Fair with the Fam

 It is a yearly tradition of ours to go to the "Royal Manitoba Winter Fair".
We got a new computer, and I was finally able to use an editing program again, so I doctored up these pictures the best I could to show to y'all.
When we went, I hadn't wanted to lug my camera around, so I used our small one, which now looking at the pictures, I realize wasn't the greatest idea... but oh well. What is done is done. :) Pictures can still speak a thousand words no matter how bad the quality right!?!

Anyway. We had a great time, as always!
This year they had mini chuck wagon races which were the cutest!! Those little legs can fly!

 

 

 

Skyzone vlog

On Sunday we went with our good friends, the Thiessens to a place called "Skyzone". I forgot to bring my camera, so I made a vlog of our adventure instead. :)

Our favourite part was playing dodgeball, which I don't have a lot of video of because I was playing. But ya, play dodgeball at a trampoline park... it is SO fun!

Hope y'all enjoy it!

Like Sophie

We have a goat named Sophie. She is a minature... something. It has been so long since we got her that I have forgotten.
Kerri bought her as a kid (sometime before Mikaya was born) as a pet. Since then Sophie has had a couple of kids, and we milked her for a time; but for the most part, she has just been a companion for the milking cows.
She has never been sick a day in her life (that she has told us anyhow ;) and she is the most feisty, hearty little creature.

This morning as I was bottle feeding a calf, I noticed that one of the cows was getting quite annoyed with Sophie. The cow had recently given birth, so I had moved her into the milking cow's pen to work with the calf. New mamas are especially protective of their young. Apparently, this mama saw Sophie as a threat and went after her.

Sophie, seeing this cow ten times her size coming at her, did not back down. They fought, (I thought for sure that she would get hurt, because that cow was mad!) but after a little tussle, the cow gave up and backed down. Sophie then chased the cow around for a little while to let her know who was boss.

I had to laugh as I watched this scene unfold. That Sophie! In her head, she is ten times larger that she really is, and that is what makes her the boss of any cow that challenges her.

The whole thing got me thinking. What if I were more like Sophie.
What if I saw my problems, struggles, addictions... whatever, not as giants that I have no chance at conquering, but rather as things that I can win against.
The truth is, though the giants in my life may seem big and intimidating, it is all in how I see them. Sophie sees those cows as a challenge that she is ready, (even sometimes I think excited) to take on. And she never has any intention on loosing.

Inside every one of us is the ability to win, because we have the power of Christ within us. Romans 8:37 tells us that because of God's great love for us, we are more than conquerors. Maybe we should start acting like it.
Yes, those giants may seem big, scary... even impossible. But we can't be more than what we think we are. And we are children of the same God who moves mountains when He speaks.

If Sophie didn't think herself big, she would spend her time running away and hiding from her giants, instead of being queen of her castle.

It is time we take charge, boss those giants around, chase them away and live the life of freedom that God intended for us to live.

Smashing the cake

I love celebrating first birthdays. In our family, it has always been our tradition to let the birthday boy/girl smash their first birthday cake. It is always fun to see how each little one reacts.

I made Michael an iPhone cake, which looking back, I realize was kind of a strange thing to do for a one year old. But if you know Mikey, you know that he loves buttons, on phones, computers... whatever. So I thought it would be fun to make him a phone that he could actually play with. :)

Anyway... here are the pics!

Michael Gideon

The other day this little cutie was playing outside with his big sisters. He was looking so cute in his mismatched outdoor outfit that I had to stop what I was doing and snap a few pictures. 

As you can tell, he is an extremely happy little one. He loves to goof off and make everyone laugh. 

Today we are celebrating his first birthday! Hard to believe that my baby brother is no longer a baby, but now a toddler (who is always getting into things ;). I love him, so much!