Wordless Wednesday ~ Thanksgiving Pictures

OOPS.... I have to add some words in here :)

 These 3 beautiful ladies are all expecting (can anyone say YEEHAW!?!?!) So we had to take a picture since this would most likely be the last time that they would all be together before one of the babies arrived!

Left to right: Becka (due in November), Mom (due in March), and Aunty Laura (due in November)

Dream list #53

This morning I was FINALLY able to say that I woke up at 6:00am every single morning for 2 weeks straight!!! YIPEE!!!! I WILL be honest and say that there were 2 times that I woke up at 6.... but then stayed in bed for a few more min. But that's close enough right?!?!?! :)
I would DEFINTELY recommend trying this.... especially if you are a person like me who can be particularly lazy in the mornings :)
My personal experience was that it makes me feel so much more.... alive, motivated and joyful.
Even those days that I had a late night... sure I was SLIGHTLY more tired during the day, but I still felt more alive then I would have if I HAD gotten ALL the sleep that I could have.
It's like getting a kick start to my day I guess you could say (haha.... I'm a poet, and I didn't even know it!! heehee :).
Waking up early was MOST annoying on Saturday and Sundays... those are the days that are my most favourite for sleeping in... but even then, it was ALL worth it!! I'd do it again!! ;)

And good grief... WHY NOT when you get to see this every morning!!!!

Proverbs 20:13

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

P.s. I was able to think of a few more things to add to my dream list... it's still not finished.... but getting closer!!!

See dream list here

Memories Monday Part 3 (years 4, 5 and 6)

These are the years that the pictures begin to only appear around birthdays and special occasions and such. You don't blame mum do ya??? She must have been kept hopping with all 4 of us crazy kiddoes :)

For my 4th birthday I got a dolly named Jessica. She was my favourite doll for MANY years.

Our dog "Heidi" had puppies.... oh the joys!!!

My 5th birthday party

These were the beginning of the crazy fun years that I had playing with my sisters. We mostly played "house" together with our dolls. What FUN! :)

I got a letter from my daddy on my birthday. I remember being SO tickled that my daddy would take the time to write me those sweet words.... I still have that paper...

Here Josh and I were practicing for a play that we were doing. I think it was about being to busy working to be spending time with God.

Mom and a good friend of her's made these dresses for me and a friend. Mikaya now wears my dress....

My 6th birthday party

I got THEE best present from my brother for my birthday.... a PUPPY!!! We named her Shadow and she was our amazing dog for many years.

Josh and I were playing "follow the leader" one day out in the snow. He decided to go up the tree...  then jump down. When I tried to follow, I jumped... but unfortunately didn't hit the ground :( I WAS STUCK!! My big brother was SO kind and considerate.... he promptly left me hanging and ran inside to get mom to take a picture!!! Some big brother!!! (that I love to bits!!! :)

For Christmas of 1997 I got a diary! My first few entree's were as follows.... have fun trying to read them :) (don't you remember always getting those b's and d's mixed up.... oh the trials!!)

December 24 1997

Yesterday we hab lots OV fan.

We took picRters

we opned presins.

KerrI, Megan and me got a big KItchin set, and I got things to make braslits thats all I hav to saeid

December 24 1997

today day we habd lots of fun.

we opended pesints we played with toys, the adults played games. 

I derinck cream soda. thas all I have to say.

Apparently keeping a diary at 6 years old wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, because it was a year before I wrote it in again.... I'll have more next time :)

Meanwhile.... I hope that you all (all my Canadian readers that is....) have an AMAZING Thanksgiving!!!

~ Thanksgiving ~

I'm thankful for....

• Family 
• Smiles 
• Sunrises and sunsets
• New days and fresh starts
• Babies to cuddle and children to enjoy
• Home
• Chocolate (especially DARK! :)
• Pjs + cowboy boots (trust me... they go together well :)
• Horses, dogs, cows..... ect.
• Grandparents
• Sisters (you know who you are :)
• Little nephew
• Brothers
• Friends
• Beauty of nature
• Crunchy leaves
• Stars
• Church family
• Hoodies
• Campfires
• Singing
• Sundays
• Soft breezes
• Valleys
• Gravel roads
• Apple pie
• Babies that are a comin'
• Running shoes
• E-mails
• Love
• Peace
• Joy
• Salvation
• My Heavenly Father

And oodles of oodles MORE!!!!

What are you thankful for???

I'll leave you with this song sung by none other then.... Marshall Hall :) 

Hope that you all have a VERY.... 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Of Babysitting 8 kids...Alone

Hey all! I've decided to ditch "Memories Monday" for this week because things have just been CRAZY around here and I have NOT had the time to go through and scan all the pictures that I'm going to need.

Sunday was Megan's birthday. Mom and Dad decided to take Megan and Ker to see the movie "Courageous" in theatres (since Meg had been CRAVING to see the movie since she first heard that it was going to be out!!) and then they stayed overnight (it was a 2 hour drive) so they could pick some stuff up in the morning.

 So after church I took all the kids home.... and the fun began :)

WE HAD A BLAST!!!!

There were those crazy moments, like when there were 2 kids that needed to be changed, and all the other's waiting for breakfast all at the same time.... or when one kid (who will remain nameless) threw a tomato at another kid (who will also remain nameless). 

But there were more fun moments! We had a pj party right after supper until bedtime (which included VEGGIE TALES!!! :), we had a fly killing contest, I watched the duggars with Caleb in the evening.... oh oodles of fun :)

It definitely got lonely at times.... I'm pretty much used to having someone (an older someone :) to talk to all of the time (If anyone knows me... they know I like to talk!!!). But it was a really good experience :)

Here are some pictures that I took during our "pj party", they are not very good.... but my photographer was gone, so these'll have to do! :)

Someone is 18!!!!!!

Today is my lil' sista' Megan's 18th birthday!!!!

I luv Megs.... so very muches! There are SO many times when I have to stop and thank God for giving me Megan for my lil' sis (not to mention that she is one of my 2 VERY best friends!).

She quite the AMAZING person and is LOADED with creativity. With all her photography, movie making, scrapbooking, decorating, card ect. ect. ect it seems endless :)

 I LOVE it because I'm somewhat lacking in that area.... so she is handy to have around :)

She loves her violin, and it's lots of fun to see (or hear rather) her practice and play to her hearts content.

 And have I ever mentioned that she is DROP DEAD gorgeous?!?!?!

    

I LOVE you Meggy, so very VERY much!!! Thanks for being such a AWESOMELY, TERRIFICALLY, FABULOUSLY, AMAZING little sis'!

HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY!!!!

Love yur' biggest sissy.

Jennifer

Memories Monday Part 2 (on Wednesday)

I guess I'll just start up where I left off!

I developed my love for animals at an early age. I don't really remember this cat, but there are lots of pictures in which it is sleeping with me in my bed :) I cannot remember a time that I did not love animals!

We loved doing this with daddy just as he was ready to head out the door :)

This picture was taken at Josh's birthday party.

We always loved to see how high we could get those lego towers!!

In this picture (below) Josh and look like we are best and forever friends! 

But the footage that mom captured that day on our video camera shows "the rest of the story". 

Josh and I were climbing the hill and sliding down having the time of our lives.
We each had our own little slide right beside each other. So that we could slide down at the same time.

Josh always got up that hill faster then me because I kept tripping on my scarf (didn't you always hate those scarves when you were little???) so at one point, he was sitting there waiting for me to come so we could slide down together. When I finally got to where he was he patted beside him and said "Jen sit here!!"

I wasn't about to let my big brother tell ME what to do, I wanted to slide where he was sitting!
So I shoved him and made him go down the slide!
He was NOT happy and threw a little tantrum right down at the bottom of the slide.
I sat on my new aquired throne waited a little bit for him to move, but I guess I was a little to impatient becuase I slid down and landed right on top of him! This of course made him all the more angry!  

Yes, I DID have to say sorry, but I did it in my own little innocent and happy way :)

So there ya have it.... I MAY LOOK cute, but watch out!!! :)

My 3rd birthday, I don't remember a whole lot about the party.... but I DO remember LOVING the cake!!

Snowman FUN!!!

At 3 1/2 I got another baby sister!!! All I remember is visiting mom in the hospital. We went with Grandma and Grandpa Pauls in their BIG van (it seemed HUGE to me!). I remember sitting on the hospital bed as I met my new baby sister for the first time. Oh, and the ballon.... can't forget giving mom the ballon that said "It's a girl!"

For my 4th birthday we made a trip to the zoo with Mom's side of the family. It was the first "zoo visit" that I could remember and I was REALLY excited. To make it all even more exciting, I got to wear a brand new dress that I got for my birthday (nothing makes a little girl happier!!).

Josh (on the polar bear statue), Me, Megan and Kerri with our Aunty Amanda

We topped off the day by going to Chuck E' Cheese. Ahh, what fun!!!

I probably have some of these pictures in the wrong order... but these next few are sibling pictures!

Spring 1995

The beginning of a lifelong friendship

Christmas 1995

This last picture is of me, my Uncle Travis, brother Josh and Aunty Amanda. We were putting on a on a play for some people in our basement. I can't remember a whole lot about it except that I was supposed to be a doll, Trav a robot, Josh a toy cowboy (we were all toys :) and Aunty Amanda was an upset housemaid :) Oh, and I remember singing songs, that is what we are doing in this picture!

 AND I remember practicing it.... LOTS!

And that's it....till Monday!