We Have an Announcement...

A Surprise on a Hill

A detour in the countryside on the way home from Sunday spent together.

We drove up my favourite hill, and "on a whim" decided to visit my favourite school.

"There is someone in there." I was a little bit nervous to find out who would be visiting the same building in the dark. I commented that I smelled fire, someone had built a fire. The wires in my brain just wouldn't connect to tell me that something special was about to happen.

Until the moment the door was opened, and I saw the beautiful array of candles, I was as clueless as could be.

"Is this actually happening!?" This question ran through my mind over and over as we walked down the lit isle and stepped into the symbol of love.

I turned to face the one I love, and watched him get down on one knee.

"Will you marry me?"

"YES."

This picture basically sums up how I felt in that moment. A blur of happy. 

Ben is the man of my dreams, and he planned the surprise proposal of my dreams at my favorite place, without even knowing that it was my favourite place. 

He later told me the story of how God brought everything together. From the only ring of it's kind left at the store being the perfect size, to me walking in the door five minutes after he got home from picking it up, and many other details that enabled Ben to keep the secret. 

We were reminded that God cares about the little things. 

We also owe a LOT to Becs. She ended up freezing her tail off to make everything perfect for us, and took all of these pictures. She is the sweetest. <3

Ya, so AHHHHH!!!

We are getting married!!

New Look

Guys! Guess what!?! My wonderful, amazing, beautiful, sister Meg renovated my little web space!
As always, she did a fabulous job!

As someone that likes to spend more time in a room that has been freshened and spruced up... there will likely be a burst of posts in the next while.
I hope to make a habit of it, but I have said that before...

Anyway, that is all I have to say for now. Check out my pages for new pictures, and I may have added a dream list item or two. ;)

Since a post isn't a post without a picture... here is one from when Meg shot me and made me feel beautiful. :)

Hello June... again!

So, remember last year when my sisters Megan and Rebecca blogged every day for the month of June? 

Well... we are planning on doing it again this year!

Since I have been lagging behind in the picture taking department, I wanted to do this to hopefully help me get back into the habit of capturing memories. And also to get back on track with making time to write. 

Of course, once again, I need your help. If there is anything that you would like to see on my blog this month, shoot me a comment or an email and I will make it happen. :)

Oh, and don't forget to check out Meg (Crazy Frazy's) and Becca's (Life in the Country) blogs to see their daily posts!

Happy June y'all!

Awakening my heart

I have started a new blog! 

Incredible blog design by sis Megan!

Now don't fret, this one will not be replaced by it.

I will still blog here. In fact I hope to do it more often, capturing more of the moments of the life I call mine, placing it on here to remember better. To breathe deep.

Why have I started another blog you ask? Why don't I just write more often on here instead of (Jen, are you a crazy person!?!) trying to keep up with two blogs?
Well this new venture is more of an online journal, less pictures and life happenings; more thoughts and words. It is going to be a place where I will write daily scribblings from my heart. Quotes, life lessons, struggles, words coming from a deep place in my soul.

Awakening My Heart will not be shared to any social media. Writing everyday is going to make it very personal and I will need to be vulnerable. I want people to read it because they want to, not because it was a link they clicked on due to curiosity.
I don't want to worry about feedback. Whether I am saying the right thing to make people "like" me. I just want to share my heart.

So, with that being said, you are welcome to come visit Awakening My Heart. If you wish to follow me there, you can subscribe via email or you can just pop in every now and then. Feel free to comment if you wish, I would love to hear from you all!

New

Spring is the season which opens the door to the beginning of life.

Spring has visited our family.

New Things

It is April.
April Fool's Day actually, but this post is no joke (promise!).

The date on the calendar that officially ushers in spring has arrived and departed, yet we still experience a long lingering winter.
This month (I hope, pray, beg... PLEAD!) we will be visited by muddy roads, spring rains, and the warm weather that rides in on strong southerly winds.

This is the month in which arrives an abundance of new things.
To celebrate I am announcing that there will be a "new thing" happening everyday of April on this blog.
I have decided this is the month that I will attempt to write a post a day.
It will be stretching, (life doesn't always allow the time needed to create blog material) but I WILL do this!

Due to the possible problem running out of post ideas, I NEED your help.
If there has ever been anything that you have wanted to read/see on my blog, please comment and let me know.
I would appreciate any idea, big or small!

Here we go... let April begin!

Crazy life/ Auntie's announcement

My life has taken a turn for the crazy.
And I can sum it all up in one word… babysitting.
Due to some unexpected circumstances… I have been doing a lot of it.
While mom and dad were on their annual mini vacation (Dad's birthday celebration), while Kerri had an ultrasound for ongoing stomach issues (getting some answers soon!), while Mikaya had an appendicitis attack (she spend the night in the hospital, but recovered without surgery), and while mom and dad help Megan with her new baby as she is recovering from a c-section (yes… AUNTIE AGAIN!!!).

Since Kerri has been pretty much out of commission (only able to help out verbally), I have been experiencing what life would be like if I had 9 kids.
It is crazy. But the fun kind of crazy. (no shortness of popcorn and movie nights ;)
There have been times when I have felt sorry for myself. But I've come to realize that everything, every season in life happens for a reason, God must be preparing me for a challenge up the road.
As a result of this realization, I am learning to embrace these moments and to do my best in every situation.

Anyway… enough of that. The real reason for this post is to announce a status change in my aunthood.
I am now auntie to 4!!!
As I already previously mentioned, Henry and Megan's baby was born!!
Silas Uriah Froese came into this world on January 12, 2014.
He is such a sweet baby boy and I have already fallen head over heals in love with this sweet face…

Picture taken by his mommy (Phraze Photography)

So that is an update on my life :)
Hopefully things will slow down a bit soon so that I will have more time to blog, but until then… adios.

Introducing....

My new baby brother

Elijah Hudson

Born March 8, 2012

As I side note... I finished another item in my Dream List (#67).....

Thanks to my sis Meg @ MegooPhotography for lending me her pictures :)

She....

IS.....

MARRIED!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Auntie Karen for the pictures...more to come :)

The "something exciting" that will change our families life forever is.....

MY LITTLE SISTER IS ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!

SEE... I told you it was very exciting :)

Megan and Henry began courting in the middle of December. When it first happened it was so hard to comprehend it all. The first few days were filled with mixed emotions of happiness and sadness. Happiness because my little sister's dreams have come true... and sadness because of the realization that one of my best friends was going to be moving out!

The first time that Henry came to visit Meg reality really began to sink in. This was really happening.

Knowing that our life will never be the same again is hard, the way our family works and operates is all going to change. Change seems to always be a bittersweet thing, but it's not at all a bad thing!

Christmas was amazing. It was during this time that Henry (aka "Fritzy" (the nickname we gave him :)) really became a part of our family. And it was also during this time that most of the sadness drifted away, and this "Prince Charming" became more then just someone that was sweeping Megan off of her feet... he became a big brother.

It was like he had been in our family forever.

Since then it has been all been a blast! Sure I still have a twinge of sadness when I think about how Meg is soon no longer going to be a constant member of our household, but the knowledge that she is about to be one of the happiest girls alive... and the fact that I am soon to have another big brother makes up for it all :)

I'll leave you with a few pictures from Christmas eve and Christmas Day. There are not very many since our photographer was somewhat "ahem" distracted :)

I promise I'm back to blogging regularily again!

I'm An Auntie..... Again!!!!! :)

Rebecca gave birth to this preciously adorable little girl on November 10th!!

Her name is Makayla Faith.

We are all OVERJOYED and have fallen head over heals in love with this little girl :)

Congratulations to Josh and Rebecca!!! LOVE you guys!!

Becks, now I just have 2 things to say to you.... Firstly, I was right, I told you it would be a girl! Next time you should be more willing to believe me eh? (lol)

 And secondly, the race for "the boy name" is STILL ON, and now..... I still have a fighting chance, thanks to Makayla :) 

Love you sister!

My Apologies!

I have NOT forgotten that I was supposed to post the next part of my "Memories Monday" series yesterday. But I've been having a few problems with uploading the pictures and today has been FAR to busy. So, just know that I will try my BESTEST to get it posted tomorrow K?

Today the crew is out combining the very last of our potholes and then we'll be ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, OFFICIALLY.... DONE HARVEST!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!

Ya, so anyway. I'll leave you with this song that is sung by the "Sisters", it is as of late... my favorite song. Hope you all enjoy it!

We've never been wrong!!!

A question that I will often get when I meet someone new and they find out that I have 11 siblings is, "Do you enjoy living in a large family"?
The answer to that question is YES, YES and YES.

I can't imagine what life would be like without every single one of my siblings. Children are a blessing and they add so much to my life! (not to mention they give LOTS of character training! :)
Every single baby that arrives into our family is special and I get VERY excited to meet each and every new little life.

My sisters and I have an uncanny ability to guess when mom is expecting. I guess it has happened enough times that we can tell when her mood changes (not in a bad way.... just in a "mommy" way :).
We've never been wrong.
Us girls will usually come together and find that we are all thinking the same thing (yup, she is definately pregnant again!) and then we'll usually wait a little while before we casually ask her if she is indeed pregnant.
With all that said, I would like to say that....

WE WERE NOT WRONG THIS TIME EITHER!!!!

(yes I'm serious.... no I'm not joking!)

#13 is on it's way....YAHOO!!!!!!!!!

This time Mom decided to tell us right away instead of trying to wait 2 or 3 months. (because she knew that we were just to smart and would have guessed it already anyway. :)
And we were REALLY good at our detective game this time, we knew just about the same time that she found out ;) I guess that's just what happens when you are good friends with your mum. :)

So ya... I'm VERY excited to announce that our sweet new blessing will arrive sometime in the middle of March (Lord willing).


YEEEHAAAWWWWW!!!!!! :)



Bundle of Excitement!!

I'm SO excited!!! Ya wanna know why???

I'm SO excited cuz' my Big sis Becky is going to make me a Auntie... again! :)
(LOVE you Becky!!!)

I'm SO excited cuz' my sweet little nephew is going to be a big brother!!!
(Love you Andy!!)

I'm SOO excited cuz' our AMAZING friend the Muncks just had a new baby girl yesterday!!!

(Love you guys... BUNCHES!!!)

 I'm so excited cuz' we got to spend a FUN filled day with our friends and family yesterday!!

(Love you Rae and Rita! :)

I'm excited cuz' we started seeding on Thursday!!!

(Love you Dad and Josh!!)

I'm excited cuz' my Uncle Jeremy and Aunty Laura are going to have a baby same time as my big sis! I LOVE babies!!! The more the merrier is me! :)

And I'm excited cuz' they are going to be coming home from Vietnam soon!!!

(Love you guys!)

I'm excited cuz' today is Monday! Because it's the beginning of a whole new week... and I love fresh starts!!!

And last but certainly not least... I'm SOOO excited cuz' God has given me SO many reasons to be excited! I'm one blessed girl :)

(LOVE you with all my heart God!!!)

See!?!?! I'm just a bundle of EXCITEMENT!!!

P.s. Stop by Becka and The Munck's blog to congratulate them both! I know they would appreciate all the love! :)