Changing seasons

  Six months have passed since our little ninja princess has made her debut.  I cannot tell you what a blessing she has been for our family.  In the midst of tribulation, the Lord often sends some of the most tender blessings. This little girl has brought and shared so much joy and light.  Her name perfectly describes her!  We love you Elena!

she is the only one that has sucked her thumb...or fingers

 

 

what girl isn't thrilled to try chocolate?

 

The winter has been long and cold.  I guess that is to be expected living in Alberta, but even still....

The boys this morning found green grass sprouting in the backyard and ran in excited to show me.  Even with the tangible excitement in the house for the blossoming spring and future summer, the boys still LOVED winter.  This is was free time in our afternoons often looked like:

 



 

 

Nathaniel especially loves the snow.  Now that we are in May, after the last chinook, the melted snow did not return, and he was quite upset.  He kept trying to toboggan and even recruited a big brother for help...

They were pushing the sled down the hill with the stick

That got tiring, so Jeffrey then just pulled it

 

 

 

Eventually the snow melted and we have a tiny little veggie garden planted, of which the boys are very proud.  We also planted some flowers, but they are excited to eat the "real" vegetables.  Ethan also was determined that we grow tomatoes.  It took me a while to figure out why (he won't eat a tomato to save his life).  Every morning he goes to the little plants, looking to see if  a "Turbo" has come.  He is waiting for a mutant super speed snail to move into the garden.  Too funny!

I am grateful for the changing seasons.  It is fun to enjoy the unique treasures each season has to offer.  We can enjoy what we have, while anticipating what is yet to come.

 





Change in Perspective

Happy New Year!

The Andrus clan sends you our warmest hugs and happiest smiles.   We love you all and thank you for  wonderful memories that you helped us create in 2013 and for the future ones we will share in 2014.
The last month has been one that has greatly tried and blessed our family.

      Our little ninja princess made her big debut at the end of October, but by December she had become quite a social butterfly.  Our family received many invitations to events and visits and we quickly realized it was so we could show off the newest member of the clan.  We love Elena and are beyond grateful and happy to have her with us.  The boys are ecstatic and eager to tell everyone that we are 5 boys and ONE girl.  (Sometimes the faces that are made in response to that unprovoked declaration are hilarious). 

     In mid December I had a procedure done to rid me of the kidney stones that I enjoyed with this last pregnancy. I am beginning to think we should start buying lottery tickets, since we always seem to "beat" the impossible odd.  Yes, this was the second time I had multiple extra large stones, in both kidneys that could not pass on their own.  And yes, again, this was the second pregnancy that I was gifted with such an experience.  Well, instead of fixing and removing the stones, the procedure made it possible for me top develop a horrible renal infection.  A life threatening one.

     I will spare you the messy details, but in short, for about 36 hours it looked as if I might not come home.  My temperature was at the brain cooking point and my blood pressure was MIA.  Lots of things come into ones mind when one is in this situation.  I have been thinking about death, and life, parents, children, families, faith, endurance optimism and strength for almost a year now. My sister and brother in law this past year lost a sweet son.  The words they shared at his funeral have been engraved on my heart.  On my sister in law's blog she has been bravely and honestly writing about her feelings as she navigates the new world she was thrust into.  Many of her words were with me as I was semi-conscious at the hospital.

Bonnie- the sharing of your sorrowful but sacred experiences has helped me more than you will know

     I used to think that life was a series of things that you were meant to accomplish, steps and changes you were supposed to make.  The "tender mercies"of the Lord were the small things that made life joyous as we completed the journey, smiles and hugs while we finished the task.  My unexpected vacation has changed my perspective, for which I will forever be grateful.... and hopefully better.  I still believe that there are tasks and events that we are meant to complete and achieve, but that the real journey and challenge in life comes from the growth of being able to see the small miracles that surround us and CHOOSING to rejoice in them.
      Here are some examples...

The old me would have been frustrated that I lost the opportunity to have a cute christmas pre-chaos picture.  The new me smiles and is grateful to be here to see a son feel confident and comfortable enough to share his honest feelings.  ( It helped to know that just a few minutes later William would be in seventh heaven with his guitar)

The old me would have gotten sad (and a little mad) that some "nameless" child was not getting along with his brother and then not only get he get his fingers dirty, he immediately went and "cleaned" them on a white blanket.  The new me just laughs, knowing it is just a moment between two brothers who normally look more like the second picture.  Then I laugh again for being crazy enough to think that anything white will stay white in a house full of active boys.

This next one presents a question : Do I become upset upon seeing Ethan with this face, knowing that this face generally results in hours or whining and ear splitting yelling, or do I feel grateful that the 4 months I was on heavy pain killers during his pregnancy did not affect his mind or lung capacity in the slightest?

I guess you can kind of see where I am going with this idea.  I change in perspective has brought me a better attitude.  I am finding it, day by day, easier to be more optimistic and to laugh at myself.  Laugh never happens the way you anticipate.  A lot of annoying things happen, which can make for funny pictures and memories later. Sometimes really horrible things happen to us and the only thing that keeps us going is our attitude, our perspective.  Amongst my friends of latin decent, a common phrase present in many prayers is " Lord, we are grateful for life.  We are grateful for health.  We are grateful for family and friends.  We are grateful for one day more."  I always thought it was generic, almost hollow of meaning, but now... I GET it.  I am GRATEFUL for life.  I AM grateful for health. I am grateful for FAMILY and FRIENDS. I  am grateful for ONE DAY MORE.    It was the simple things that I wanted to come home to.  Husband, children, noisy playing, messy bedroom, laughter and crying at 3 am.  I need to be around for many more jello fights, costume shows, wii tournaments, and hugging contests.  I want to be there to comfort more nightmares, wipe more bloody noses, console more hearts after mean words have been spoken.  I want to live.  Really live.  Enjoy the miracles around me, choosing not to be frustrated by the mundane worldly wrappings that generally the come in.  Thank you for being patience and still loving towards me while I have been such a negative person.  That in and of itself has been a tremendous lesson for me. So as the year progresses, as the difficult times come, here are some of the miracles, the changes in perspective that I will be keeping close in my heart.  I hope you can find yours too.  Happy New Year!

and just a few more because I have been given many miracles during my life...

New Season

The weather has finally changed.  Last year we received our first snow fall on October 3.  I remember the exact day because it is Jeffrey's birthday and he was praying to see snow on his birthday.  We also were able to attend the Calgary open house that day, so it was pretty special.

This year we have enjoyed a mild autumn with great weather. On Thanksgiving Monday  we drove through the mountains  and enjoyed the scenery.  This lake is truly spectacular.  Lake Moraine used to be on the back of the Canadian twenty. It was great to get out of the house, move around a bit, have a break in the homeschool routine and enjoy the last family outing that we would have as a family of 7.

This guy said hi to us from the side of the road.  The boys thought he would make a good pet

Snow finally fell towards the end of October.  The definitive seasonal change was undeniable.  Winter is slowly settling in here in Calgary.  We are starting a new season as a family as well.  Our little girl arrived just a few days after the snow.  Our boys LOVE the winter up here and have been anxiously awaiting the first snowball fight and first all day sledding extravaganza.  But they were even more excited to welcome their little sister, Elena Belle Andrus, home.  And I think she was a little excited to finally meet her big brothers.  The boys are so gentle and sweet with her.  My heart swells when I see Ethan sitting next to Elena's chair reading her a book.  Nathaniel likes to hold her and sing to her. The older three are making a "baby dictionary".  They are writing down what certain cries sound like, in the attempts to understand what she is saying and help her better.  Bryant is totally smitten with this little girl- and rightfully so.  She has been with us less than two weeks and already each of us is better because of her.   

It is taking awhile to find our new rhythm... but life goes on and we couldn't be happier. Most of the time (when we aren't having meltdowns and tantrums born of sheer exhaustion) we look like this :

I would like to say this is a picture of the boys being overjoyed to welcome their mother home with their new hermanita but that would not be true.  This little guy is the real reason for the excitement

So this winter, this season, is all about change for our family.  Welcoming a girl into this tribe will definitely bring changes.  Having and navigating SIX kids feels like a big change. Change can be good.  It can bring growth and development.  I think come spring we will have grown alot. I for one am looking forward to every minute of it.