Project 365 | Week 2

Every Sunday I am sharing seven photos – one for every day of the previous week.  Below each photo is the lens that I used. If you are also participating, feel free to share your link!  If not, I'd love to hear your favourite one.

{24-70mm f/2.8: A quiet and peaceful walk in our neighbourhood.}

{50mm f/1.4: Anyone else have a kid that says "Check out my moves!" all day long?  Love this bridge at Tynehead Park.}

{100mm f/2.8: I love three-year-olds.  I wish I could have a child at this age forever...trying to savour the every day moments.}

{24-70mm f/2.8: Cousins-these two are just weeks apart in age!}

{100mm f/2.8: This ring was given to my mom by my dad after I was born.  When my mom passed away, we were all given a piece of jewelry and this is mine. I am terrible at manual focus on the 100mm so that is what I was practicing with.}

{50mm f/1.4: Bedtime show in a box}

{70-200mm f/2.8: Taking some photos of the kids for a Valentine's Day project}

Love, 

Louise

  PS My friend Carolyn is doing this weekly as well, just click on the link to see hers!  

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Seeing Beyond Ourselves

Do you have family goals?  One of our goals as a family is for our children to see beyond themselves to the needs of others near and far. Part of this goal is recognizing how people are all born into different situations and to be aware that not everyone has the same opportunities.

Some of the ways that we do that locally are: support the food bank, being a foster family, and trying to be kind to everyone we meet. In regards to recognizing needs of others internationally, we sponsor a girl in Guatemala through Compassion, we financially support missionaries, we travel to other countries, and we talk with our kids about what life is like around the world.

Every Friday is pizza and movie night in our home. This week, we decided to watch "On the Way to School"with the boys. This documentary on Netflix follows four children from various parts of the world on their journey to school; it shares the obstacles in getting there safely while dealing with great distances – one girl had to travel 22 km! Kai, our nine-year-old, is a great age for this documentary as he can easily read the subtitles. They found it fascinating to see how the children washed their uniforms, the meals they ate, the homes they lived in, and the great lengths they travelled. Although it is slow-paced, I thought it was a great way to give our kids a glimpse into the value that is put on education (and how fortunate they are to have a 10-minute car ride to school!)The boys asked great questions as we were discussing it while watching.

Gary and I have both taught overseas; he was in Korea and I was in Kenya. Both of these experiences have opened our eyes and we hope that our own children will have be able to volunteer or work internationally as well. I have seen how far children need to walk, the sacrifices their parents need to make, and how difficult it is for the kids to learn with few resources. Above all that, I have seen just how important the hope of an education is.

If you have other Netflix movies or activities in your community that you'd recommend to teach our children more about the world around them, I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Love,
Louise

(**I love Netflix.  I do have some perks being part of the #StreamTeam but these opinions are my own and I'd write about Netflix anyway!**)

Five Simple Ideas to Increase Your Activity Level

For me, being active needs to be easy by ensuring that I do activities that I enjoy and would participate in naturally. If I make a bunch of rules and expectations on myself, it's inevitable that I will feel like a failure. For years, if I gave myself a number of pounds that needed to be lost or a number of kilometers that I had to run each week, it would make activity feel like a chore and therefore was a lot less enjoyable. This past year, I started something new...I ran without timing myself. This was huge for me as a goal and number orientated person. I ran to run. 

Here are five simple ways to increase your activity level:

1.  Wear what makes you feel like being active. 

I love new leggings and recently purchased a headband/ear warmer for those chillier runs. Make sure you have really good runners, too. I recommend trying on a variety and getting an expert opinion. I wear Brooks (with orthotics) and although they are pricey, good shoes are important to me. Somehow looking the part helps me act the part!

2.  Sign up for something you love.  

A big motivator for me is getting a date on the calendar and paying for something. Last year I participated in the MEC Langley Race Series. It was a great way to do a 5 km race close to home (for only $15/race!). My son ran the last one with me and it was so fun to have that shared activity. I have other friends that LOVE Zumba, so if that's your thing, commit. Other ideas are yoga (loved that when I was pregnant) or even meeting a friend at the gym to work out. Figure out what is realistic for YOU.

3. Choose outdoor family activities. 

We love going for hikes, exploring local parks, and just being outside. Sometimes we just do a family walk to the grocery store which may not sound exciting but the kids love the cookies and I love the time together...and the steps. Besides being active together a lot of these options are free!

4.  Use a Fitbit or activity tracker. 

This has been a great motivator for me. I use the FitBit Charge as it has a watch on it and the step results are right on my wrist. I aim for a minimum of 10,000 steps per day and if I don't reach it, that's okay, but it helps me to see how active I have (or haven't) been. Besides, it's a bit of a motivator for getting those chores done – cleaning a whole house can really add up those steps!

 5. Instead of meeting a friend for coffee, why not go for a walk together instead?

Socialize plus exercise plus saving money. Triple win. I will often meet my sister for a walk once the kids are in bed. It's a healthy way to catch up and destress after a long day.

Those are my tips for being active, what are yours?

Love, 
Louise

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Thankful Thursday

Did you notice I skipped last week?! First time I've missed it (as far as I remember) but it was New Year's Eve and we were family-ing it up.  What am I thankful for in this first week of 2016?

This week I am thankful for:

1.  A fun (and affordable) birthday party for Koen!  He had fun and it was good for the classmates to see each other before the return of school.

2. An active husband.  We get out with our family almost every single day and it's easy to do when both Gary and I are into it.  This week, we went to Redwood Park to run around and check out the fairy village.  Our Little One discovered the joy of running around with a stick.  

3. Friends.  We had a great visit with our friends who currently live in India (we visited them when they were in the Philippines)--it's always great connecting with Gary's university friends (now mine!)  Also, looking over our Christmas cards, I can see so many awesome families that we are connected to in our church.  If you are looking for a church in the Langley area, come check out Southridge Fellowship.

4.  Books.  I've used this one a few times but I love how everyone in our family enjoys a good book.   

5. A chef as a husband.  Okay, I didn't get a good picture of this but it is a creation Gary made this week with leftover pulled pork.  It's macaroni and cheese with pulled pork rolled in breadcrumbs and baked. Really, really good. A little bit naughty.

6. The frost.  I don't remember having frost like this before, it's just so picturesque!

7. Crafting.  The two youngest love to craft and colour.  They can sit together for an hour side-by-side.  It's pretty wild to me because the boys were never like that (although Kai did do lego for long periods of time.)

8. Kid's comments.  Nya said that she saved these chips for her brothers...and they were a bit wet because she licked them already.

9. Local parks. We have so many places to explore and this week I went to Tynehead Park with just Miss Nya.

10.  Reading time with the boys.  Kai is harder to connect with unless we're running, biking, or throwing a football around so I appreciate these moments.

What are you thankful for today?

Love, 

Louise

New Year, New Netflix Series

Could this be your New Year's Resolution?

Or, how about this one?

Gary and I spend most of our evenings home together.  Although we sometimes play a game like Rummy or Cribbage, we enjoy sitting on the couch at 9 pm to watch an episode (or three!) of our favourite Netflix series.

Finding something that we can watch together isn't always easy but so far we've been pretty successful.  I know this sounds crazy, but it's actually been good for our marriage (you can read about it more in One Secret to a Happy Marriage.)  I used to work in our office while he watched his cooking shows and football games and this meant that although we were in the same house, we weren't actually connecting.   Now we sit together on the couch and cuddle up under some blankets watching a series at a time.  

Our favourite shows from last year (that we watched together) were:  Friday Night Lights, Suits, Homeland, Narcos, and Breaking Bad.

This year we are watching Daredevil and Prison Break and we're loving them.  We also plan to check out Making A Murderer as it has been highly recommended.

Guess what?!  Whether you already have Netflix, or would like to try it, you can win a six-month subscription!  Just enter in the Rafflecopter below.  Open to Canadians only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love,

Louise

Shifting Gears

"Maybe you need to see this time differently." Just one sentence and my perspective changed – have you ever had that happen?  This was said to me with empathy and understanding and just a gentle prod.  We had been struggling for a good month on how to get our Little One (foster child) to sleep and the only thing that seemed to work was spending several hours in a darkened room, within arms reach, until this child finally drifted off.  I'm all for building attachment, and did so seemingly all day long, but this was not what we expected.

I had been feeling bitter and exhausted and that is not who I am. This wasn't what I signed up for.  Who wants to spend two hours in a bedroom from 7-9 pm each night just to get a child to sleep?  Considering my friend's wise words, I thought about this two hour block of time.  Okay, so I don't have a wild social life and I would probably be home most nights anyway.  My husband was usually around in the evenings so he could put the other three to bed.  Could I see this time differently and shift it to be "me time?"  I took a computer in and edited photos.  I read books with a headlamp.  And now, for the past few months, I've been watching an episode on Netflix with my iPad (I'm currently watching The Fosters in case you were wondering – kind of ironic.)

Along with this "me time" in the evening (where Gary and I almost always want to put the Little One to bed so we get to watch Netflix in peace) is the "me time" on weekends.  Naps are guaranteed when I can walk for an hour with our Little One in the stroller.  With Gary being home on weekends, this is easy to do.  These walks allow for some quiet reflective time and I also get my 10,000 steps in!  Sometimes I take my camera along and other times I walk to the grocery store, but every time, I get peace in knowing that we aren't fighting sleep and I am getting fresh air and exercise.

Don't get me wrong – I would love a dinner date with my husband, but if that is what has to be put aside for the time being, we can most definitely do that.   I would encourage you to be open to the wisdom of a trusted friend; I love growing and learning (although often it's painful) through experience and the wisdom of others.  I might not love the process but I feel encouraged by the results.

Has anyone ever said anything to you that has caused a major mind-shift?

Love,
Louise

Project 365 | Week One

Have you heard of Project 365?  You take a photo every single day.  Now, I actually do this anyway as I usually take about 20-40 photos a day with our DSLR and edit and keep five of them. I hope to challenge myself by using different lenses as I love sticking with my 50 mm so I'll indicate which lens I use for each one.  Every Sunday I will post seven photos from the previous week. Sometimes I might have two from one day because I'm keeping things flexible here because...four kids.  

These will be photos that I take while I'm usually with a kid or four so just part of our day. Ready? Also, if you are doing it too, please share a link in the comments!

{24-70mm f/2.8}

{50mm f/1.4}

{50mm f/1.4}

{100mm f/2.8}

{100mm f/2.8}

{100mm f/2.8}

{50mm f/1.4--this just makes me smile because just seconds before, and after, he was running after his siblings with that branch, but here, he's trying to look like an angel.}

My friend Carolyn is also doing this challenge and you can find her over at Moments in Mommyland.

Love, 

Louise

Happy 7th Birthday, Koen!

Today we celebrated this energetic and sensitive boy.  He has taught me a lot about the importance of cuddling, listening, and being goofy. 

I grew up with all sisters so I feel that I have learned a lot about boys having two of my own –  their sense of humour and their desire to connect through activity.  I've also learned that brothers love to wrestle. A lot.

Birthdays in January are hard as everyone is partied out.  We rented out the school gym, invited the whole class, and Gary organized all of the games. Koen loved it which makes me happy.

Here is a video of our day...just know that after he received the birthday bumps, every single kid "needed" them too.  The music sounds a bit strange, if you know why, please let me know!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Love, 

Louise

Welcome, 2016

Welcome, 2016.  How do I feel about the upcoming year?

Nervous.  It's a strange feeling knowing a piece of your heart will be leaving at some point.  Will this child be okay? Will we be able to visit? Will my kids be okay?

Excited.  We hope to have a family road trip to Alaska and through northern B.C. this summer.  It's a strange feeling to have a summer without wedding photography (except for one at the start) and we're looking forward to the freedom of summer holidays that can come by being two teachers!

Ready.  We trust that another child will be placed in our home in the fall that will also change our lives forever. We plan on taking a few months off before that to just be our family of five.  All of this can change but this is a tentative plan.

Thankful.  Gary and I worked so hard on our marriage this year and although we still have our "moments", I am so grateful for him and our relationship. There are very few feelings that top a secure, supportive, and loving marriage.

Hopeful.  I could not come up with a word for the 2016, but if I did, it would be "PRESENT."  I find that the majority of my frustrations come from trying to do too much with four little kids and a husband that all need me.  There's this pull between a desire to have time alone and yet needing to be there for them; the grass is often greener.  I hope to invest more focused energy on them one-on-one and then use my "me time" better.

Motivated.  I'm not making large fitness goals this year but instead am hoping to continue working towards a healthier body.   I plan on continuing to run three times a week and getting my 10,000 steps each day.  I would like to eat healthier and feel fueled for my day on real energy rather than coffee (not giving up my coffee though, let's not be crazy.)  This just means more protein, fruits, and vegetables, and less sugar and carbohydrates.

What are your feelings towards this upcoming year?

Love,
Louise