Hi, my name is Brenda and this is my family! I am married to the love of my life and soulmate Mark. We have two beautiful girls Kaley and Chloe and they are our little sweethearts. There is also our dog named Baracus who completes our little family of 5. This blog is a little window in our daily world for our family and friends to share with us in our journey as individuals and as a family. So, grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit down and take a few moments to spend with us! God bless:)
I couldn't resist putting these pictures up. Kaley got some really cute dresses from Helena at our church and one of them was this Scotty dog jumper. She looked so cute in her dress, pig tails and shiny black shoes. They were the kind of shoes that clicked as she walked on the floor, so she would run up and down the hallway with this big smile on her face:) However, the thought of getting her picture taken didn't quite fit into her plan of "fun activities" to do at church, so this was what we got!
I get this call from Mark on Thursday night and he tells me that he is at the car dealership getting his oil changed. He tells me that he is talking to the car salesman about car deals and what our budget is for when his lease is up next year. We talked about it and that was it. I remember when I hung up the phone thinking that he is probably going to talk his way into a sweet deal and come home with a new car. Well, I was almost right! He didn't come home with a new car, but had signed a lease on one and was going to pick it up on the weekend. Not only did he get a great lease, but he was able to come within $4 of our figure that we talked about!!! Yeah:-)
So, to celebrate, we took a drive in his new car to Arby's in Orillia! It was pretty neat. Kaley got in the car and ooohed and aaahed at everything. She even sat in the drivers seat, played with the gear shift and the turn signed and moved the steering wheel. She especially liked the sun roof which we had to have open most of the way (not exactly the most warmest thing when it is 7 degrees out.) So, we compromised by having it open when we stopped. Mark sure enjoys his little car- and so do we!
At the end of August, Mark's dad and mom both celebrated their birthdays within a couple days of each other. It was a very special birthday for both of them this year! They have blessed many people throughout their ministry with their never ending love and generosity. They love their family and place great importance on spending time together and cherishing those relationships. It has been quite a blessing for me to not only find an incredible man to spend the rest of my life with, but also to have a great set of parents to go with him! Riley and Karen are both very loving, caring, supportive, wise and encouraging. They have been a constant source of encouragement and guidance in Mark's life and have made him into the man of God that he is today. Another blessing to both Mark and I has been to see them transform into grandparents this last year and a half. They both absolutely love and adore Kaley to pieces. They so enjoy being able to come and spend time with Kaley and be a part of her life. You will usually find them playing outside or sitting on the floor in a sea of toys and it is as if there is nowhere else they would rather be! We thank God for the incredible gift that Riley and Karen are to our lives. Happy belated birthday dad and mom. May God richly bless you this coming year.
I heard this song on Life 100.3 today during their praise and worship Sunday. I had heard it a couple of times before, but only caught the very ending and could never find it because I didn't know what the song was. Today I heard all of it and then found a video online for it. I love this song!
Into Your Presence My heart longs for You, My soul thirsts for You, Show me the place where I can go and meet You, Underneath Your waterfalls, Deep will call to deep, Rapids and breakers will wash over me, I long for You in a dry and weary land.
Take me into Your presence, into your courts, Lord I'm longing to worship, Face to face, I will bow at Your throne, I was made for this alone
Why so downcast oh my soul, put your hope in God For I will yet praise You my God and Savior At night Your song is with me, By day Your love surrounds me I lift up a prayer to the God of my life, I long for you in a dry and weary land.
Take me into Your presence, into your courts, Lord I'm longing to worship, Face to face, In the holy of holies I will say that You only are my God. I long for You in a dry and weary land I will say that You only are my God.
Kaley went to daycare for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I always knew that the daycare at our church was great, but I didn't realize how great it was until our own daughter was a part of it. Her teachers are Miss Claudette and Miss Julia. They were so caring, compassionate and encouraging as Kaley (and mommy) got adjusted to our new normal. Kaley had many firsts these past two weeks and has done amazingly well. Mark and I count it as a huge success in our parenting skills that while she missed us, she quickly became accustomed to her new surroundings and made connections to her teachers and to the other kids. She has made a little "friend" which is so cute to see!
Her first week she marble painted a leaf, pushed her stuffed dog in the stroller, played with playdough, rice, water and leaves in sensory play, and made some cute art projects. Kaley also learned this really cute chicken/stomping/sumo dance routine. I have yet to catch it on camera, but it is adorable. She has always loved dancing around to music that she hears, she just now has some choreography to go with it!
The daycare is such a great place. Her teachers absolutely love her. She always gets quite the welcome when she comes in the morning and even her classmates get a smile on their face when she walks in. There is a ton of teaching and learning that goes on and her day is filled with a lot of fun and interesting activities. As far as the next best place for Kaley to be, I am thrilled with the choice we have made. We couldn't have asked for anything better! I'll blog about my journey through this a little while later, but for now, here are a few pictures to enjoy!
