Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Thankfulness

This morning I woke up before six. I do that quite often these days, with Ian, but today it was different because instead of going back to bed like I usually do, I decided to just stay up. Ian slept nearly the entire evening last night, so he was up quite a bit during the night, and this morning, I decided that instead of trying to sleep with a baby who simply was not tired, I might as well get up and take advantage of the situation.
Stephen got up early too. He's spending the day in Alberta on a shoot for work, and he'll be back tonight - thanks to a private jet owned by the client he's shooting for. :)
It's been so long since I've gotten up this early to stay, it's actually quite refreshing. There's nothing quite like an early morning. Everything is so fresh! I love looking out over the city and seeing the street lights still on, the pink glow of the sun beginning to rise, the light, misty fog that hovers over the ground, the gradual brightening of the sky as the sun comes up. Everything is so quiet and peaceful. It's so easy to think of all the things I'm grateful for when I have a morning like this.


Things I like about today.......

* Getting up early with Stephen
* Enjoying a hot cup of tea and toasted bagel outside
* Drinking in the fresh, early morning air
* The gift of baby "stations" that keep Ian happy and busy
* The anticipation of a whole day ahead of me, and the energy to get things done
* The gift of salvation from my Heavenly Father
* The absolute knowledge that I can't do anything good in my own strength, and the total confidence that I don't need to
* The fact that Stephen is only gone for the day, and will be back at night
* My sweet baby sleeping once again, not crying, not fussing, just sleeping, pure bliss. :)


Monday, September 27, 2010

Our Houseboat Trip....

A couple months ago, Stephen came in and asked me how I would like to go on a houseboat trip. Of course I said I'd totally love it, but knowing that such trips are rather on the pricey end of things, and people such as ourselves probably wouldn't be able to afford it.

He then told me about how his boss had arranged for a houseboat trip for all the people at Beacon Studios (the place where he works)….and that I was also invited, along with our baby! I was soooooo stoked! I've wanted to go on a houseboat for years, and to finally have the opportunity was thrilling!


As the time grew closer, and Ian was born, I began having a few doubts, wondering if I was totally stupid to even consider bringing a tiny, month old baby onto a boat that wasn't that big. Ian was beginning to cry more and louder, and I was afraid of everyone finding him annoying, and myself just being cooped up in our little bedroom the entire trip.

But, I decided we could do it, and I knew Stephen was always there when I needed him with Ian.

Definitely a good decision. :)


Our houseboat trip was so amazing, so relaxing, so much fun! It almost felt like a second honeymoon….a second honeymoon on a boat with 10 other people. And one that included our baby. But you get the idea. :)


The scenery along the way was so beautiful! I've always been a BC girl at heart, even when we were living in Alberta, but a trip like this just adds to my love for this beautiful province! The trees, the clouds, the mountains, the rocks, the water.....it was soooooo gorgeous!

In spite of all my fears, this little guy did sooooo well on the boat! He wasn't too fussy, he slept well, and since he's just getting to the point where he loves just looking around and exploring the world with his eyes, he definitely got a feast to look at! We had one special evening together, standing on the back of the boat in the moonlight, and I was talking away to him about everything, he was so happy and content just resting in my arms. It was such a priceless moment to share with him!

He definitely had his times of crying, screaming and fussing, but I was so blessed by the other three ladies on the trip, they all helped hold him at different times, so that Stephen and I could spend time together, and do fun stuff. It made the trip even better!



This was definitely one of my favorite places on the boat! :) There's nothing like sitting in a nice hot tub as the houseboat slowly moves through the lake, feeling the cold (sometimes very cold) wind on your face, enjoying the mountains as you drift by them, talking and laughing with friends, cuddling up with Stephen....too much fun!

Another highlight was watching a movie with Stephen (and Linda, Beacon's secretary/administrator) one of the nights. I think the rest of the guys were out on the beach with a campfire, and I had gotten Ian to sleep, and didn't really feel like going anywhere. So we put on a movie that Stephen had brought and watched it together. In spite of there being twelve people on the boat, we definitely got some really nice "alone time" which made it all the more special.



Stephen and I were so blessed to have a little cabin to ourselves, especially because it came with a private bathroom and shower! It was all very small, but definitely big enough! I found myself thinking about all the immigrants that came over to North America on ships, all the ladies that had little babies like I did, and how the living conditions were so much worse for them! We are so blessed with all that we have!

The whole crew! It was really neat to get to know everyone at Beacon a little better. You really see a different side of someone when you're playing Dutch Blitz with them, or joking together in the hot tub. I really enjoyed being able to relax and have fun with these people!


Sunday, September 19, 2010

Ian's Baby Shower

Now that I finally have a few moments to sit down and jot out a blog post, I'd like to tell you about the most amazing baby shower I have ever been too! Mom Casson put it on for us, and she so thoughtfully did it while my mom was here so she could participate in it as well!
As we drove up to the Casson's home, the fence that lined the driveway was populated with bright balloons of orange, yellow and blue. The house itself was decked out with ballons and a fun blue poster declaring, "It's A Boy!"
The evening started off with the beautiful strains of a string quartet, compliments of the Stoney family. It was so special because they played at our wedding as well! The majority of the shower took place outside, on the balcony at Cassons. The evening air was perfect, warm, but not hot, with a slight breeze.

This was an amazing "diaper cake" that a few of the ladies put together! It was so cool! Diapers, towels, washcloths, toys, soothers, baby shampoo....it was so much fun to see everything that they crammed in it!


I had so much fun opening all the gifts! The first game everyone played was a guessing game. Each lady wrote down ten things she thought I would receive throughout the course of the evening, and the first lady to reach her goal won.

I was so blessed by tons of gifts! We got so many of the things I had been hoping for, and so many adorable things for Ian to grow into! :)

Mom Casson had the fun idea of getting everyone who attended to sign a page for Ian's scrapbook as a memory page. The ladies put down little tidbits of advice and encouragement which were so much fun to read over after the shower! Things like that mean so much to me, I really treasure them!

Okay, this was one of the most amazing parts of the whole shower! Mom C recruited the talents of my wonderful friends, Moriah and Chloe, to handle the decorating and layout of the food. The pictures are enough.....wow!
They even brought fresh flowers from their field, in the brightest colors that I love!


My amazing mother in law who put it all together, and Mrs. Denhollander.
It was such a special evening, I was so blessed by the many ladies who came, and by those who wanted to come but weren't able to. I have been thinking about how awesome it is to live surrounded by godly mothers and ladies who are farther along the road than I am. What a privilege it is for me to learn from them, and to be encouraged by their experience! So many girls starting out have so much less than me, and although I take so many of my blessings for granted, I'm beginning to realize how blessed I am.
It's so easy to feel like we deserve what we have, and more! It's so easy to feel like we're owed all the good things we have. I say we, but I don't really know about all of you, I just know that it's true for me. This is an area that God is showing me my huge weakness in. I have been given so much, much more than I deserve!

Three Weeks

It's hard to believe that it's been three weeks already! Three weeks of enjoying our baby, three weeks of learning, of recovering, of figuring out what the new normal is, three weeks of watching my baby change and grow so fast! Some of it has been so intense, even though I had six younger brothers, I don't remember any of them crying as much as Ian can! :P One's perspective changes hugely when you're the parent instead of the sibling. Ian is such a beautiful, precious little man, it's hard to imagine life without him! Stephen and I were two for a year, now we're three, and it feels so right. :)


He's so amazingly peaceful when he sleeps, I love to sit and watch him as he sleeps. To see his little face change expressions, sometimes a frown, sometimes he puckers up as if to cry, but then thinks better of it, and his face relaxes into blissful peace. He sometimes smiles in his sleep, and I just want to hold him and love him! He is the most adorable little guy when he smiles! :)
When Ian is awake, he nearly always has this expression, almost as if he's still so shocked over what the world is really like, he just can't get over it! :P
My little cuddly boy......I just love little boys, especially when they're mine! :)

Stephen and I finally just a few more pieces of furniture to help complete our living room! A bookcase, a lamp, and a desk. It was particularly thrilling to me because I love to have things organized and tidy and beautiful, and it's so much easier with a few simple pieces of furniture! Now our living room is so much more cozy, and I still get a little thrill of delight when I come in and see it all!
I love being home, and making things look nice. In the few weeks before Ian was born, I was having so much fun reading (and looking at the pictures! :P) different interior decorating books. I get so inspired when I read books like that, it makes me want to redo everything and make things as nice as they can possibly be! I have so much to learn in that area, but it's so much fun to learn!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Ian Arthur Luke


As I sit here in the quiet, dimly lit room, I hold in my arms the most beautiful baby boy. His name is Ian. And he's mine. Mine and Stephen's. It's hard to believe that just eight days ago we were saying to ourselves, "I think tonight's the night! I think we'll be going to the hospital!" After two other nights of hopes being raised only to be dashed the next morning with nothing happening, last Monday evening (and a very early Tuesday morning!) it was "the time!"



Ian was born last Tuesday morning at 5:17am after about 5 1/2 hours of labor. I won't go into details, as I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of a labor story that you didn't exactly ask for. :P But it was a truly incredible experience! To finally get to hold my little boy in my arms after holding him inside for 9 months, to hear his little cry, see his eyes, his perfect fingers and toes. It brought tears to my eyes as I held him minutes after he came into the world, to see how perfectly formed he was, and yet so incredibly tiny!




I had to stay in the hospital for about a day and a half after the birth, so I was so thankful that we had asked for a private room. It meant Stephen could be there the whole time, and it made it so much easier to entertain all the visitors we had! :P I have to admit, I've always thought it would be fun to be in the hospital for some reason, and have lots of people visit me, and bring flowers and all that fun stuff. I never wanted it to be a terribly serious reason to be in the hospital, but serious enough to stay and have visitors. I think having a baby was a perfect reason. :) We had five different "sets" of visitors, all bearing flowers or chocolates, or drinks from Starbucks, or pizza, it was so much fun!! (now you may all tell me how silly I am :P)




Stephen thought it would be fun for him and our baby to have matching tuques to wear in the hospital, so he asked me to make them. Finally, on Ian's due date (Monday) I got all the supplies I needed, and finished sewing them up just a few hours before we left for the hospital! It was so worth it though, I think the picture of my boys is absolutely adorable! I love watching Stephen and Ian cuddle together, or seeing Stephen wrap Ian up so tightly and snuggly that he stops crying and goes to sleep almost immediately!

It's so hard to believe that our baby is already eight days old! He is so precious! I'm still in awe over how he came to be in the first place. How he started out so tiny and developed and grew and he's now a little person!

It's amazing to me to think of how he's going to grow up. He'll be his own person with his own likes and dislikes, his own personality. I can't wait to keep getting to know him, to help train him up in the way he should go.....

Thank You God for the miracle of life! Thank You for allowing me to be part of it! To God be the glory!