Emma turns FIVE???

Emma a few days old.  Our little pooky bum

We had some cupcakes on her actual birthday.  Yes, those are pajamas, she was actually feverishly sick on her birthday :(  I had a picture of her other cake and some other cute pics, but of course, they turned up sideways, no matter how many ways I turned them!  Very frustrating!

 

 

Yes, it's true.  She turned five.  I can hardly believe it!!  I can still remember the day I found out I was pregnant, unsure of this whole venture we call parenthood!  I remember being told to eat whatever I wanted during pregnancy because I would lose it no problem afterwards.  LIES!!  Still working on that one!!  And I remember the morning that I went into labour, so not knowing what I was in for!!!  But it was a wonderful day when Emma came into the world!!  Born in the tub, still in her water sac, it was considered a very rare occurrence and a special birth.  She weighed in at 8 lbs 9 oz, 21 inches long.  Five years later she is passed my elbow in height.  She's a big girl.  She has always towered over kids her age and she is quite the little mother to her classmates at nursery school.  Emma loves being a girl.  She loves to dress up and pretend she's all grown up.  She loves to be cuddled with and read to and loved.  We are so blessed to have this beautiful little girl to raise up in the fear of the Lord.  It is so important to just stop and enjoy our kids every day if we can.  All of those older men and women that I've struck up a conversation with in the grocery store were right.  'Enjoy them because it goes by so fast!'  Each one of us who is younger than someone else, should heed their words of wisdom, because they are often right!!  We love you Emma!!  Keep smiling!!

Emma loves to be with Eva, her little sister

Emma has loved being a big sister to Benjamin since moment number one, seriously!!

SPRING!!

 

I must say that I am getting very excited about this time of year.  Each year I seem to appreciate something different, something new that I haven't seen in years passed.  I used to think that winter was so blah, with no green for miles.  But then one year, I saw the trees in a whole new light, the way the branching grow and spread and reach for the sky.  Each tree is so unique, so strong and perfectly designed by God.  I truly love seeing snow laying on the branches of trees, especially pine trees.  Way too awesome!  But I think it's almost safe to say that winter is slowly becoming the season that was, and spring is finally making an appearance.  This week alone we have had very mild temperatures, warm enough for shorts, at least for hot-blooded ol' me.  I did actually wear shorts outside on a walk.  It felt good, but illegal at the same time.  But if it's warm enough, I'm wearing shorts people, despite the fact that I might blind some people! :)  This year I see so much that I can show my kids about God's creation and how He is faithful in changing the seasons.  I see green poking through the soil in our garden.  The birds are making their nests in their usual spots.  As much as I don't like to welcome the sound of chirping birds before sunrise, I really do appreciate their music these days, after a winter of silence.  Pussy willows have always been a favorite of mine.  Many years in the passed, I have missed out on them, but this year I got some from a friend, and the kids are enjoying 'petting' them.  Emma also brought home some grass seeds and a sunflower plant, and it's so cool to see her get excited about growing them.  So, fun!  It is so good to be able to see God's creation and it's beauty no matter where we are.  Whether we live in the big city, in a sea of houses and buildings, or in the country where peace resides.  I love the country.  It's where I grew up.  But I live in a small city now.  So, when I visit my parents or other friends in the county, I appreciate it soooo much more now.  I took it all for granted when I grew up there.  And as much as I long to live in the country, I am learning to be thankful for what I have, where I am, where God has me.  Let's enjoy each new day of signs of life as spring makes it way.  It all happens so quickly, and before we know it, it will be winter again!  (sorry to say it, but we all know it's true!) :)   Here's a favorite past time for the Halek's, no matter what time of year it is...

We can never turn down Eternity's much coveted chocolate chip cookies.  

These cuties will never turn them down!

Posting pictures on this blog

Hey there,
Can anyone help me out with how to post pictures on the blog?  There are many times that the pictures turn out sideways, and no where, and I mean NO WHERE do I see the option of rotating them.  Anyone???? ANYONE??  Seriously, I'm getting so frustrated, and it's preventing me from blogging!!!

March Madness! (I'm not talking about basketball...sorry!)

It's been about a month since I wrote on here. Thought I would update on our family :)  I am about 3 weeks away from going back to work.  Man, this year flew by!  It's crazy!  I'll be going back to doing sleep shifts on the weekends at the group home.  I will also be trying to pick up relief shifts along the way.  Benjamin is almost 11 months old!  I can't believe it!  I remember being excessively huge with him in my belly and wondering if it would ever end.  And now he's nearing a year old!!  He cut 4 teeth on the top of his mouth this week.  Does that explain the crankiness?  I'd like to think so!  Bobby continues to study biblical studies through Prairie Bible College in Alberta.  It's distance education, so he works independently, occasionally calling on his professors to clarify his assignments etc.  He still has about 3 months left for his EI, so he is also diligently looking for work.  If you think of it, please pray for our family and that we will yield to the plans that the Lord has for our lives.  It's easy to worry about the future, but I know we need to 'Cast all our care upon Him for He cares for us'.  It's kind of exciting also to wonder what He has planned.  But it will be nice to know one day too :)  Emma has been requesting bangs for her hair for the last little while, so I caved and said she could try it out.  She seems to be enjoying them, especially after she realized that after a bath they really will come back.  She will be turning 5 this week.  SSOOOOO hard to believe.  It's always neat to see pictures from a couple years ago and realizing yet again that they don't stay this small forever!!  Eva continues to play, play, play.  It's always tricky to tear her away from her toys to go to the potty especially.  But it's really neat to watch her set up her little people on a cash register, or on the edge of the window sill and live in her little world.  Too cool.  Eternity is doing well.  She's adjusted well to high school life and seems to be liking it.  She's a great help to us and also enjoys bugging her siblings and we have occasionally called on her to babysit.  It's kind of nice to have a teenager in the house :)  I just pray that I can be the wife and mom that God has called me and wants me to be.  With each year, I wonder if I've done much of anything right.  It's easy for me to focus on the negative things or mistakes that I have made as a parent.  But it's more important to be able to recognize those mistakes, ask for forgiveness and move forward to the best of my ability.  Some moments I know that it is not me, but God who is working through me.  It's great how He does that.  Our next big venture is making our cars for the Awana Grand Prix.  It's only a week away and we're not very close to being done!  Craziness.  I am actually bowing out of making a car that is usually 80% made by Bobby anyways, causing him to have more work than he needs.  It's always a fun time as a family, as stressful as it can be.  So, hopefully I will remember to post the race results on here soon! :)

Winter Wonderland!

Dad and mom time, cuddling up to stay warm!

Oh how we love to be bundled up!

Enjoying our hill of snow in the front yard

We sure have had our share of snow.  I love it.  I don't get out there nearly as much as I would like with the kids, but I would much rather see lots of snow like this than no snow, grey trees and dreary skies.  I would much rather be blinded by all this whiteness!!  It bugs me when the weather people apologize for what is coming and for the drop in temperature.  We live in a 4 season climate!  We should be prepared for anything that comes our way.  Not be apologetic.  The winter is starting to feel long to some people, especially those of us who shovel driveways by hand or who are not able to get out in the snow.  But it will be melting before we know it and we'll be seeing green grass before we know it.  I enjoy any moments that I get in the country while it is this snowy.  It is nice everywhere, but the country is best.  It is awesome to take a moment and just take it in.  I love to see the snow laying on the evergreen trees and hearing nothing as the snow gently falls to the ground.  It's so majestic.  God is wonderful in the ways that He shows His beauty through his creation.  As cold and blowy as it gets, take time to enjoy this wonderful time of year.   

Bake a Cake!

In the past, we have always ordered a birthday cake from a bakery.  We've had some good cakes.  I love icing.  I could eat only icing and leave the cake behind!  Eva's birthday was on the 8th and we are having our family party for her tomorrow.  I decided to take the plunge and make a cupcake cake.  Ever heard of those?  You bake cupcakes and then arrange them into a pattern.  I chose a butterfly.  I borrowed decorating tips from a good friend of mine and began to tackle something I've never done.  It was going pretty well actually.  I was enjoying it.  Shortly into my project, Eternity came into the kitchen to ask if she could decorate a cupcake.  I said, 'Sure!'.  I was curious to see how she would like it.  It turns out that she ended up finishing what I started.  Let's just say she took over! ;)  But, it's actually really cool.  Here's something that she has never really done either, and she just took off!  It was actually pretty cool to watch her.  She's an artsy person and it shone through as she created a beautiful design.  She's awesome at it!  We agreed that she's found her calling.  She's at an awkward age.  First year of high school, starting to look for a part time job, after happily giving up her paper route.  She's a tomboy, but also a girly girl.  You know, the type who fiddles with their hair 100 different ways.  So not me.  I would get frustrated with my hair after 10 seconds.  So, it's really cool to watch her work, do her thing and create a beautiful thing.  We had fun.  So our creation will sit in the fridge for less than 24 hours before it finds it's new home, in our bellies.  YUM!
P.S.  Sorry for the sideways picture.  I can't figure out how to fix that!!!
P.P.S. I wasn't able to fix the sideways picture, but I deleted it and added a different picture and it worked.  Yay!!

Happy New Year!

I trust that you all had a nice time with your families and friends over the last couple weeks for Christmas and then New Years.  We had a good time with our familiy and enjoyed the children as they opened presents.  But most importantly, we talked about the importance of Christmas and it's true meaning - Christ and how He came to live and then to die 33 years later for our sins.  The kids are learning it bit by bit.  Emma was Mary for the Awana Christmas Concert and she takes that role to heart.  We watched many reinactments of Mary with baby Jesus.  Eva got stuck playing Joseph or a shepherd.  She's a good sport ;) Emma is very passionate about being the girl role.   But another Christmas season has come and gone.  We will never get it back.  Time just keeps marching on and the kids just keep growing.  Every day is a gift and we can never replay it or relive it.  Isn't that weird?  It was also Benjamin's first Christmas.  That's always a neat moment.  Last Christmas he was cozy in my belly making me cozy and hot!  And now he's here enjoying the boxes and wrapping paper.  We got him a Winnipeg Blue Bombers toque for Christmas.  We're starting him young! ;)  News Years was spent watching the A team, during which I fell asleep at 10:30 pm.  I rang in New Years just right - in a coma :)  I love just being home on that night and enjoying the quiet.  Right now the snow is falling and the sky is glowing pink.  I just LOVE that.  I would enjoy a temporary lockdown due to lots of snow too.  Call me crazy, but I love when life is forced to slow right down.  Enjoy the stillness when you can, the quietness when you can and always enjoy watching your kids, no matter how crazy you feel at times.  They are a gift.  <3