i'm reading through How to Handle Adversity by Charles Stanley with our care group right now, and there is one section that has really struck me....

An old story tells of a farmer who had a mule for sale.  He claimed that this mule would obey any command it was given.  One prospective customer was somewhat leery of this claim and decided to put the farmer and the mule to the test.  So he said to the mule, "Sit down."  But the mule just stood there.  "Sit," the customer yelled.  But nothing happened.  He turned to the farmer and said, "You claim this mule will do anything it is told, but I can't get the mule to sit down."  The farmer just smiled.  He reached down and picked up a two-by-four, then walked over and hit the mule in the head.  "Sit," he said.  And the mule sat right down.  Turning to the shocked customer, he said, "First, you have to get his attention."  (How to Handle Adversity by Charles Stanley, p. 73)

i am that mule.  when God wants my attention, he has to hit me on the head with a two-by-four first.  first he whispers, then he talks, then he has to shout....  i am just like one of my own children who only seem to pay attention when my voice is raised!!

it is so easy to get caught up in daily things, and when life is going well, i definitely start to forget about giving thanks...  but, as soon as trouble hits, i go running to God.  luckily for me, He always greets me with open arms.  i am definitely working on Psalm 46:10.  "Be still, and know that I am God."

i finally finished manda's present!!!

wahoo!!

on to the next one....

i can't make myself pick up manda's present and work on it for the life of me.  sigh.

so, instead i am toiling away on yet another scarf....  just to get me through this hatred of the other project!

flu shot, smu shot....  that's what i say!!  we lovingly brought the flu to manda and ross, who, i must point out, had received the flu shot.

manda started it at their house, but ross was soon to follow.

so, who wants us to visit next!?!?!?!!

or, a travelling we did go....  all over toronto, in fact.

with a 4 1/2 month old and an almost two year old to pack up and get ready all the time, we don't often stray too terribly far from home.  especially not for a full day!  but, feeling adventurous, and the need to visit ja's gramma seemed to urge us on.

so, we packed up and were headed out of peterborough in the general direction of brampton at about 9 am on saturday morning.

our first stop was to see gramma at holland christian homes.  we had a nice visit there for a little while, and she was thrilled to finally meet ephraim.  however, i also think she may have been glad to see us go when both the kids started screaming and hollering at the end of the visit....

then, a quick dash off to milton to see old friends of ours, spidey and sam...  they are expecting a baby in march, and i of course was full of probably mostly unwanted advice on labour and delivery.  basically i said to get an epidural now, i mean, why wait for that kind of thing?  they have a beautiful brand new house, and sam looks fabulous!  they fed us great homemade soup and sandwiches...  perfect after the trip.  keyzia was ultra cute, and ephraim was hitting on sam like crazy.

around 5 or so we headed off to etobicoke to see manda and ross.  man, did they spoil us!!  manda made me this totally adorable hat and scarf out of bernat's boa, and this amazing crochet hook case (not sure if this is the pattern, but it looks similar!) in blue...  and ross made this totally amazing concoction for dinner...  mashed potatoes, some kind of tomatoey veggie stuff and fish.  man, it was good!  and so filling.  hmmm....  should ask him for the recipe, now that i think of it!  it was definitely too bad that i hadn't finished manda's stupid present....  man, am i tired of that thing! but, it's almost done now.  ross let keyzia take some pics with his digital camera (hopefully to soon be posted!), and was getting her to tear around singing "ee ii ee ii oo!" at the top of her lungs.  she had a blast!  ephraim practiced his flirt technique on manda, and told ross "a bwu" repeatedly.

we didn't get home until around midnight, and then sunday was pretty much a write off.  didn't make it to church, but i did get catfood and hit walmart with al.  i was so exhausted, and still am today. 

but, in spite of the horrid drive home weather-wise, the kids were both really good, and it was so good to finally get to see everyone!  however, i think next time, they can ALL come to us!

and i thought i had missed it.  i thought that this was the one thing my husband and daughter would spare sharing with me.  and yet, alas, as i sit here in a fog blogging about being in a fog, the flu is with me.

it started with keyzia a week ago yesterday.  she was up all night throwing up, crying...  etc, etc...  while i hate it when she's sick, the cuddling aspect of the usual whirlwind 'bumblebee' is kind of nice...  although maybe not at 3 in the morning.

then, tuesday at lunch ja came home and stayed home.  had a huge nap with his still ill daughter, and i got to take care of two sick babies. 

everyone seemed well on the mend when on friday, after a busy day, and expected company for dinner, to me came the not so elusive flu.  do i wish that i had gotten a free flu shot?  yes, i must admit i do!  not only did i have to go to bed while company was here, but we had a crazy saturday planned as well!

so, saturday happened as i seem to have been granted a reprieve from the flu for a day and a half. but, there will be no playgroup for us this morning, as the flu rears it's ugly head in my body once again.

i thought moms weren't allowed to get sick?

how thankful am i that we have this fabulous huge orange tabbie cat who is so docile and easy going that he doesn't mind the constant pumelling of my almost 2 year old?

not only does she sit on his head, use him as a push toy (which is always accompanied by delicate slightly complaining 'meows'), say, "get out ollie" and push him off of whatever he's sitting on...  but she loves him almost too much. 

he has been coated in baby powder ("pretty ollie!"), had his food stolen, had his food dumped in the water dish, and generally had his home invaded by two noisy unpredictable foes.  and yet, with all that tail pulling, eye poking and ear grabbing, nary a growl, nary a scratch, nary a nip with his teeth.  when he's had enough he simply gets up and moves about a foot away.  only to sit and wait for the next attack of love.

why is it that i get all excited over a new project idea, can't wait to start it, then am absolutely sick of it by the time it's finished?

yes, manda, this is about your present!

so, ephraim taught himself how to raspberry!!  he's been working on it for a few days now, but at this moment, he is a pro!!  raspberries all the time....

the learning curve went something like this....

'aaaa hmmmmmmmm'

'mmm  p'

'aaaaa mmmm ppppt'

and now....

'aaa mmmm  pppppphhhhht mmmm'

ahhh, the language of infants.

is no longer a baby.  jason and i cut her hair on the weekend, and man does she look old now!  she lost all her baby looks!  she's talking up a storm, and even starting to get interested in potty training.

everyone who has children always says to take notice of everything...  that they grow so quickly...  but, i don't think you really believe it until you're there.  keyzia's almost two now.  she's hitting milestones almost faster than i can keep track of them.  she's grown from a beautiful baby into an adorable personable little girl.

where has the time gone?