LET'S GET THIS POTTY STARTED!!!!

Well, life is good and full of surprises. A while ago Brian, Abby and I decided we would go window shopping for a potty for Abby. We were not serious at all about getting a potty, since we had no intention of potty trainer her until she was two. Well, while we were out we happened to come across some that were on a really good sale. So, of course we decided to pick one up. Since then we have been showing Abby her potty and she has sat on it and such, but still nothing serious, up until early last week. That day Abby started to grunt, and it was very clear to us that she was having a bowel movement. So, we decided to see if she would have an easier time sitting on the potty in order to get it out. We'll she did with no problems. The next day we thought, for fun, we would try her on the potty to see if she would poop or pee. In the same day she pooped 3 times and peed 4. On top of that she really seemed to enjoy it. She was eager to go to the potty. We would decided to try her on the potty, so we would tell her it was time to go to the potty. With a great big smile and making sure she grabbed both of our hands, she would lead us right down to the potty as if to be in some kind of parade. We also have noticed that she has been able to keep her diaper dry longer and does not mind one bit to sit on the potty and stay there for a little while. So, with all her eagerness, we decided to go with her enthusiasm toward potty training. On Saturday we bought her training paints. So far she has been doing well. She seems to enjoy the training pants and the independence that will eventually give her. She tries to put them on herself. It's pretty cute to watch. One thing we are very much aware of is that this will not be an over night project. It does take effort and consistency. It also takes a lot of patience, because sometimes you will catch them and sometimes you don't. Also, they often don't go right away, so you are there with them waiting for them to pee or poop, only to find that they have decided that they don't want to pee right at that moment after all. However, give them five minutes or less and they'll be happy to pee in their training pants. Now doesn't that sound like fun??

So, today Abby has been using the potty fairly well. We even managed to catch her first pee of the morning. This afternoon, Abby decided that she wanted the dog to join us as we paraded to the potty. The dog was less then enthusiastic about the venture. So, in order to get Abby to continue her parade I had to pick up the dog and bring her along. It was all rather cute.

So, I have admit something. This isn't the first time I have potty trained a child. Actually I have helped potty trained three children. Mind you I am a little out of practice since the last time was quite a while ago. But it is amazing how quickly you pick it up again. After all, it isn't rocket science...well, at least with the majority of children it isn't. So, if I had any suggestions, at this early stage of the game, for those who might be planning to potty train there children in the near future, they would be the following. First, wait till they are ready. Second, prepare yourself to be patient. Third, be prepared. What I mean by that is simply have everything ready at your disposal. This includes a few books to occupy the little trainee. Also, for your own sake, have a potty that doesn't tip over. It's not a fun job to have to clean up that kind of mess. Trust me, I've been there. Fourth, expect to see a lot of accidents in the process of guiding them toward more independence. When I say accidents, I don't just mean the ones they have in their training pants. I'm including those where the child finished #2 and then decides to get up off the potty only to turn around and sit on your lap. Yes, you guessed it, I've been there too. Fortunately, not with Abby as of yet. Fifth, praise them for doing their thing in the potty and don't make a big deal out of it when they have an accident, because there will be lot of them. Lastly, make it fun for both of you.

My wish for you all is this:

May every poop make it's way down the toilet

and not the toys.

May every pee trickle into each potty,

without little hands to follow.

May every grunt be caught in time,

before your little one decided to take care of the problem.

And lastly, may every accident,

particularly those that make their way outside of the training pant,

be chalked up as another blessed memory that you have

with your little beloved child.

HAPPY POTTY TRAINING!! :)

I love you so much Abby and I am so very proud to of you in every way. You will always be my cuddle monkey, my honey bear, my love stuff and my jubilee of joy.

Back to regular life

Well dear reader, you may have noticed that I haven't published anything for quite some time. You also may notice that there are some new post that are now up that have been dated either in January or February. Well, those are post that I was working on but never got the chance to actually post them. Well, they are up now and I'm back at it. With everything that had happened in recent months I suppose I need a break from doing most things, since my brain was occupied on family issues. So, I am now ready to fill you in on the missing updates that should have been posted a while ago. Here we go.

First off I should start with Abby. She is doing so much better. She has made a full recovery and is her lively, fun, delightful self. Once the treatment started, it didn't take long for her to demonstrate that she was on the way to full recovery. The last appointment that she had with the doctor showed that her heart was in excellent shape. We are so please with these results. However, all of this has reminded me how very important it is to slow down and enjoy the most precious blessings that God has given to us.

This brings me to my next big announcement. We are expecting our second child! Thursday will be the start of my second trimester. We are so excited about having another child in the house. Every day the reality of another child becomes more and more of a reminder of God's goodness to us, especially in light of all that has happened in the last while. To be honest, with all of the stress that we endured, I wasn't quite sure about the likelihood of this child being about to make it this far. But to my delight, God has once again guided us through our own personal wilderness and lead us to safety. To make things even sweeter, we had an appointment with our OB doctor yesterday. She checked everything out and all is going very smoothly. Everything looks great. On top of that we were able to hear our babies heartbeat!! We are so delighted and excited.

So, in light off all our family news we have come to a decision as a family. As of June 30 I will be stepping down from my positions at the church in order to stay home full time with our babies. Brian and I have been praying a lot about family and have felt that God is leading us to step away a little in order to take on a greater focus on the family. Our growing family needs to be our first ministry. However, Brian will continue on as a the Contemporary Worship Leader.

So, this is our big update. Now you know the rest of the story.... :)

What a sweetie.

The making of a reader...

Believe it or not she already knows how to work the sound equipment better than my parents.

Everything taste better when you share....or when it's someone else's :)

Abby and her doll. I hope she doesn't try to hold her new brother or sister this way.

Look up, look way up...














Time to dry off from the bath.



















Now folks, there is a fox in this picture. Can you find him??

Kawasaki Disease???

Well, I can imagine that most might have thought that I have abandoned my blog. Not true. I have only been majorly preoccupied as of late. With what, you might be asking yourself. Well, here is my story. It's a story that would be good for any parent to sit down and take in for information sake.

It all started Thursday of last week. It wasn't a majorly eventful day, just a regular ordinary day. Brian was home from work and we were changing Abby's diaper, when we noticed that she seemed to have a little rash on her leg. It wasn't anything really weird. For all we figure it was probably nothing more than a little bit of dry skin. However, that night she refused to sleep in her own bed, so off with Mommy and Daddy she went. By Friday she started to become fussy, which is completely odd for our every so easy-going little bundle of delight. By evening things took a greater shift. I had noticed that Abby was getting warmer. Sure enough, after taking her temperature, we discovered that she had a fever. So we pulled out the good old Tylenol. Again, she was back in bed with Mommy and Daddy. She was so restless. As the night went on I could feel the warmth coming from her little body. I had noticed before bed that her rash was a little worse and at 1:15am we got up to check her temp again. This time it was up to 103 F. It was time to take her to the hospital. So, off to the hospital we went. After a very little while of waiting (in and out in 45mins) we saw the Doctor. He looked at her red eyes and rash and decided that it was foot and mouth disease. He sent us home with the instructions to give her Tylenol and Advil. So, home we went and followed the Doctor's instructions. After a horrible night of lack of sleep, we woke only to see that Abby's rash was continuing to get worse. Even her lips were being effected. The rash continued on through the day getting worse in appearance. By evening she was almost covered. I wanted to cry. My poor baby girl. She was so miserable and so sick. She clung to us, and in particular to me. She didn't even want to nap without me. Still we continued on with the Tylenol and Advil. Saturday evening was no better. She was up constantly and all I could do was to try to keep her hydrated and somewhat comfortable. I just wanted this horrible thing that had taking a hold of my little girl to leave.

Sunday, Abby and I stayed home as I tried to comfort her as best as I could. By this time her rash covered her little sick body and her appetite had plummeted. When she woke from the nights sleep, her beautiful little lips were nothing more than a big ugly scab that seem to bleed without much effort. She was so miserable. When Brian got home from church we decided that it would be best to take her in again. So, we bundled her up once again and headed for emergency. She was so tired. Our active and lively girl who loved the independence of walking all around creation was now exhausted, weak and only wanted to be carried. Our visit to ER this time became quite a longer ordeal. However, we had no choice and there was no thoughts of turning back. Eventually we saw a doctor. This time they took her blood and seem to examine her a little more thorough. Unfortunately, when they came back with the results, they once again told us that it was a virus. It was worse then what they had originally thought, but still a virus. So, once again we were sent home with the advice to give her Tylenol and Advil. They also advised us to give use Aveno moisturizer on her to help with the rash. They told us that it would likely be over in about 2 weeks time. "WHAT?? I can't have my baby suffer like this for 2 weeks!" What can you do? After all, they are the doctors.

Sunday night, Brian had accidentally picked up the wrong kind of cream. Instead of moisturizer he picked up the diaper rash cream. It was too late to get something else for her, so we put the diaper rash cream on her figuring it couldn't hurt. I also advised Brian to sleep in the spare room, since he would have to go to work the next day and it was going to be a long day for him. We slept a little better, but not by much. She was still up, needing comfort, water, reassurance and some Tylenol.

Monday, seemed hopeful. The diaper rash cream helped a little. Her rash had died down a little. However, she was less miserable then the day before. He lips, no matter what we did or put on them, got worse. At one point during the day, after trying to carefully wipe her little mouth from what little breakfast I could get into her body, her lips started to bleed so badly that the blood was literally pouring down her face and into her bib. After quite a few tissues, I was able to stop the bleeding. This upset me greatly. I wondered if my little girl would get well again and wanted this horrible thing to pass. Later on in the day my Dad arrived. He was shocked to see the state of his grand baby. Frankly, we were all shocked at what was happening to her. Monday night's sleep was no better than the nights before.

Tuesday, I struggled to keep her hydrated. She wasn't interested in anything. It was almost unbearable seeing her like this. She was almost always whimpering constantly. We called into our family Doctor to see if they would give us some suggestion to help her become a little more comfortable. Without seeing her, the nurse mentioned some cream that might help her lips. Brian picked it up at lunch time and brought it home. However, despite these efforts and trying to use Vaseline before, nothing was working. I just remember trying to give her a bottle and seeing the blood sliding around the nipple. It was horrible and heart breaking. I remember trying to stay calm and collected, when all I wanted to do was break down and cry. Tuesday night was no better than the nights before.

Wednesday, enough was enough. I looked at my baby girl and her horrible bloody lips. I looked at her red glasses eyes and her weak little body and said that they have to do something. This time, no ER. So, I called our family Doctor and was able to get in that morning. My Mother-in-law (Grammy M.) was able to drive us in and Brian joined us after we made our way into the inner waiting area. Soon enough our Doctor came in to look at her. It didn't take long before he called the hospital to talk to the Pediatrician. Sooner than later, Grammy and I were off to the hospital, while Brian returned to work.

At the hospital, we made our way to the Pediatric Center where we were able to get into a room fairly quickly. They were very careful to make sure that she wouldn't infect the other children who were healthy. Soon, we saw the Pediatrician who took a very good and long look at her. She looked at her glands and noticed that she had an enlarged one. She noticed her eyes were red. She looked at her skin and looked at a variety of other things. After looking at her extensively, placing her through some test and calling in her colleagues (2 other Pediatricians) it was concluded that she had 4 out of 5 signs of having a disease called Kawasaki Disease. My first thought was, what is that? Who ever heard of something like that! She explained to us the seriousness of this disease and that it is something that, if not treated, effects the arteries of the heart and it can cause aneurysms and blood clots. If not treated, it would likely cause death. Now you tell me, how would you feel if you heard that your child has a potentially deadly disease? Still, I tried to remain calm and collected. I knew I had to be strong for her so I could keep her as relaxed and calm as possible. Still, I could feel the heat of tears whelming up in me as I fought them back and took a few breaths. The Doctors let me know that this is quite a rare disease and they are still not sure what causes it. They only see one case a year. Also, they let me know that it is not contagious in any way. As I continued to allow the information to soak in, the Doctor made a called to Halifax to discuss Abby's case, the treatment and to ask for permission to treat her here. All went through without a hitch. This was nice, because otherwise we would have travelled to Halifax right away. The best part of all this is that we caught it in time. Had we waited longer, Abby may have been in trouble. They try to treat the disease within the first 10 day period. Beyond the 10 days, trouble can arise. So, it is a disease that needs to be acted on fast.

As we prepared for Abby to be admitted we had to go get some blood work done. She hated it, but the ladies taking her blood were so good to her. They even gave her a little hand-made doll and two stickers.

Eventually we were admitted and sent into Pediatrics where they prepared her for two long and exhausting nights. Brian arrived just before we made our way in. I have to say that I was surprised at how well she did with getting the IV in her hand. She didn't cry or move. I just kept on reassuring her, but she seemed more fascinated with the female nurses and Doctor around her. Perhaps she was just too exhausted to care. I'm not sure. Whatever the reason, she did well.

First, they wanted to rehydrate her. Abby and I made ourselves very comfortable on the chair with a pull out foot-rest and just let the nurses do what they needed to do. By evening they were ready to give her treatment. During the night Abby was able to sleep in her own bed for a little while. However, by 11:40pm she was woken up by their regular 15 min check up on her. I tried to get her back to sleep in my arms in order to place her back in her crib, but it was useless. Every time I tried she would wake up. I was getting exhausted. I could feel my body slowly wearing it self down. Finally, I decided I would take her in bed with me. From there we slept better. Well, she slept better. I was able to get a few winks, but it was sometime hard to sleep with a hand in your face or being hit in the face by the board that kept her hand with the IV in place so that she couldn't bend her hand or pull out the IV. Tired, worried, exhausted and now getting sick myself, I allowed myself to have a small quiet break down before I pulled myself together emotionally for the day.

As the day began I noticed some immediate improvements to Abby's health. She still was clingy, but that was to be expected. She had no desire to walk, but I wasn't worried about that. I was just glad to see some improvements. The nurses had worked on her lips all night long and so she was starting to look and act more and more like her old self. I was so glad. My baby was coming back to me. However, her mother was becoming more and more sick. Eventually, my head was throbbing. I felt so sick, sore and weak. I started to feel dizzy and my cough that I developed was getting worse. Grammy M., knowing of my lack of sleep for the last week, came to give me some relief by staying with us and taking care of Abby while I got a shower and ready for the day and then sat in the chair and tried to catch up on a little sleep or at least relax. However, this doesn't always work as I or others plan. I have a horrible tendency to keep going. Instead of sleeping I wanted to called to catch Brian and my family up on what was happening. Of course I also had to unwind from the day and get information from the nurses. I was very nice to just talk though and get the fears of the day before off my chest. In the afternoon, my wonderful sister-in-law stepped up to plate with her husband and made a visit to help out with Abby. This time I did take the opportunity to take a nap. On awaking we found ourselves getting ready for an ultrasound on her heart. She had to be put to sleep so that she would be perfectly still. This check up went forward without any problems.

After the check, Brian, Wendy, Jake and I took advantage of the time and went for an early supper. However, during this time I could feel myself feeling worse and worse. Because of my ill-health and the need to keep Abby away from any germs, I had taken Wendy up on her offer to stay with Abby for the night. My plan was to stay as late as I could and then to head home with Brian for a night's sleep. I soon realized that I needed to go home sooner than later. So, Wendy headed home to get her stuff. By sometime around 7pm, Wendy returned and Jake drove me home, leaving Brian to stay with Wendy till later on in the evening. Walking to the door I felt a sense of guilt and sorrow. I didn't want to leave my baby, but I did know she was in good hands and with someone who loves her. I knew it wasn't a mistake because of my poor health, however, she is still my baby. It hurt to leave. On arriving home, I as absolutely confident that I had made the right decision, since I felt as if I was going to pass out on the floor. I was dizzy, heavy, and light headed all at once. My head ache, my throat was so sore, my body was weak. I got a call soon after I got home from our good friend Marko to see how we were doing and how Abby was. It was good to talk and to be reminded that we have good friends standing behind us ready to help. At once point in the conversation I just wanted to break down and cry. I was so exhausted, sick and so much weighted on my heart. Marko was so good to listen. Thanks Marko.

Well, Abby came home on Friday. Once again Grammy M. stepped up to help by coming over to babysit while I got some sleep. I had to wear a mask around her to keep her from getting my sickness. Marko and Laura sent over some supper for us to enjoy on Saturday. Thanks you two. It was great.

As for Abby, she is doing great now. She looks like her old self. She acts like her old self, although she can be a little clingy in the morning. She's even walking again, although she can seem to be a little more off balance at times. So, she is coming along well. It's so nice to have my beautiful, happy, easy-going baby back again. You never appreciate good health as much as you do after they go through something like this. More importantly, you realize all the more how much you love them when you go through something like this. At her worse, I remember cradling in my arms and telling her how beautiful she is to me and how much I love her.

So, why have I gone into so much detail. Somehow I figure it might help someone else. Seeing your child sick is hard, but watching them go through something like this is painful. I also wanted to go into detail about this so that other parents might become more aware of this disease, it's signs and symptoms. Watch for rashes, continual high temperature (although Tylenol and Advil can mask this), unusual cranky behaviour, swollen glands accompanied by low appetite. But in particular, watch for red eyes without any discharge. The eyes are a big thing. If you think your child may have this, talk to your Doctor about it. It needs to be looked at right away and treated sooner than later. Mom's trust your gut regardless of what the ER says. You'll thank yourself end.

Miss Destructo!!

Okay, usually most of us who have children may inevitably have to depart from certain objects or suffer some kind of destruction when you have a little one in the house. Most of the time you don't expect it to happen twice in one day. Yesterday, as I was recovering from a bad cold in afternoon with Abby, she made a discovery of the cord to one of my lamps with happens to be part of a pair of lamps that I really like quite a bit. Well, she actually did discovered the cord the other day. On that day my husband Brian was able grab her away from the cord just in time to save the lamp from any hazardly death, but unfortunately for me I was not so lucky. It came down with a crash. I quickly ran and picked her up before she could move a muscle. Abby wasn't hurt or scared in anyway since the cord and lamp was position in such a way that it did not hit or landed on her in any way. Instead, after I picked her up, she quietly rested her head on my shoulder and put her thumb in her mouth. I then made sure that there was nothing on her and then put her down for a nap in her bed. Then, of course, I proceeded to clean up the mighty mess left behind.

Well, my day went smoothly from there until Brian came home. I was in the bathroom and Abby came to get me with Daddy not too far behind. Brian and I started to talk and before you know I saw her grabbing for the curtain. But no sooner did I grab a hold of her then she managed to pulled the rod and curtain down on top of both of us. Once again, Abby wasn't hurt in the slightest or even fazed by what had happened. Now the curtain was an easy repair, unlike the completely destroyed lamp. On the big time bonus side of life, the lamp came from Ikea and we were able to order another one that is exactly the same.

Today, Abby's very best friend Sean was here having a great time playing. Sean arrived at lunch time as usual. The two of them are just so sweet, so silly and such a blast to watch when they are together. The love to run up and down the hallway after each other giggling all the way. Of course they are into everything, but having a blast doing it. I grabbed a sheet and threw it over them so it would have a parachute effect. They absolutely loved it. After I just let them play in the sheet for a while. Both laughed and giggled together as they tried to find their own way out. What a pair they are.



"Abby, let me read you a story."













"No one get out without kisses!"













"What time did you say that Mommy is coming?"












"Mommy, I don't think I want Sean to go home yet."











"Maybe we can hide the ball under this pillow?"













"You're my best friend Sean."
















"I don't think Mommy knows we're here."










"Still think we're safe from being discovered?"

"You stay there Abby and I'll check things out."













"HIDE, HIDE, she found us!!"

A whirlwind of wonders...

Well, I made it through my birthday, which was wonderful. We dropped off Abby at Grammy and Grampy's for the night and then headed to the restaurant. After that we made our way to the movies. What a great night. One thing that surprised me during the night was how much I thought of Abby. I kept wondering how she was doing and how I would miss not seeing her beautiful smile first thing in the morning. You would think that after a year a night out would be music to my ears, and although I did enjoy my night out I have to say I was glad to be home with my girl.

Anyway, this last while has been fairly busy with Christmas, family events and birthdays, which I enjoyed quite immensely. Now the culprit of my business is the old schedule, which I don't always enjoy. The old schedule tends to take the wind out of my sails fairly quickly. I will say that I have a goal to make a point of relaxing a little more and not allowing myself to get consumed by things I need to do and things that I think I need to do (you all know what I mean by that). This is no New Years resolution, it's just a decision that I'm going to try to live out by God's strength. I think I'm realizing that you will never get a long enough vacation or a perfect moment to wait for in order to get that peace and refreshment that you long for. You have to earnestly pray for God to restore your soul, pour peace back into your life and then find rest for your soul at His feet in the mist of what seems to be chaotic circumstances. So, pray for me.

On other related news, Brian and I have been doing nightly devotionals together for a while. As of late we have been feeling as if we wanted more. We wanted to be challenged and to go deeper in our relationship with our Lord, but didn't exactly know where to start. Well, one night God gave us a starting point. Brian and I are now doing a Bible study together. It's just the two of us, but it's great. It's really nice to be able to discuss, to challenge and grow more in our understanding of the Word of God.

Well, I'm going to leave you with some pictures that were taken over the holidays. Enjoy!

It was a big day for these three tots. Since their birthday's fall so closely together they enjoyed a extra party together.

First snow fall of the year. Doesn't it look so pretty from inside the house.

Abby enjoying some play time with our friend Nick.

"Okay Mommy and Daddy, I'm ready to go to the Christmas Eve service. And by the way, I'm driving."

Abby loves Uncle Jake.

Another party with the MacDonalds!

"I've got something! I don't know what it is, but I got something."

Cuddle time with Aunt Cathy.

"Aunt Cathy what's that fuzzy thing that Uncle Scott is holding?"

Happy birthday Grampy MacDonald and Me!

New Years with our friends.

Such a lively bunch. :)

I'M 32???

Ah, where did the time go. And how can I be 32? I had a good look in the mirror yesterday and saw a little age in my face. Of course getting a new licence photo never helps, especially when you haven't updated your last photo in 5 or 6 years. As you may have guessed, today is my birthday. This morning I woke up as usual with Abby running around the place and wanting me to be just as active as she is (Brian got her out of her crib). News flash...not going to happen. It would have been nice to have a little longer time under my covers since Brian and I didn't get to bed until around 1am. But that seldom happens when you have a young child in the house. In a few more years I'm sure I'll be able to count on breakfast in bed. Yeah right. It's a nice dream.

So, what were we doing staying up till 1am? With some birthday money (Brian's birthday is at the end of this month) we decided to buy a new item that was on sale at Canadian Tire for our living room. It took a while to assemble, but we did manage to get it done and set up in our living room. It's suppose to be a multimedia storage unit, but we are using it as both a multimedia unit and a book case. Abby was continual getting into our CD/DVD/VHS stand and pulling things off of the shelves. Anyway, this storage unit is made of nice wood and looks great. We can also lock it. We actually set it up so there is one side that is locked, while the other side can easily be opened. On the side that is easily opened we took Abby's books and put them on the shelves. We were using a basket for a while to hold her books, but by storing them in the storage unit we can hide the books and she can access to them quite easily on her own. When Abby saw it this morning she quickly went over to it and opened the unlocked side up with no problems at all. So far clean up is quite easy. Both Brian and I are quite pleased. Actually, we're quite pleased with the way our living room is shaping up. We've made a few adjustments, moved a few things and then added some. One more addition to our living room is my futon chair. I've been wanting to have that chair moved to the living room so it would be used more, because I love relaxing in it. So, we finally made some adjustments and now I can enjoy my chair as much as I want to and it make a great reading area for me. I'm quite pleased to say the least.

So, today will be a full day for me. In the afternoon Laura and Sean will be coming over for a visit/play date. It's been a while since Laura and I were able to get together with our little monkeys over a cup of tea. It will be nice not having to think about running off to work. I'll be able to just enjoy Sean and Abby with Laura.

As for my birthday celebration?? After supper we will be heading over to Grammy and Grampy's to drop Abby off for the night. They have graciously invited Abby over for a sleep- over. What fun Abby will have! After we drop her off, Brian is taking me out to supper at the Gate and then to a movie. I've been wanting to see The Pursuit of Happyness, so that's exactly what we are going to see. Now, tomorrow morning we will be able to sleep in at little. Once we wake up Brian is going to take me out for breakfast. Now that's a really nice birthday if I do say so myself. I don't think I could ask for anything more.

Hot Chocolate Anyone??

So, here I am at the end of our Christmas holidays. Brian is back to work. Most of the big family events are over, except for a few more fun things. And here am I relaxing over a cup of hot chocolate. I can hardly believe that it's almost over. This time of year goes too quickly. It's often such a busy time of year, and yet it's so nice to get together with family and friends.

So, what happened in our household this year? Well, Christmas Eve Brian, Abby, and I were asked to read the Advent liturgy and light the candles. Despite the realization that Abby was up past her bed time, she actually did quite well. Sure she was a little wiggly, but she remained in good spirits during the our part in the service. After we had finished the Advent liturgy, I quietly took Abby out to the overflow area where I could walk her and let her stretch her legs. It was a really great spot for her. During that time another little girl, who was 2 years older and with her mom, walked by. Of course Abby was quite intrigued by her and wanted to greet her. The other little girl was quite happy to see Abby as well, so she decided to visit with us. Well, no sooner did she come up to us when Abby decided to throw her arms around her to give her a hug. The little girl wasn't quite sure what to think about this, so she would step back a little and sure enough Abby would do the same thing over again. At one point Abby almost tackled the poor girl only in the pursuit of giving her a hug. It was rather cute.

Now most would retire their children to their beds and soon follow suit after the Christmas service when thinking of what would be coming the following day. Well, we chose to enjoy our evening a little more. Right after the service we made our way out to Brian's brother's house with his family for an eat-your-face-off party, other wise called a Reveillon. This is a French tradition that happens after the Christmas Eve service. Oh, in case you don't know, Brian's brother's wife is French. So, this tradition has been adopted by the MacDonald family. Anyway, the first plan of action, after arriving, was to set up the playpen that we brought with us, get Abby dressed for bed, give her a bottle and then send her off to bed. Sometime after we arrived we realized that sending her to bed was not going to be one of those things that would happen at this point. While changing Abby's diaper her cousin came in to see her. She was quite happy to see them and between the noise and her excitement, bed time was going to have to wait. So, along with her cousins, she stayed up, played, ate and enjoyed the evening with the rest of us. Eventually, she and her cousins made their way to their beds, while the rest of us stayed up and enjoyed some adult time before heading home. I was really quite amazed at how easily she was about going to sleep in her playpen, only to have to be woken up to get her coat on so that we could go home and then have to go to bed again. Abby handled it all extremely well. What a great girl she is.

Well, the fun never ends. Soon after Abby woke up on Christmas day, and after a good bottle, we made our way to the living room for our family Christmas devotional. After our devotional time we started to hand out presents to each other. And my, my didn't Abby do well this year.. Maybe a little too well. It was one of those times when you realize the downfall of shopping early. You start to forget what you bought only to find out that maybe they got a little more then they needed. So, with all the Little People stuff (ie. castle, mini-van mommy and baby, etc, and I mean etc.), books, Mega Blocks wagon, doll, stuffed animals, etc., her favorite thing this year seemed to be a Dora the Explorer ball. Go figure. There is a lesson to be learned here.

Well, after the fun of opening presents we made our way to Grammy and Grampy MacDonald's house for pretty much the rest of the day. There we ate a wonderful Christmas lunch and a great left over Christmas supper. Abby slept well and enjoyed another great day with family and lots of them.

Now, usually after Christmas lunch Brian, Abby, and I would be jumping in the car to make our way east to spend time with my family and eat another turkey dinner. This year my parents went to Nova Scotia to spend Christmas with my brother Dave, his wife Mary and their children Liam and Laura. They were also joined by my other brother Jon and his wife Leesa. They really had a great time together, which was wonderful. Now, I have to say, it did feel a little different for me this year not to be spending some part of Christmas with my parents and I did miss not having them around this year. However, we will be making our way soon to visit with them for New Years. This will be a nice treat, particularly since my sister Beth and her husband Paul will be joining us. We're looking forward to a great time with them.

Yesterday, after lunch, Abby and I made our way to Grammy and Grampy MacDonald's house. I dropped Abby off with them and ventured out to brave the Boxing Day sales fanatics. My goodness it can be a dangerous thing to travel out in those kind of conditions. To make it worse, it had snowed, so the roads were a little slippery. I've noticed that people generally don't think when all they have on the brain is to race from one place to another in order to get that deal on the item of their choice. Even on my way to Grammy and Grampy's with Abby I almost had a head on collision with a SUV who decided that they wanted to cut the corner, which forced me to make a quick escape off the shoulder of the road to avoid them. So, between the short time I was out I witnessed a car and bike collision (fortunately no one was hurt except for the bike), intensely long lines of traffic, loads of people precariously darting out in traffic and cars darting out in front of one another who obviously didn't take into account of the road conditions. Fortunately for me, I only made one stop into Staples, which wasn't too bad for traffic. Brian and I had decided to pick up a camera that was on sale. I went in with low expectations that there would actually be a camera left considering I was heading out in the afternoon. Amazingly enough there was one left. By the way, thanks Marko for your advice on the camera. I love it. I have to say that despite the chaos of Boxing Day sales, the people at Staples were quite friendly and more than helpful. The one guy that was helping me was almost acting as a personal slave to me in order to get me what I came for. He even gave me a discount for one of the items I purchased. Now that's service. What a big, big difference from Walmart. Not to say that there haven't been a few good employees there, but the majority are less than helpful. One day I had trouble even getting an employee to look at me while I was asking her a question. Huh, maybe I should put this rant on Marko's web site..ha ha ha.. Check it out. Anyway, to make a long story short, I made it back safe and sound.

Later on in the day Brian, Abby, and I made our way to make some more family visits. First we went to Brian's Aunt Heather and her husband David's house for an eat-your-face-off gathering which was referred to as a Comeallya. The food was so good, particulary a cheese ball that I just couldn't seem to get enough of. We even enjoyed some Mexican pop that Alex, Brian's cousin brought with him. One of the pops looked kind of like orange pop, but tasted like Cream Soda. Brian thought it reminded him of Irn-Bru, a Scottish pop. After that visit, we quickly headed home to get Abby fed and then out to visit Brian's Uncle Scott and his wife Cathy. We had a great time visiting them and Abby remained in great spirits. She just loves Scott and Cathy so she was easily amused by them. After that we made our way home to settle down for the night. What a fun day though, despite the scary Boxing Day crazy people.

So, here we are nearing the end of our holidays with one two big events left. This would be our New Years Eve gathering that we are having with some of our friends and New Years day with my family. So, for now I will enjoy what we have left of our holidays, relax and take it all in.

Now sit back and enjoy some scenes from a episode of another Friday with Abby and Sean.

Fortunately the manger protected baby Jesus from more than just the elements.

On the other hand, the wise man just wasn't wise enough. He never stood a chance.

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Abby and Sean present: A Christmas Special about the Shepherds meeting with the Angels

The Shepherd was out in the field tending her sheep when all of a sudden and angel of the Lord appeared unto her saying, "Hey, I look like a bowl with arms and legs."

The Shepherd replied, "Sean, I've got my dish towel hat thingy and my sheep. Couldn't you come up with a better costume then that? You do realize that if you had only been slightly willing to keep your dish towel on your head you too would have been an shepherd?"

Frightened, the shepherd quickly covered her face from the gleaming smile given through a hazy covering.

Then the angel of the Lord cried out in a loud voice saying, "Fear not, for I am Sean!"

The shepherd replied, "That's not your line, but hey it will do. Did you leave lip marks on my bowl?"

THE END!

Now, for the real story check out Luke 2:8-20.

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY ABBY!!!!

I can hardly believe that a whole year has passed by so quickly. My little girl is now a year old! On Saturday the family came over to celebrate the big event. The guests included both my parents and Brian's parents, Brian's sister Wendy, her husband Jake, Brian's brother Rob, along his wife Judith and their children Catherine, Sandy, Caroline and Eilidh. It was definitely a full house, but we had a great time together. Abby got lots of great toys (including a Little People's Nativity Scene) and had lot of fun with her cousins.

As you can imagine, Abby ate cake for the very first time. Interestingly enough she enjoyed playing with it more than eating it. She managed to get some in her hair, up her nose and in her ear as well as all over her face.

One of cutest things that happened during the party was with her cousin Sandy. Sandy, who is 8 years old, was bent down to talk to her and interact with her. He bent over to give her a kiss and didn't she bend over to kiss him back. After this kiss, she decided that she wanted another one, so she bent over to him again so that she could get another kiss from him. It was so sweet!

To make the day more exciting we ended up at the Christmas parade with Grammy and Grampy Robertson in the early evening. In order to keep her nice and warm we dressed her up in her snow suit. She looked like a walking marshmallow. A very cute marshmallow I might add. Abby seemed to enjoy the parade. She kept on waving back at the people on the floats.

After the parade, Brian so tactfully and patiently manoeuvred our car through the traffic to make our way to the church. Our church was having a potluck supper. On our arrival, those in attendance took the liberty to sing Happy Birthday to Abby. After enjoying a great supper we made our way back home where, after a nice bath, she enjoyed some new toys and a bottle. After that she easily made her way to her bed.

I can't express how blessed we are to have such a beautiful, intelligent and wonderful little girl. Every day she continues to amaze and surprise us. This past year has taught us a lot about a deeper sense of love and God's wonderful and perfect plan. Our little girl has brightened our lives more than we thought possible and we are so incredibly grateful to our Lord for allowing this precious gift to be a part of our lives.















Saturday, November 25. The morning of Abby's birthday.
















The birthday girl first thing in the morning.
















Abby giving Sandy a good kiss on the lips.
















Present time!
















Bring on the cake!
















Noah's Ark cake. No, I didn't make it.. :) I'm not quite that skilled.
















Make a wish!

Abby was actually quite fascinated with the fire on the candle. This is when mommy stepped in to help extinguish the flame.
















"No fork??"





"Hey, this stuff isn't half bad."






























"I think it looks better on my face."
















Very proud parents of a very sweet little girl.
















Abby with Uncle Rob, Aunt Judith and Abby's cousins, Catherine, Sandy, Caroline and Eilidh).
















Aunt Wendy and Uncle Jake happily holding their youngest niece.
















Abby with Grampy and Grammy MacDonald.
















Abby with Grammy and Grampy Robertson.
















Abby with Daddy and Mommy.
















Party time for Hildamae!
















Toy Land! Who needs Santa Claus?









My precious little marshmallow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABBY!!!