Kim 365

Some friends came over to play this morning, so the whole crew needed to get dressed up. Well, all except the babies. So the dragon, shark and lion are my crew, and the monkey belongs to my friend Angie. Thanks for coming you guys!

Snow.
He hadn't stopped winter from coming.
It came!
Somehow or other
It came just the same.

This poor baby has not been sleeping well, and that means that Clay and I have not been getting much sleep either. For nearly a week he has been so restless during the night. I suspect his teeth are on the move, but it might also be related to starting solid food recently - it can be such a guessing game when they can't tell you what the problem is! He looks so apologetic in this photo. I love you, Deacon! Feel better soon!

Our kids love to be read to from the Jesus Storybook Bible. We love it too. It is an amazingly written childrens Bible that so clearly explains that the entirety of the Bible is "an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure." That hero is Jesus, and we are his treasure! He loves us "with a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love." That is good news, and I am so blessed to share it with my kids.

I saw this coffee cake on Pinterest yesterday, and skipped right by it, thinking, "No thanks, I don't bake cake in the microwave." Well this evening I wanted something sweet, so I went back online to find the recipe. It's really good! Now don't get all up in my grill about how microwaves are bad for you, because cake's not necessarily good for you either. But once in a while....yes, please!

Here's the recipe if you want to check it out.
A Cup of Coffee Cake

Make a new organizing board - check.
I found this lovely to-do list while I was browsing online the other day. I had been trying to figure out how to put it to use, since I have nowhere to keep such a piece of paper kicking around in the house. Then I remembered this frame sitting in my basement. Ta-da! My weekly to-do dry erase board.

I have been having a really good time with my kids lately, and starting to think I'm a pretty good mom. Then today happened. Last night was low on sleep. Today was high on conflict. Annoyed, frustrated, and just plain angry...it was not a good day.

I had to make a quick trip to the grocery store to get some stuff to make supper. The kids waited in the van while I ran in (please don't send the cops after me - my mom did this with me when I was small and I didn't kill myself in the vehicle or let a stranger in). I put the bananas on the counter and had a good chuckle. "I'm good with kids." Not today I wasn't.

I am thankful that I do not have to look inside myself to be a better mom. Inside myself is more of the same - there is sin in my heart and if you bump me, sin comes out. No, I don't look to myself but rather to my Savior, Jesus, who alone has the power to change my heart at make me more like him.

Daughter Dear. That's what my dad sometimes called me when I was small, and I can still hear the affection in his voice in those words. Now I am blessed with my own Daughter Dear. She is beautiful, articulate, passionate, affectionate, intelligent, and just plain amazing.

This winter is one for the record books. At this point in winter we typically have snowbanks a few feet high and temperatures that jump between -20C and -40C. This year we've had little snow, and temperatures dancing around zero degrees, hence the snow has almost all melted.

A year ago, when I was trudging through snow with three little ones and one on the way, I was dreading this winter coming. Fast forward to today, and I do not have to wrestle my crew into snow pants, toques and mittens when we leave the house - just a jacket and boots! This will most likely be remembered as my most favourite winter ever!

I start each day with a latte. Today was my first somewhat successful attempt at making microfoam for latte art. Or perhaps the foam was an actual success, but the art was not. I was going for a simple heart, and if I used my imagination I ended up with a tree. Sort of.

Practice makes perfect, so I'll keep on trying.