To Catch You Up

So alot has happened since last Christmas when I started this blog.


For starters, our not so little guy Malachi is growing up so fast! He celebrated his first birthday April 29th, of this year. Poor guy was sick the whole weekend too, but he was pretty tough & even managed to give us a few birthday smiles between the crying & whining. Malachi finally started walking this August at the age of 15 months too. We think he probably figured it was finally time, considering mom had no time to pick him with carrying around his new baby sister & giving all the attention to her. Malachi needed to come up with something new to do to focus everyone's attention back on him, so voila he started to walk!


Yup that's right! We also had baby #2 arrive this past summer. Adam & I were blessed with a beautiful baby girl on August 2nd. Olivia Rose graced us with her presence only 4 days late, and putting me into false labor for 2 weeks before hand. We knew she had to be a girl because she was already being a stubborn one from the start, and how dare she come 4 days late. Malachi came 6 days early; so if you know me I had already had it in my head that Olivia too would be early, so in this situation I actually literally felt as though I was 10 days over due. This does not make for a very happy mama, just ask Adam. I think he endured a few days (ok maybe weeks!) of mood swings, emotional crying and the sort from me until she finally arrived. I found him often repeating over & over to Malachi "Us boys gotta stick together...lets just go to another room & leave mom alone." Of coarse I would just snap back in an annoyed voice, "I'm fine!". Glad we can all laugh & joke about this now :)


Anyways I've attached a few pictures of Malachi's birthday & of coarse the arrival of Miss Olivia Rose for you. Enjoy!

Singing Happy Birthday to Malachi & opening present with Adam's family.

                                      
Malachi LOVED the ball from Uncle Josh. We actually got a smile out of him too!

                 
My birthday cupcakes & toppers to celebrate Malachi & Uncle Jay's birthdays!

My attempt at a "Catepillar Birthday Cake" for celebrating with my family.

Mama & the birthday boy.xoxo

Of coarse cousins Zach & Makenna had to help open the gifts!

Hooray! Malachi is 1!! (with daddy.)

 Me - 37 weeks pregnant with baby Linde #2.

Tues, Aug 2, 2011 at 2:55pm Olivia Rose was born. First time meeting daddy. <3

Proud Aunt Rachel was there from start to finish for Olivia's birth.

        
Snuggling my 2 little munchkins on the comfy chair at Opa & Oma's house.

Some baby pictures from her photo shoot with Vicki-Lyn Vandenberg.!

Our little bunde of pink!

So sweet & innocent...ya right. She hardly slept like this for the first few weeks, its a good thing she's cute!

Learning to be Content

It's a gloomy day today. Cold, rainy, and wet. While everyone is complaining about the weather, I can say with confidence that I really enjoy days like today. I'm sitting here with a tea in my hand, the smell of brownies in the oven & dinner in the crockpot, listening to the sound of the rain pelting at the window. This gives me a chance to relax, catch up on some reading & baking, have snuggles on the couch with my kids and just enjoy being at home, being mom. Isn't it sad that I need a rainy day to force me to stay home? Had it not been raining I'd probably be carting the kids around doing who knows what!


Life is just so busy, my famous line is "I don't have time for anything else, buuuut maybe I could just find time for this one more thing." But really, who am I kidding? As my mother put it lately "Your only as busy as you make yourself", in that "I told you so" kind of voice. Its true. If I look at all the things I try to squeeze into one week, much less ONE DAY, I'm finding myself wondering...do I really need to make myself this busy? And what's the point anyways? I want my children to remember spending time together at home, not how many times mom loaded them up to take them here, there & everywhere!


So here's to trying something new. Not taking on too many things anymore, but rather just enjoying this season of life with my young kids. Trying to stay home a little more often, loving & nurturing my children the way God has called me to & being content with my priviledge of being a stay at home mom. After all, what my husband says makes sense, "Honey do you really love being gone all the time? I feel like we pay the mortgage on this house, but we're hardly in it!" 


There will be time down the road to do all those extra things I love when the kids are older & not needing me as much anymore (that time will come sooner than I could imagine I'm sure), so for now it's my chance to just enjoy the time I've been given with them and be a little more content just staying at home more often spending time with the ones I love most, my husband & children.


"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13


I think being content is being satisfied at whatever place in life God has us at, while trusting that he does have our best interest at heart and He does want to see us succeed. So I am trying to learn from the lessons that Paul did in Philippians, and be content in my present circumstances, while trusting that God is taking me from Glory to Glory.

Where Does The Time Go?

After chatting with my cousin Rebecca recently, it occured to me that I definitely have lacked in the blogging department. It's been nearly a year since I have enlightened you all with the exciting things that go on around here.


So here's the thing, blogging isn't about finding time, I guess it's more about making the time to do it...if you so desire. Well I've promised myself to dedicate so much time per week to updating this thing every now & then; to share stories, pictures & more with the ones I love, so that even though they may be miles away in a different province, they can feel like they are still updated on what's going on with us Linde's.


If you feel like I haven't blogged enough in the future...feel free to remind me to do it!

A Christmas Poem

Jesus Christ was born this day
So many years before
He came a servant to the lost
Though he was Lord of Lords

We celebrate this joyous time
Reflecting on His birth
Not born in a mansion, but a stable
As if He had no worth

He came so He could identify
With the human heart of man
And gave His life as a sacrifice
Offering a better plan

A plan that reconciles us back
To our loving Father God
Bringing hope and redemption from
Sins ruling iron rod

For this is the only reason that we
Should celebrate this day
To become focused on anything else
Would take the meaning away

So let’s arise with joy in our hearts
And share it with everyone
The meaning of Christmas will always be
The birth of Jesus – God’s son



By M.S.Lowndes

The True Meaning of Christmas

Well apparently I'm not very good at keeping up the blog already, it dawned on me that I should probably write a new entry yet before the year is over, and there is only a week left in 2010.


Where does a year go? Time seems to fly by so fast, right before our eyes and the older I get the faster it goes! Every year has been something special for us, first we were engaged, the next year we had our first Christmas married together and now this year we celebrate Malachi's first Christmas here with us! This Christmas is a special one for Adam & I. Of coarse doing the "firsts" with your baby is so special in itself, but with Malachi I can't even explain how much fun it is. He has this sparkle in his eyes everytime he experiences something new, and always sits there with a huge smile spread across his face. He melts my heart with his smile and lights up our lives with his happy, outgoing nature & giggles.


Malachi will be 8 months old next week, and although he may be young Adam & I strongly believe you can never start teaching your children too early the important things in life; like the significance of Christmas. We want to start from the beginning to keep them focused on the importance of why we celebrate Christmas. Of coarse at this time of the year its hard not to look forward to the music & shopping, food, gatherings, tinsel & Christmas trees, presents and goodies, they are all in good fun & give us this wonderful "feeling", but we have to be careful not to get too wrapped up in this world of earthly things. Rather we are to direct our attention and hearts towards the true meaning of Christmas which is to celebrate the birth of our dear Savior Jesus Christ. For had he not been born that day, He also would not have given us the gift of salvation in Him!


Well it is not wrong to enjoy the fun this holiday season, may we take time to remember why we celebrate Christmas altogether, and truly thank God for this wonderful gift.


..."And she will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus; for it is He who will save His people from their sins. Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, behold the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name, "Emmanuel," which translated means, "God with us." Matthew 1:21-23


From our family to yours we wish you the Lord's blessings this Christmas & for the coming year!

Before I was a Mom

For any mother that looks at her house at the end of the day & wonders "Just what did I actually get done today?"... this is for you. My midwives sent it to me after I had Malachi & told me to read it alot as my children grow up :)

Today I left some dishes dirty.

The bed got made around 2:30.

The diapers soaked a little longer,

The odor grew a little stronger

The crumbs I spilled the day before,

Are staring at me from the floor.

The fingerprints there on the wall,

Will likely be there still next fall.

The dirty streaks on the windowpanes,

Will still be there next time it rains.

Shame on you, they sit and say,

Just what did you do today?

I held a baby till she slept,
I held a toddler while he wept.
I played a game of hide and seek,
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.


What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows, I guess that's true.
Unless you think that what I've done,
Might be important to someone
With deep blue eyes and soft blonde hair,
If that is true....I've done my share.


Author Unknown

The Beginning

My husband Adam & I were talking the other night about how hard it is to keep up with all our family & friends, especially the ones that live out west or further away. Then someone suggested to me that we start a blog that our family & friends can follow along with if they 'd like....so here it is, our first post on our family blog. I can't promise to write on it everyday, but I promise to keep you all updated as often as I can with the busy-ness & excitment of our lives out here in Dunnville. (laugh if you want, but we love living here!)

So where do I begin? For those of you who we haven't seen or talked to in quite some time, Adam & I have been married now for about a year and a half. We live in Dunnville (according to some people "So very far away from everyone & everything!"), we've owned our little home for 2 years this coming January and we love it here. We have about an acre of property & privacy of the country life, yet are still close enough to town when we need something. We hope to stay here for quite sometime, with the intention that our children will make many memories living here. Speaking of children, we were blessed with the birth of a healthy son (Malachi James) on April 29th of this year, making him 7 months already and in my opinion so darn cute! Adam & I agree that the day we became parents was the best day of our lives. Malachi brings much joy & happiness to this house with his bright blue big eyes, giggles and flirty smile. If I was guarenteed to always have easy laid back kids like him I'd have at least half a dozen! =)

Looking back from the time Adam & I first met till now we can't believe how fast life just passes you by, how much you mature together and how many changes we've seen. I think the saying "Don't blink, because you'll miss so much" is very true! We feel as though God has truly blessed our lives thus far with a strong marriage & faith, our baby boy, our forever loving family & friends and the church where we feel so at home & blessed by the communion of the saints. Without God we would not be where we are today, we thank Him for the new blessings He grants us each morning and the promise that we know He will continue to always carry us through.

Well I should end it there for now. I could probably keep on writing all day, but the laundry is calling my name and its not going to fold itself.

                                                         *Photo Credit - Jeremy Kiers*