Does this happen in your family?

Clean Laundry ...

Everyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with my clothesline. I LOVE hanging out clothes to dry and I even defied the cold this past weekend and dried my sheets on the line! My mom sent me this forward today and I thought it was worth sharing ...

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, The young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside. "That laundry is not very clean", she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps?she needs better laundry soap." Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, The young woman would make the same comments. About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a Nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this." The husband said, "I got up early this morning and Cleaned our windows." And so it is with life. What we see when watching others Depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

Love ...

25 Random Things ...

This was something I did on Facebook, but not all my friends are on Facebook, so I'm adding this here as well. This is simply a list of 25 random things about me ...

1. This is hard to do because I very often define myself by what I am to other people ... mostly my husband and kids.
2. I have been married almost 17.5 years which is quite an accomplishment these days. We both are committed to working hard at staying married and we often have long, in-depth conversations about our feelings. I have only ever been in love with my husband.
3. I like to think I look young and act young, but inside I am very old-fashioned.
4. I have homeschooled my children for their entire education ... we're up to grade 10 and grade 8 now.
5. If I have the remote, I like to watch home-renovation shows or real estate shows (Divine Design, Sarah's House, House to Flip, House Hunters) ... HGTV and TLC for me.
6. I learned how to run sound so my husband wouldn't have to hire a sound person and so we could travel as a family and I am good at it.
7. I believe that if everyone would simply tell the truth, there would be far less trouble in the world. The truth does indeed set people free.
8. One thing that my husband really wanted me to do and I did not want to do, but now I'm glad I did was pierce my ears.
9. I am a control freak (but learning how to overcome this!)
10. I don't truly relax unless my house is tidy.
11. I am an insanely jealous wife.
12. I bite my fingernails ... yes, still.
13. I had a back injury 3 1/2 years ago and ended up spending 7 weeks in bed on heavy meds, but through God and common sense I was able to avoid surgery.
14. I am very close to my sister even though we live very far apart.
15. I am afraid of elevators (which is rooted in the fact that my sister got stuck in one when we were kids. Funny, she isn't afraid of elevators and I am!)
16. I live across the road from my in-laws and my gramma-in-law and I'm fine with that.
17. As I age, I hope to have the grace of my Gramma Cooling, the gentleness of my husband's Gramma Martin and the wisdom of them both.
18. It took me 3 tries to get my driver's licence (when I was 17), but I've never had a ticket or an accident!
19. My dad worked for the Bank of Montreal until I was 9 and then he started pastoring which he still does.
20. My mom knows how to give the best presents ever ... even the tiniest things have significant meanings.
21. My real lname is "Vicki", not "Victoria" and I am named after my Grampa ... William Victor Cooling.
22. I have a silly fear of being cold ... ask anyone who has visited in the winter and discovered how I keep my woodstove going! I NEED to know that my furnace has oil and my garage has a pile of wood.
23. When I am angry or stressed, I clean house.
24. I would rather drive an older vehicle, live in a "tired" house and have "tired" furniture than be in debt.
25. I truly and absolutely believe that God not only loves me, but that He cares about even the tiniest detail of my life. Every cell in my body loves God, but I am often confused by His "kids".

The "not-so-fortunate" Fortune Cookie ...

Our family recently went out for Chinese food. Part of the experience is always getting a good laugh at the fortune cookies! We each opened ours, shared the 'wisdom', and then watched as Savannah's mouth dropped open! Her fortune cookie simply said ...

Fortune not found

Abort? Ignore? Retry?

Seriously!!

It isn't fair ...

I have recently discovered a product that I really like, but it isn't fair that I have to use it!! Picture me stamping my feet and yelling, "IT ISN"T FAIR"!!



We should NOT have to fight wrinkles AND zits at the SAME TIME!!!!



It simply isn't fair ....

A video to share ....

It is a wonderful feeling to see our kids involved in something great! When my hubby was asked to be part of "A Season of Joy" (The Singing Christmas Tree) last year, our girls were invited to be part of the youth choreography team. What a joy to see them work hard, make great friends and perform so beautifully.

Each evening my husband shared a very brief testimony during the performance of one song. This clip shows that as well as the girls dancing. In this clip MacKenzie is the dancer seated directly beside Andrew and Savannah enters from the left side part way through. Enjoy!

ps. Lots more clips of Andrew can be seen on his Facebook Fanpage.

A very, very close call ....

After "A Season of Joy" performance on Thursday night, Andrew and I headed out to eat with our friends, Todd & Reagan, from here in Red Deer. As we left the restaurant we noticed that it was frezzing rain and everything was glare ice. We headed out to the highway and merged into an ice rink that turned very dangerous. It is only about 9km to the exit for our motel but we did not make it. As we crested a hill, we could see into the valley and there was a huge surprise waiting for us. There were 100 - 150 vehicles, cars, trucks, SUV's and many transports all collected together at the bottom of the hill. Andrew applied the brakes (we were doing 30 kms hour) and could not stop. He pumped the brakes lightly while going down the hill and stopped about 4 car lengths from the transports and other cars. Then we slid, ever so gently, sideways off the road and into the ditch!

We got out of the van to assess the situation and chat with other motorists. Our van was sitting on a very sharp angle and we knew it could flip at any moment. At that moment a truck come sliding down the hill and smashed into the car in the ditch right behind our van. We knew getting back into the van was not an option and now standing on the side of the road was not an option either. So, we walked the 4km back to our hotel ... walking on ice, in dress shoes and high heel boots. It was 1am when we arrived at our hotel.

Tired and wet, Andrew called CAA to get a tow and they informed me the RCMP had shut down the highway! When Andrew met the tow truck driver back at the van the next morning, he realized just how much danger we had been in! The tow truck driver ran his hand back and forth under the front drivers tire and he said the back one was only touching the ground. He said if we had slid 2 inches farther we would have rolled the van.

Thank you, Lord, for your protection as we travel!

N.A.M.E.

So, we've just spent the last few days at the N.A.M.E. Conference ... the National Association of Marriage Enrichment. What an incredible opportunity to be involved in such a great event! My husband was the guest soloist, but we were encouraged to participate in all the sessions and take advantage of the teaching as well. Now, I knew that I was going to the marriage conference, but I remembered that my husband might just be 'going to work'. (see previous post ... We went to a Wedding) It turns out that we both enjoyed some seminars, and meeting and getting to know some of the teachers and leaders. Some of the ones we thoroughly enjoyed were Dr. Tim Clinton, director of The American Association of Christian Counsellors (I ordered several of this books!), Pastors Rick and Judy Hilsden, former Ontario District Superintendent of the PAOC and now pastors of The Park Church in Sherwood Park, AB and Phil and Cindy Waugh, Executive Directors of Covenant Marriage Movement.

One particular moment that stood out in my mind was in a session about Effective and Ineffective Communication led by Phil and Cindy Waugh. They were the explaining the concept of "Messaging to be understood and Listening to Understand". Part of communicating this way with your spouse involves "mirroring". When not in agreement, the one spouse responds with, "what I hear you say is ....." and once the concept is completely understood, the other spouse says, "that makes me feel ....". I leaned over to my husband and asked him if he remembered when we had first heard that concept. He did.

We were singing at The Park Church in April 2008. During the Sunday morning service, Pastor Rick was speaking about marriage. I remember a lot of his message because he was very funny, but mostly because of this: you see, in August of 2007 Rick suffered a heart attack and then, a few days later, an acute stroke. He wasn't expected to live. It was soon realized that the part of his brain that had been affected by the stroke was his "communication department". As a pastor, this is his most precious gift! With the help of his wife, he has continued to pastor a growing, thriving, large church. To see Rick now, you wouldn't know that he had been ill, but once he begins to speak there is a hesitation and stumbling over words. During the morning in April when Rick was speaking about marriage, he began to explain the concept of "mirroring" ... "what I hear you say is ...." and "that makes me feel ...". He had barely begun to explain the concept when his words began to get very muddled. He tried a couple times to straighten them out and just couldn't get his thoughts out. Quietly, his wife Judy left her seat in the front row, walked up to the platform, took a mic and explained the concept beautifully while Rick stepped back and took a few deep breaths before he was ready to begin again. Then, Judy just stepped back down to her seat in the front row. The picture of that has been embedded in my mind. Two people working as one. Neither one looking for attention. Simply working together to accomplish a purpose. The concept has stayed with me and I've shared it with several friends, but even more poignant was the relationship between Rick and Judy. Truly they are an inspiration!!

So, not only have we been surrounded by great teaching, but we have been inspired by other marriages in action.

This week ...

This week we were blessed by friends who allowed us to use their time share in beautiful Canmore, AB ... right at the foothills of the Rockies. Our chalet had 2 stories, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 TVs, fireplace, full kitchen including dishwasher, washer, dryer, balcony off the master bedroom and we enjoyed some of the amenities at the Lodge ... pool, sauna, hot tub, games room and free movies. We enjoyed exploring the town, driving around looking at the exquisite homes, window shopping in the picturesque downtown, sipping coffee at a superb Italian cafe, and basically relaxing without schedules.

Our Chalet in Canmore, AB and the views from the master bedroom balcony

We did drive into Banff one of the days (about 15 minutes up the road) and enjoyed driving around looking at homes, visiting the Hot Springs for a warm dip on a cool afternoon, checking out the great shops and then eating at our favourite place ... The Keg (thanks to gift certificates from our friends at http://www.dyckandhorner.com/). During the afternoon it began to snow, which for our family, made the day absolutely perfect!

My hubby and I downtown Banff, AB on a snowy evening. The end of a perfect day!

Our drive to Alberta ...

Here's some pics of the drive to Alberta .... notice the goose from Wawa, ON, pics of beautiful Lake Superior, the Terry Fox Monument in Thunder Bay, ON, the largest teepee in Medicine Hat, AB, the moose warning sign and then the mountains in the distance.

We are indeed surrounded by incredible beauty!

Week One ...

We hit the road last Friday morning and one week later ... about 176 hours later ... we had traveled over 3,800 km, been in 4 provinces and 3 time zones.

My hubby had sung in 2 full concerts, 1 special Sunday morning appearance, 1 World Vision Artist Associate luncheon, 1 GMA Showcase and spent a day in a studio doing TV tapings.

We had stopped and visited with friends we've only met through e-mail in North Bay, my Aunt and Uncle in Winnipeg, our friends, The Wilson Family, in rural Saskatchewan and lots of artists at different venues.

We ate at Wendy's, McDonald's (x3), A+W, Mary Browns, Subway (x2), Swiss Chalet, The Olive Garden, Drifters, The Keg, Caseys, KFC, Red Lobster, Montanas, a catered luncheon, Tim Hortons (x2) and Starbucks (x??)

We stayed at Travelodge, Voyageur Inn, Best Western, Comfort Inn, Howard Johnston (x2), and Days Inn.

Yesterday my hubby had a meeting with the musical director for the musical he will be involved in beginning at the end of next month. 7,000 tickets sold out in 5 days! He's not only going to be the guest soloist, but he is also doing some arrangements and vocal choreography for the choir. He meets with the choir for the first time tomorrow.

I've managed to keep the kids on track with schoolwork, keep laundry clean and read a few books. I've also realized that 1 laptop with 4 people is not enough!

Sounds crazy, huh? Welcome to my life!

So, for those who want to know how it's going ... great!

We went to a Wedding ...

Early in the summer I received a beautiful invitation in the mail. Two young friends of ours were about to commit their lives to each other in a wedding ceremony. More than just being invited to the wedding, my husband was also asked to sing at the ceremony and the band he plays with, Scandalous Grace, was asked to play for the dance.

I looked forward the date all summer long. I had a dress picked out (although I switched outfits at the last moment because of the heat!), I had my hair done and paid extra special attention to getting ready. I was looking forward to spending the day with my husband, reminiscing about the day when it was us confessing our love to each other in front of our family and friends.

Us ... just before the wedding started ...

We arrived early to set up sound. My husband sat in the front row ready to sing during the ceremony and I sat in tiny, hot sound booth at the back. I watched other couples cuddle close together watching the bride and groom while my hubby motioned to me to turn down channel one and turn up channel two.

As people exited the church, my hubby and I quickly packed the sound gear and headed to where the reception and dance would be. We set up there and I began to relax while he discussed the evening with the band. We enjoyed an incredible meal and while speeches were being made the band was getting ready. I spent the next few hours watching Scandalous Grace sing and play with all their might. They were incredible!! An absolutely stellar performance which delighted the crowd completely. I watched husbands and wives embracing on the dance floor, fire in their eyes. I watched as the music sung brought back heart-warming memories for them. I was sitting by the sound booth wondering why there was so much fun around me and yet I wasn't enjoying any of it.

Then it hit me ... Silly me. I thought I was going on a date with my husband; he was simply going to work! Silly, silly me.

Being married to a singer means that my life is a lot different than many others, but this was one aspect I hadn't considered before. To be fair, my hubby took me out on a date the next week and this time it wasn't about work!

Birthday Present ...

My birthday isn't until next week, but my mom contacted me in August and told me what my birthday present would be. She wanted her two girls and her three granddaughters to spend some time together. So, she bought plane tickets for my girls and I to fly to my sisters to spend a few days with her family. We had a wonderful time together and then spent 3 days with my mom and dad before flying home. My sister described the visit beautifully ... check it out ...
http://www.witandwishdom.blogspot.com/.

Thanks, Mom!!

Homeschooling Goals

Our school year got off to a great start this week. It's hard to believe we've been formally homeschooling for 11 years! What a journey!

While going through an old box of homeschooling things this summer, I came across a list I made several years ago when our homeschooling journey began. I'm pleased that our goals have not altered at all! I wrote them when our kids were merely elementary students and now, with one doing Grade 10 work and one doing a mix of Grade 8 and Grade 9 work, the goals seem just as poignant.

Written around 1999:

Our Destination Goal for Homeschooling

1. That our children would love to learn.

2. That our children would have a marketable set of skills ... research, communication and technical.

3. That our children would understand Christianity and enjoy a vital relationship with the Lord.

4. That our children would discover their talents and gifts and be able to develop them and use them.

5. That our children would develop integrity of character that would be noticeable not only to us, but our family, friends and church.

Few days away ...

The cottage has been owned by my hubby's grandparents for decades. This sign at the end of the driveway has always signified to me ...
"The stress of life ends here ... prepare to relax!"

Beautiful setting. Sisters relaxing by the lake!

Just the 4 of us

3 days

8 movies

lots of board games

no schedule at all

long walks ... in the rain AND the heat

simple meals

fishing off the dock

ice cream from the corner store

reading great books for however long we wanted

water lapping at the dock

woodstove crackling in the morning

breeze blowing in all the open windows

DEEP BREATHS ... STRESS RELIEVED!

American Idol Update

So, a month after we went to the American Idols Live concert I am finally blogging about it! The day was fantastic from start to finish. We left early and headed to Toronto for an early supper at my hubby's favourite restaurant, Ivory Thailand. MacKenzie had been there before with her dad, but for Savannah and I it was our first experience. The food was even better than I could have imagined! Who knew we'd all be lovers of Thai food??

Our anticipation grew as we headed over to the Air Canada Centre. While waiting in line, we were asked if we wanted to have our pic taken to be used on the big screen. We said sure! Here's the pic ....


In our opinion, almost all the idols have made huge strides as far as stage presence is concerned. Kristy Lee Cook and Syesha Mercado win the awards for 'Most Improved'. David Aruchuleta wins 'Crowd Favourite'. Michael Johns wins 'Was Voted Off Waaayyy Too Early'. In our eyes David Cook and Carly Smithson were definitly rock stars in every sense of the word. My favourite, Jason Castro, did a beautiful rendition of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' that almost made me cry!

All in all, we had a fun family day full of great memories!

PS. Check out MacKenzie and Savannah's Facebook pages for pics of the concert.

American Idols Live Tour 2008

One thing that our family enjoys doing together is watching American Idol. This year we actually watched every single episode! During the Finale on TV, my husband casually mentioned to our girls that the live tour was coming to Toronto in July. They looked at him with raised eyebrows, "Really?"

"Yes, and we've got tickets to go see it!!"

This resulted in lots of screaming!!

I asked MacKenzie this morning who her favourite was. Right away she answered, "David Cooke. .... and Carly Smithson. .... oh, and Jason Castro." This year the talent was exceptional ... so many different styles and I especially loved seeing the contestants get better and better every week. My favourite was Jason Castro. I loved his performances of "Hallelujah" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Just for the record though, in my opinion he was not ready to be the winner. David Cooke was the right one as far as I'm concerned!

Today is the day! We've packed snacks for the ride, got the tickets and binoculars ready to go and we are pumped!

School's Out!

I know for almost everyone else in Canada, school's been out for several weeks. When you are homeschooling, you can educate on your own schedule. In the past, this has always worked to our advantage and we've usually finished school in May. This year was different. With my husband's schedule being so heavy last fall, we got way behind in our schoolwork and just couldn't seem to get caught up. Now, we're finally done! I've even completed report cards.

Now the kids and I are officially on 'summer holidays'. I've got a few plans, but nothing extravagant. I plan to spend some time at the library and then enjoy reading the books and watching the DVDs I borrow, painting a few more things around my home, starting a Facebook page, trying a few new recipes, blogging about some things that have been on my mind and then getting ready for the next school year. We are also planning on attending a couple concerts ... my hubby and the band he plays with, Scandalous Grace, are doing a fundraising concert tomorrow (Friday) at DSCF, our friend Kevin Pauls is in concert in Whitby next week, and then next Saturday we have tickets to see American Idols Live at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto!

Here's hoping for a few lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer!

Questions ...

A couple questions have been going through my mind lately. Maybe you can help!

1. Where have all the red-skinned potatoes gone to?

2. I know that eating fruits and veggies in season gives you the most punch of vitamins etc., but does anyone have an easy way to remember what is in season and when in Ontario?

Just wondering ....