say our peace and love them and make sure they know we are always there for them? Henry is steadfast in the belief that while we may not always like or agree with the decisions our children make (who does?), God will be a guiding force for them.

Already when Zoey goes to bed and when we sit down to eat, we tell her 'Time to Pray Zoey' and she gleefully claps her hands together or reaches to hold our hands while we pray. I know that it's a routine for now, but I am praying that these small moments and moments for her will be pieces that lead her to big and amazing things.

God has his loving hand over Zoey and I pray and believe that someday she will look up and love Him back.

I have so few answers in life, but of that I am sure.

A Matter of Faith....

Last week many of us were horrified to hear of a child abduction in Sparwood, B.C. Three year old Kienan Hebert was taken from his home in the middle of the night. When I first heard about it on the radio first thing in the morning, I jumped up from our bed and ran downstairs to check on Zoey. I knew that one child being taken did not mean that mine had been also but I needed to see her and hear her breathing in the moment. I think many parents would understand.

Over the next couple days I could not shake this story from my head. It was constantly running in the back of my head. This is not unusual for me. Those who know me. know that stories of people hurting and in pain, whether I know them or not, find a way deep into my heart. I feel grief deeply with others who I do not know and even more with those that I do. I've learned to accept and even like this part of myself, being a caring person makes me who I am. However, the weight I was feeling for this family and for this precious little boy was growing and did not lessen over the days. I felt strongly that God was telling me to pray and pray often for this boy as he would be okay. I wasn't sure if it was optimism, as I always want the best outcome (as most do), but these need to pray and have faith would not leave me. I don't have such strong feelings often but I always take them very seriously when they come.

I had been fighting such a persistent cold all week and Saturday night was the worst so far. I had managed to fall into a much needed sleep until at 12:30am I jolted awake after a vision or dream where I distinctly saw the headline, "B.C Boy Found". Hopeful, I grabbed my phone and searched online to see if was true. I was saddened when I could not find anything. After that, sleep eluded me for an hour and I had begun coughing as well so I decided to relocate myself downstairs so I wouldn't keep Henry awake. One of us should be able to get some sleep. Once I was downstairs I still couldn't get Kienan off my mind enough to sleep so I pulled out the laptop and started searching again to see if I missed something. During this time, God was telling me to pray and pray persistently and so I obeyed. That evening I was unable to get to sleep until early morning, last I had checked it was somewhere around 5:00am when I was able to drift off.

We were up early Sunday morning since Henry was playing worship at the church. I had decided to stay home since I really wasn't feeling well but I wanted to have some time with Henry before he left. As I poured our coffee I told him about my experiences from that evening. I was telling him that I had seen the headline in my vision or dream and couldn't stop praying about it all night. I was telling him that I was a little confused by the level of pressing I was feeling. As I was finishing this thought and bringing our cups of coffee to the table Henry had opened the laptop and said, "You're not going to believe this...they found him". I think my eyes must have popped completely out of my head. I started to cry and I ask Henry, "Is he okay?". We say down together and read the amazing account of Kienan's safe return to his home. It is a completely unbelievable, unheard of story. His abductor brought him back to his home, and called 911 to tell them that the child would be found in the house. Only by the grace of God was this series of events possible.

I am sharing this with you because this series of events has had a profound impact on me and I want to share my unwavering belief in my God. The God who has his hand of protection and love around me and my family always. It has impressed upon me the power of prayer, not just my prayer, but the prayers of a country.

I am a worrier, it affects my life in a way that I keep to myself. People do not see the rapid fears and worries that assault my mind at almost every step of my life. However, I know, with one hundred percent certainty and confidence that my faith in God keeps me from self destruction. When fears plague me, I am able to breath and pray to the one who understands me and my mind the best. I give it to Him and a prayer asking for protection and will for our lives allows me to continue on. This is not to say I never struggle, I have many many struggles but I have been learning so much and I am so grateful.

I am overjoyed at the safe return of Kienan Hebert and I celebrate with his family as they are able to hug him, hold him, and kiss his head again. And I also am grateful for the way God has continued to reveal Himself to me and my family.

Priceless....

Tonight Henry and I were watching a slideshow of pictures of Zoey. Henry was looking at the newborn images and said softly, "I look at these, and I know 100%, I would do it again."

With tears I replied, "In a heartbeat"

Your Mommy and Daddy love you completely Zoey Faith <3

Nothing Wrong....

So I have been stewing for awhile about some points of view and I think it's time to put my (our) thoughts out there. I apologize if it comes across as a rant, it is not directed at anyone, there are just some thoughts that need to be expressed.


Zoey, my sweet, precious, sparkling, adventurous, loving, giggling, dancing, beautiful, Zoey, is shy around people sometimes. In new or different environments, she generally likes to be able to fall back to the people she knows best and is most comfortable with. A lot of the time, that's myself or Henry. This is a completely normal and developmentally appropriate response and behaviour. It is NOT a character flaw.

Zoey is smart and able to sense when she is comfortable. Once she feels safe she is able to explore and engage with others. Please don't take it personally when she is tentative around you. There are at least 20 other factors that sometimes play into how she responds to others. When we haven't had enough sleep, or are feeling sick or in pain, most adults struggle to interact with others.

Lately, as Zoey has learned to walk, she is becoming more independent and explores her environments with more and more confidence. It's exciting to watch and help her develop this confidence. However, even if she continues to be a little shy with others, Henry and I will never fault her for that perfectly normal behaviour.



So the simple point of this post is to let Zoey know (when she's older), others around us, and maybe other parents who have 'Shy' children, that it's okay! My daughter is not wonderful in spite of her shyness, she is amazing because of all the part of who she is, which includes a shyness. I am so grateful that Zoey has confidence in her parents and feels safe and secure.

Feeling Victorious....

There isn't a whole lot to update today but I felt the desire to share how proud I am of Zoey. For those that have followed along with me, you are familiar with the struggles and doubts that came along with 'Sleep Training'. A year might seem like an absurd age to finally have naps and bedtime figured out but I have no regrets. Our days consist of no tear naps, I tell her it's naptime twice a day and she wraps her arms around me, gives a little kiss and curls up and sleeps. Bedtime has been a blissfully peaceful part of our evening.



I know it was a struggle for a long time, many tears shed by Zoey and myself, long talks in the middle of the night between Henry and myself wrestling with the choices we made. But at the end of it, I know we will have the occasion rough night (we had one this week) but as far as the norm, Zoey is perceiving nighttime, and sleep as what it should be, quiet and safe. Sleep is restful and a chance for her little body to get the rest it needs.

I hope that Zoey always knows how proud her mommy and daddy are of her, for the big and small things. Always and Forever <3

Milestones....

What a week! My little girl is transforming into a toddler before our eyes! This past week has held some very big changes for her and she has handle them like a champ.

Last week we made the big decision to wean Zoey entirely. We had already weaned the day time nursing and I was only nursing at night for about ten minutes. It was working well for us, but on Wednesday she was playing with Henry before we read her story. She was jumping, giggling, and squealing on our bed as she played. Suddenly I burst into tears. Henry was a little taken a back (understandably). I told him that in that moment I knew Zoey was ready to stop nursing all together. I wrestled with deciding to make that transition that night but decided I wasn't completely ready yet. So we made the plan that we would wait until Friday night when Henry would be able to be home to put her in bed. I cried a lot on Wednesday night. I felt a little silly but I realized it was okay. For nearly 16 months Zoey and I have had that quiet and special time for just the two of us, and even with the challenges in the beginning, it was precious to me. I loved being able to comfort her and help her calm quietly and sleep. But my sweet girl is growing up and that brings me more joy than I could have imagined. So Thursday night I quietly read her Bible story, prayed with her, and she nursed for a few minutes. I brought her down to bed and she curled up and snuggled up with her Boots. Friday night my sister in law took me out for a drink and we chatted and just enjoyed the time together. Henry put her to bed, and for the first time in her little life, I wasn't there....and I was okay. I've been doing just fine since my tears on Wednesday. I still absolutely want to be here when she goes to bed but it's amazing seeing her grow up and learn these new skills. I couldn't be more proud of her.

As if that milestone wasn't enough, she is also WALKING now! Full tilt! She took a few tentative steps early in the week and by Thursday she was really going, and now, she almost never crawls and she toddles everywhere! On Friday, Henry got home from work and she ran to him. I got a little misty, it was beautiful. He has been so excited for the day when she ran to him when he gets home and it's one of the best parts of our day.



Zoey has been also eating a lot more which is huge! She is a little picky, or I should actually say, she knows what she likes. She will try almost anything, but to actually consume a lot, she has to like it. I think that's fair, most people would go by that rule. She loves Vegetable Thin crackers and could eat 5 nectarines a day if I let her! She adores any fruit and yogurt, and banana bread. She'll try the pasta we have or some of the meats but we are still trying to find more things she enjoys. But it's truly a joy seeing her nibble away at new foods and gobble them up. Again, we are so incredibly proud. Henry and I regularly look at her and just become overcome with how excited we are for her.



So Summer continues to be busy and filled with excitement and activities but I am loving every minute!

Summer - Day One

Well Summer is here! And we had a fantastic family kick off!

Last week I finished my school year and office hour requirements and now I'm trying to cram my days with fun activities for me and my girlie. This weekend we had a lot of fun things to do while Daddy was home for the long weekend. On Friday we went to Calgary to go to the Zoo and see some awesome friends we hadn't seen in far too long. The kiddos had a blast! It was busy but their little guy and Zoey got a long great (as well as a 3 1/2 and 1 year old can :). Zoey was so excited to see the animals this time! It was a stark contrast to the previous visit. She saw the Elephants and squealed and pointed. Henry put her on his shoulders and then got a good look at them. We saw some monkeys, a baby Gorilla, Giraffes, Hippos, and Lions! She was mesmerized by all of them. It was fantastic. After that we parted ways with our friends and headed to IKEA. We grabbed some grub there and managed to find Zoey a really cute Art Easel. She already loves it and talks and colors and 'Oohs and Aahs' at her creations.

This was the first trip we made with her since last October when we made the long trip to Saskatchewan. We fully admit we were scarred by that experience. It was a tough tough go but we have a new carseat and Zoey is a lot older now. She did great! I don't know how much longer she really would have wanted to go but it was a good trial run. In the fall we are heading back to Saskatchewan for my students Grad but I think we will be a little more prepared. Plus with her being older, I think she can be bribed and distracted much more easily than a 6 month old :)



Something exciting things have begun happening over the weekend. Zoey is weaning! We got back from Calgary and we realized she hadn't nursed all day! It was shocking, and she did fine. So we are in day four of no daytime feedings and only at night. Those will go away soon too but for now I'm trying to prepare myself for having this stage finish for us. I'm thrilled and devastated all at the same time. A very strange emotion, but I know that this is the perfect way for it to happen and it's time. She is doing so much better with eating solids. As I sit and write this, she is working on some toast, eggs and cheese. And with my being on holidays I can let her sit and work on her plate as long as she needs.

The rest of the weekend we spent outside. It was awesome! We did yardwork, cleaned windows, Zoey played on a blanket on the grass, on the deck with her new easel, and just enjoyed being around us and playing. We went for a few walks and ran some errands, honestly, one of the best weekends I can remember. On Sunday we went for another walk, played in her little pool outside and then capped the day off with a viewing of Tangled. She plunked down with Henry and the two of them nearly fell asleep. It was precious. Henry and I both agree we can get behind the idea of family movie night on Sundays. It would be a fun way to end the weekends. Just a thought.




Today Zoey and I have been keeping busy already. We headed to the library that's just across the way for us. When we got there we found out they were having a Toddler time so we stayed and sang some songs and looked at some more books. She did well. She really is a shy little girl but that's just who she is. Once she felt a little more at ease she crawled over to the book bin and pulled a bunch out, she smiled at the teacher, and made a couple friends (smiles mostly). It was a good thing to see, I think we will make that a semi regular activity. It's a pretty quiet and relaxed environment so she responds well to that.




We are so looking forward to having more adventures and quality time together this summer! So far so good :)