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

Marching On

Our first outside meal and BBQ of the season

It looks like March is going out like a lamb, though a chilly one perhaps as it will feel like -11 overnight.  Early March began with a birthday celebration as Kohen turned 7!  It was low-key but still fun and tasty along with decorations and presents and a few Skype/FaceTime calls.  He asked for pizza as well as jujubes on his cake.  That's a first for us.  Usually I stick to Smarties.  

Last night being 6

Actually, on March 1 we celebrated with Welsh Cakes for Saint David's Day.  Thankfully my cousin reminded me as I have never celebrated before.  My mother's father was Welsh.  Lily-Anna helped me make them and we all enjoyed them.  

Lily-Anna and I were able to book same-day Covid tests this past Monday due to some cold symptoms.  Thankfully we received the good news of our negative results this afternoon and the symptoms have all abated.  This also meant that all three kids have been home from school this week, though doing some work online.  

We look forward to the next one coming in September

We will all be happy to have a normal school day tomorrow before the long weekend.  (Actually one of my children would still love to stay home.)  We are hoping there will still be in-class teaching on Tuesday but in case there is another lockdown, the kids will bring home everything from school to make an easy transition to on-line learning possible if it is necessary.  It's been said that we are in the third wave of Covid.

I am happy that my in-laws are having their first vaccinations this weekend and my parents will have theirs early next week.  I will be ready for mine when it's my turn, hopefully by the start of summer.  We were able to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday with some cake and a socially distanced visit.  

This is our first March since Isaac started school that we haven't had a March Break.  The kids didn't seem to mind.  Isaac said the weather should be better in April.  

I had my first upper GI endoscopy and a colonscopy this month.  I was worried about the endoscopy but God provided and answered all my prayers.  I don't remember a thing after being given my sedation until I woke up in recovery.  I am really looking forward to talking to my doctor and finding out if I responded to him or the nurses during the procedure as they told me that I would be able to respond.  It would be quite amazing if I responded but have no memory of that.  My telephone appointment is not until May but the initial report said that there were no concerns thankfully.

I did an 8-week health challenge that ended on March 8.  I was so diligent (to the extreme) to follow the guidelines and get all of my points, which was definitely not the same as trying to be as healthy as possible.  I am very motivated by points but at the moment, I am either on or off.  I was really looking forward to the challenge being over so that I could eat whatever I wanted and that's exactly what I have done since the 8th, to my detriment.  

I will soon be looking at the study, "Get Out of Your Head" by Jennie Allen.  Hopefully that will help me make some wiser choices about my food intake and my thoughts surrounding this.     

This helped us win a DQ gift cert. from Kohen's piano instructor.

I am excited to celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday this weekend.  Our church has been studying the book of Exodus together, finishing this week.  I've liked being reminded of God's incredible salvation from slavery and daily provision for the Israelites, His willingness and desire to meet with and instruct His children, the incredible details for the tabernacle and the sacrifices, and the magnitude of sin and its results.  Thank You Jesus for being our lamb, for being our sacrifice, for dying.  Please remind me of the cost of my sin and all that You accomplished in freeing us from slavery.  Help me to live in freedom and to help others find it.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Happy Easter!

Blessings,

Elizabeth

John 10:10-11

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 

Fun Family February

Dressed in red for Kohen's piano class

Thankfully we made it through over seven weeks of lockdown including five weeks of online school.  The kids have been back to school for three weeks, minus two snow days and Family Day.  One child was very excited to go back, another did not want to go back, and the other didn't think much about it.  

The transition has gone alright.  Snow days look different this year as school work is posted online for asynchronous learning.  We have extra grace for less work when there is more snow play.  Actually, on the second snow day I didn't tell the kids until they all had their snowsuits on and Isaac had his backpack and was asking me to open the van.  Then the four of us went outside and played in the snow.  The kids had dug a cave which they could all fit into snugly.  Graham helped them build a snow wall as well as a snow man.  

"Let's make an experiment Mommy!"

Her experiment cookies were tasty!

We also found a new hill for sledding.  It was a little hill but big enough for a good ride and small enough to climb up again easily.  It was a lot of fun.  

Sledding fun

Valentine's dates were also different this year.  I took each of the kids to the Starbucks drive-through for hot chocolate and a cake pop.  We then parked in the parking lot and they sat in the front seat for our chat and treat.  Our church also hosted a Zoom Valentine's Party during which Lily-Anna helped me make garlic knots which were very yummy.  Graham surprised me by having beautiful roses delivered and then picked up some yummy Indian food for supper and rented a movie that wasn't available to be streamed.

The Kids' Ministry also hosted a 'Nailed it' Contest in which we submitted a photo of our Double Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake along with a photo of the picture from the cook book.  Three families won Amazon gift certificates and we were one of the families!  The kids were pretty excited though we still haven't decided what to buy.  The latest idea is to put it toward a baseball bat as we don't have one of those.

Our whipped cream looks like marshmallows!

Isaac and I have been playing catch with the baseball outside the last few days with some milder weather.  I use Graham's baseball glove which is too big but works well enough to enjoy ourselves.  Perhaps I will buy one that fits my small hands this year so that the three of us can play together.

Isaac making butter chicken pizzas

    

I'm almost finished the health challenge.  I have one more week to go after today and I am ready to be finished.  I have been able to get all of the points so far so I am pleased about that.  I have decided that drinking a lot of water does not help my skin as my hands are as dry as ever, even with drinking 2500 millilitres every day.  I still have to decide what new habits I will keep and which I will change.  

Fun on the stairs

Kohen has been counting the days until his birthday.  There are five more to go.  He really likes the show Wild Kratts so he has asked to watch that on his birthday while eating pizza.  Lily-Anna is usually able to watch most of that show without being scared so it will be nice to all watch the same thing.

Actually, I have introduced the kids to Road to Avonlea which we have all been enjoying.  It's from the library.  I watched that series growing up.  It would air on Sunday evenings so we taped it as we were at church and then we watched it over supper on Monday.  I had forgotten how mean many people were to each other in terms of the women gossiping and the kids making fun of people.  

We are now reading the fourth book in the Vanderbeekers series.  I also found out that the fifth one doesn't come out until September so we will have to wait for that one but I want us to start reading the Penderwicks series next.  I read the first one and really enjoyed the characters.  Kohen is especially enthusiastic about me reading to them.  

Zoom Tea Party with Grandma F.

Andrew, Margaret, Olivia, and Eliana were finished with a few things and blessed Lily-Anna with a lamp, mirror, and some fake flowers.  I surprised her with them after school one day last week and she was thrilled.

I still need to exercise so I will say goodnight!

Blessings,

Elizabeth

Kohen's masterpiece!

Lily-Anna's masterpiece!

Psalm 25:4-5

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.