April in Lockdown

I would love to be able to write about all of the family and friends I have seen, the meals we have shared, the outings we've gone on, and maybe even the date nights outside our home without our lovely children.  However, we are in our third wave of Covid-19 in Ontario and our third lockdown.  

I am thankful for health and safety; a home, food, and clothing; our healthcare system; our education system that my children can still connect to from home; the freedom to be at home to help my children; a wonderful husband who works hard and provides abundantly; governments who are trying to keep us safe; a pastor who shepherds our church by the Word of God and thus also obeys the government; family and friends of course; two community libraries where I can pick up books; a van to pick up groceries; the Internet and the positive connections it enables; and hope for the future because of Jesus.  

We celebrated Good Friday and Easter.  The kids always enjoy an egg hunt on Easter morning.  It includes one empty egg to remind us that the grave is empty and Jesus is alive.  I bought some stick-on window decorations this year and some spring cookie cutters for Easter pancakes. 

 

We also celebrated Josiah's birthday.  Were he still with us, he would have turned 9 years old.  This year I bought a cake instead of making one.  There is always angst each time I have bought a cake.  I went in thinking that I would buy my favourite cake (La Rocca: Truffle Royale - SO GOOD!).  However, I then see all the cakes and know I wouldn't buy that one for my children and thankfully there was a nicely decorated orange and blue cake waiting for me.  We associate orange with Josiah.  They put his name on the cake and Kohen helped me add the candles.  We also took flowers to the gravesite and went to DQ.  Lily-Anna had won a $25 gift certificate to Dairy Queen (her name was pulled from a box at our dentist's office) and she was so excited to take her family out for DQ on Josiah's birthday.

This is my chocolate of choice - marzipan.  I happened to see it in the store when I was buying flowers for Josiah's grave on his birthday.  I remembered eating it while in labour with him.  My fond memory: I was living with an amazing couple in Toronto (the Vippermans) prior to Josiah's arrival so that I could go to Mount Sinai Hospital and Josiah could go to SickKids.  I came back to their home one day and mentioned that I was disappointed that I hadn't been able to find a chocolate bar that I had expected to find at Shopper's Drug Mart as I had eaten it during Isaac's labour.  Unbeknownst to me, sweet Deborah went out in her car to a different Shopper's Drug Mart and came back with three or four bars of this for me.  Thank you for your sacrifice!

Our van had been making loud noises - the kind where pedestrians turn around to look.  I am thankful to say that our mechanic welded something that stopped the noises.  Our wonderful 14-year-old van still makes noises from time to time but not all the time.  May it continue to carry us for many more years to come.  We've had it for five years now as we picked it up on Josiah's birthday the month before Lily-Anna blessed us with her arrival.  (Yes, it's a bit of a 'slow news month' when I tell you about the noises our van is making!  Did I mention my excitement about our new over-the-door pantry shelving?!)

I started doing a Bible study with a couple of women from my church over Google Meet.  It's a study in Philippians called Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen.  I'm really enjoying thinking about what I'm thinking about and learning to take thoughts captive with the authority given to us by Jesus.  I have lots of work to do in this area.  

Secret Agent

I just did the math - it's May tomorrow!  My baby girl will turn five!  Way too fast.  Slow down already.

Favourite Outfit Ever - Ireland Jersey

I made enchiladas for the first time yesterday and they were enjoyed by most of the family (Lily-Anna said she sort of liked them).  We also made homemade ice cream last week and two days ago we celebrated another stuffie birthday with cake and candles.  Fun times!

Happy birthday Koko and Giraffy!

  

I see on the calendar that the kids had a whole week off for their April Break this past month.  I guess it wasn't very memorable!  It was nice that Graham had the week off too.  It may have been difficult for him to get work done if he hadn't taken it off.  I guess we didn't go very far or do too much.  

Candy Buffet for Special Movie Night

A conversation with Lily-Anna while going on a walk:

LA - I love my new hat.

Mommy - Is that your favourite hat?

LA - No, it's my second favourite hat.  My favourite hat is my rainbow hat.

Mommy - Do you have a rainbow hat?

LA - No, but you could buy one for me.

[I then explained why she wouldn't be getting another new hat and she assured me she is happy with her sparkly purple hat - she seems to like wearing it backwards the best which is certainly her own idea as the boys wear their hats the regular way.]

***

Kohen was given some money for his birthday and his last gift arrived this week.  Pre-lockdown, he went to a toystore with Graham and found knights on clearance for $2 each.  He bought a few and then after putting them together, asked us to go and get some more.  Then, he bought a pirate ship off Kijiji and finally he bought some Wild Kratts' creature power disks to go with his costume.  

Graham cut Kohen's hair.  Kohen wanted what Isaac had so I now have two boys with rats' tails.  Let's just say I never liked them when I was a kid and boys in my class had them.  My attitude has not changed.  However, I love my kids and there are definitely bigger battles than hair styles.  They are still my cute boys.  

Okay, if I stop now, I should have time to add photos to this entry and last month's entry so I'll say goodnight.  We are enjoying reading The Penderwicks series and Friday night pizza and movies (plural movies because Lily-Anna and I watch something that is not scary upstairs - she did however run out of the room because she was scared that the bunny wouldn't win first prize in the pet contest.  I have learned tonight to stop the video and talk about why she is scared.)

Thanks for any prayers!

I think I want a dog now!

Blessings,

Elizabeth

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

P.S. I happened upon this artist Jess Ray.  I don't know much about her or her music but I loved the message of this song: "I'm still so in need of grace and mercy."

Thanks Mom! Gum drop cake!

Cozy on a chilly day