Merry Christmas!!

Hello all! I'm very sorry that I haven't been blogging as of late... but we have been CRAZY busy. 

Christmas was AMAZING! We had Mom's parents and brother over Christmas Eve, as well as Josh, Becca and Andy. 

We played some hockey, had our big candlelight Christmas dinner, sang some Christmas carols, had fondue and ended the night off by watching "The Nativity Story". 

Everyone stayed over night.

Christmas morning we had brunch and Mom's Grandma joined us for the day. Sadly Josh and Rebecca had to leave after brunch, but we still had fun :)

We played some games, opened presents, went for a walk and had a great time just being together.

Here are some pictures of our Christmas...

Playing Hockey...

Your's truly

Okay, for all you hockey people out there... let me explain this picture. As you may have noticed, I'm wearing a Calgary Flames toque and a Maple Leafs Jersey. Ahem, just so you all know, I'm not really a Maple Leafs fan (except of course if they are ever playing a States team, I always cheer for the Canadian teams :), The only reason I'm wearing a Maple leafs Jersey is cause it is the only one that I have! I'm a DIE HARD Flames fan (and yes, I do know that they are the 2nd last in the western conference this year... PLEASE don't rub it in!).

Christmas Dinner

Getting Fondue ready...

Digging in!

 


Opening gifts

Going on a walk...

 


On the right and left are my AMAZING grandparents and in the middle is my Great- Grandmother. We were all sitting on the floor getting ready to play a game, and we asked her if she wanted to play, she said "yes" so we got ready to get her a chair. She refused the chair and promptly sat on the floor! She is a trooper I tell ya! And I love her to bits!

On the 27th we headed to Dad's parents place for our Pauls Christmas celebration there. We played games, ate lots of yummy food and watched some football.

Here we are at Grandpa and Grandma Pauls' opening gifts. And that is the only thing that we have pictures of doing. I guess we were all having to much fun to take any more :)

Ya, so that was our Christmas! 

I hope that you all had an AMAZING Christmas as well!

Jennifer❀

Writing, writing...and writing!

I LOVE writing... journals that is :) Fact I'm not quite sure what I would do without my journals!
For 4 years, page after page I have written in my journals daily, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day.

To me my journal is like a person that is always there to listen, always ready to help me figure things out.

I can tell it anything... there will be no judging, it won't get angry at me, it usually agrees with me... and it keeps all of my secrets.

I always feel better after I write because it helps me think rationally. It helps me to calm down and think about what my thought processes actually are.

My feelings always pour out of my pen and I'm actually able to discover more about how I feel about things through writing it down.

But the best thing about writing is that it helps me to remember.
It may seem weird but one of my favorite things to do is to read what I have written down. I'm not even sure how many times that I have read ALL of my journals over... a couple at least!
But it is fun to read all of the memories. Memories of family times, memories of how I used to feel about certain issues, and most importantly... memories about what God has taught me through the years.
He has taught me SO much, and it is always a great reminder to look back and read about how God has revealed His truths to me.
I know that I'll never regret writing the chronicles of my life.

How about you? Have you ever written in a journal? If not you should try! You will be surprised how fun and rewarding it is!

Another Christmas Song!

I'm sorry that I haven't been blogging lately... It's a combination of business, laziness and writers block :) But I hope to back at it soon.

I'm showing all ya'll a video for my sis Ker. Some of you may already know that she is a HUGE Gaither fan... and she is the one that made us all LOVE their music.
She told me that I should put this song on my blog... and so I am. So... enjoy!

Come And See What Has Happened In The Barn

Christmas Tag

I've always loved tags. I think it is a great way to get to know stuff about people that you wouldn't have known otherwise.

So I've decided to create a short tag of my own. A Christmas tag. Here goes!

1. What is your most favorite thing about Christmas time? I love spending time with my family and Christmas is one of those times that we set all else aside and just spend time being together, and remembering all that Christ has done for us.

2. Do you enjoy decorating for Christmas? I don't really care for decorating in itself, because I'm not the most creative person. I like helping other people that ARE creative and of course I LOVE the feeling when everything is decorated.

3. What food do you enjoy eating most in the Christmas season? It is a tradition for us to have my Grama's homemade fried perogies every Christmas meal. We don't get perogies very often, and I REALLY like perogies :)

4. What traditions do you have on and around Christmas Day?
- We usually spend Christmas with my mom's side of the family (whoever is around that is. This year it will just be my grandparents, my uncle and our family), and we will spend a night or two together (sometimes we do it at our house, sometimes we will go other places, this year it will be at our place).
- Christmas Eve we always have chocolate fondue with fruit and (ever since it has come out) we watch "The Nativity Story".
- Ever since we have had our rink, we have played hockey on Christmas Day.

5. Do you usually have lots of family gatherings? Nope... unless 2 is lots :) 

6. Who do you usually spend Christmas day with? My mom's side of the family (once again... whoever is around) and my fam.

7. What is your favorite Christmas song? "Welcome to our World"

8. What is your favorite Christmas recipe? Kona Truffles

9. What is you favorite Christmas memory? I have SO many favorite memories, but here is one that came off the top of my head.
One year for Christmas we went to a cabin for a couple of nights with Mom's family. We played a game where we each had a candy cane "token" and we couldn't say the word "Christmas" or we would have our candy cane taken away by the person who heard us say it. Whoever had the most candy canes in the end won the game.
It was REALLY hard, but also LOTS of fun and had cause for LOTS of laughing.

10. When you think of Christmas, what do you think of? Family fun, hockey, Christmas goodies, hot chocolate, warm fires, laughter, Christmas lights, and most importantly... the birth of Christ.

Tag 3 people:
Mom
Megan
Rebecca

And to kick it off... whoever else wants to do it!

Why am I here?

Have you ever wondered why we are here on this earth? Have you ever wondered what purpose humanity has? Have you ever wondered why evil people were ever even created?
I do and I have been. I often wonder why and how God orchestrates the earth. I know that ultimately He is in control, but I also know that we have the freedom to make our own choices, whether they be good or bad.
How does it all work?

I definately cannot say that I have the answers to these questions, but I have found some interesting and enlightening verses that I would like to share with all of you...

Colossians 1:16

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Romans 11:36

For of Him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.

So these verses are obviously stating that we are here on this earth for God. He has created ALL things for Himself, to bring glory to His name.
So where does that leave me? If God created me for Himself, then what should my life look like?

Romans 9:14-24
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
17 For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, oh man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?
22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

I believe that these verses are saying that God had pre-destined us all. He has already got it all planned whether we are going to be good people or bad people. And it is all for HIS glory.
Does that mean that we are supposed to be mindless robots, saying that we'll just "ride the tide", because God's got it all figured out? NO, we still have to work for God. We were still created to work out our salvation and live our lives to bring glory to God's name.

Acts 17:27-28
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from everyone of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your poets have said, For we are also His offspring.

We still have that choice... and obviously if we make the wrong choices, we will have to suffer the consequences...

Romans1:21-25
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more then the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

What do I glean from all of this?
I've learned that God created me for Himself. I'm not here on this earth for my own pleasure, nor am I here to make a name for myself.
But rather I'm here, at this time and in this place to bring glory to the awsome name of GOD, I consider it an honor.
My Heavenly Father has chosen me to be in His family. God, the creator of all that we see has chosen ME.
I'm purposing to keep that in mind as I go about my day, as well as the days to come. And when I come to times in my life where I could choose to bring glory to myself, or to bring glory to God's name, I'll just remember what an incredable privilage it is to be who I am. He caused me to realize that I was in need of a Saviour...and for that I am eternally indebted.

Why am I here?

I'm here...for God.

Hockey Memories

We skated on our rink for the first time on Saturday, It was REALLY great to get back on the ice and play till our heart's content again.
I was thinking about way back when we first started making a skating rink, and I thought I would share some pictures as well as memories about it.

Please forgive the length of this post. We do play hockey everyday in the winter, so hockey is pretty much our life for 4 months out of the year!

It all began with an old barn. That old barn became so old that it was finally demolished for safety sake. All that was left was a pile of rubble and the foundation.

One day we decided to clean up all that rubble and use the foundation to make a skating rink! So clean, clean and clean up we did.

The first year that we skated on it was 2006....

These were the only pictures I could find of that first year. Back then we didn't skate very often, and none of us girls were very into hockey... yet.

In 2007 we put boards all around our rink. And our hockey adventures began in earnest....

This was also the first year that we had our "skating shack" and our wood stove...

Our dog "Jamie" would always retrieve our balls whenever we lost them over the boards. She would just sit there... waiting for us to call her.










Dad flooding in 2008...





In 2008 we added another member to our family! And also another hockey player :)





















We would skate and skate and skate... until we practically had no ice left!

2009...

Those "battles along the boards" are always lots of fun!

We always have a BLAST when our grandparents join us for a game. They both make AMAZING goalies!

Not many people can say that their Grandma plays hockey with them! Believe me... she is GOOD!

This year our rink has been re-located... and made bigger! We are REALLY enjoying all the new space. You can go to Becka's blog to see some pictures of our new rink.

And so we say goodbye to the long winter once again. 

Goodbye to afternoons spent wondering what to do :)

Hello bruises and bumps.

Hello fun family time.

HELLO HOCKEY!!!

❀ Jennifer