| First Official Christmas Letter |
Merry Christmas. I have lots to write, but it will have to wait.
Congratulations to Shannon and Donnie on the birth of their little boy and to Adam and Celia on the birth of their girl - both born on Christmas eve. See pictures at each of their blogs. BEAUTIFUL!
Thought I'd share our Christmas letter with you, click on the pages for a closer look.
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| Introducing... |
Soren Erik Jensen
He is the new and only son of our dear friends Pete and Jenna. Soren - whose name should have a slash through the "o" but I don't know how to do that - was born on Friday morning just before ten. He is big - especially considering how small his mama is. He weighs 8 pounds 13 ounces. We got to meet him yesterday. He is lovely, see for yourself:
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| Christmas Program and Jesus in the snow |
Well, the Christmas program that I did photos/slideshow for was on Sunday. It went really well. If you want to see the slideshow go to: rezchurch.ca and go to "gallery", then to "Rez Christmas". I took all the outdoor photos. I loved working with the kids. They are so expressive. Some of my favorites include the "midget rabbi shepherd" (gareth in snowsuit then robe overtop), close-up of the amazed shepherd girl, pretty much all of the mary and joseph shots.
Eva talks about Jesus a lot. We have a book about Christmas so we have pointed out baby Jesus. But she has been repeated the same story for days.
"Gee sus, Gee sus, Gee sus, siiide, siiide," pointing outside. "cooowd", accompanied with shaking hands, then, "snow, snow"
Apparently Jesus in outside in the snow and he's cold. As we raise our children we are trying to remember that God speaks to them and through them. Instead of just laughing about her little story I have been thinking about the truth in it. In our area it is cold and snowy outside. There are people who have no homes and are outside in the snow and cold. And Jesus equated showing practical love to those in need with showing love to him. I think he is outside in the snow. He's cold, and what will I do about it?
tried to post some photos, didn't work, will try again later.
Aimee |
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| Photography and teaching |
Hi folks. Our course has been going really well. I am just loving teaching. Mostly what I love is the students. Hearing their discussion and growing to know them even just a little bit. I think that they are engaged in the class, so that is great. Another highlight is that each day during the break between sessions Lance takes me to Merchants (tea/coffeeshop). A date everyday!!!
The kids have been doing great with their babysitters - what a gift those babysitters are giving to us by playing with the kids for 4 hours. I think the kids have been having so much fun. They don't even cry when we leave in the morning. When we return their is a chorus of "Nuk Nuk Nuk" - they want Mama's milk. The past two days they've napped really well too so I got to nap too!
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. Tomorrow's class is on healing and restoration so please pray for wisdom for leading that time.
Over the past couple weeks I've taken some photos for the kids Christmas program at our church. The program - which will be on Sunday - will include narration, photographs and singing. Here is one of my favorite photos: nope, didn't work. will try with the pic later.
Okay, that's all for now.
aimee
ps. we got our tree and I love it! pictures and story to follow. |
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| Monday Morning |
Tomorrow morning at 8:30 we begin our week long course on relationships. I am excited. Nervous too. Not really about the class, but about the rest of life that needs to carry on too. The teaching goes from 8:30-12:30 (break/chapel from 10-11) each day. Then home, get the kids napping. Prep for next day. Figure out Christmas gifts and send them off. Make supper. Kids to bed. Review next days class. Sleep. Wake. Orient babysitters...
Please pray that our kids do well with being away from us for such a large part of each day and that they don't get too upset when we leave in the morning. They've got colds too which adds to their crankyness.
Pray also for the course. We hope to have a lot of group discussion time. Pray that the Holy Spirit would illuminate and guide.
Pray for energy for Lance and I, it will be a big week.
Probably won't blog till next week. See you later.
aimee |
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| Poisonous Pizza Pops |
I should really have learned my lesson. Not sure if I shared the pizza pop problems from when I was pregnant. Well to put it briefly I got what seemed like food poisoning twice in one week from eating pizza pops. The first time was really bad and even resulted in my lying on the bathroom floor not knowing how I got there. Lance came running in, he'd heard a thud, and asked what I was doing down there. I was confused and just said, "I like it down here". Wierd. Anyways back to the present. On Wednesday night I had two pizza pops. Thursday morning I felt a little off. One hour later I felt horrible. Lance stayed home from work and took care of the kids all day. It took much energy to even read blogs! After day of resting and eating bread and oatmeal, and a good night sleep I am feeling a lot better. Still trying to take it easy. Lance is back at work - after a day in my shoes, that was an eye opener.
Why do I even eat pizza pops? Will I do it again?
I hate being sick. A cold it one thing. But achy, chills, headache, nauseous, etc - that I have a hard time dealing with.
I think I should make a vow. I will never eat pizza pops again. Something in them does not agree with me.
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Totally different note. Sharnee, the girl who desinged my template, got back to me and sent me some new headers to choose from. So now I've got my title again. She seems really nice - she did Avey's template too. If you're looking for a new template check out her sight, with the unfortunate name of : suckmylolly.com.
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The kids and Lance have colds again. Tis the season I guess. Cranky (the kids that is).
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We're teaching the relationships class at CLBI next week. Please pray for us as we prepare and teach. Thanks.
better go get the crying children out of their high chairs. Well just one is crying. but the other could start at anytime.
hope you are well and not eating poisonous pizza pops.
Aimee |
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| New Links |
Just a couple words about the new links
People:
Avey - friend from Camp Luther, she has a way with words and each post is almost a guarenteed laugh as she shares her blunders and quirks.
Marina - friend from CLBI, living in Mongolia with her husband and new baby Amy. Check out her recent post on the babycare/new mom advice she has been given since returning to Mongolia with a 3 month old.
Celia - friend from Camp Luther/Camrose, she and her husband Adam are expecting her first baby any day now. Her posts almost always make me laugh.
I think I'll be linking up more people soon. There are blogs I visit often but haven't linked, and also blogs I mean to visit often but forget about cause I don't have them linked.
Living on Less & Liking it More (a title of a Maxine Hancock book I have yet to read)
How could this whole new world of blogs gone unnoticed by me for so long? Today I stumbled across a link to a frugally bent blog and then to "Frugal Hacks". Frugal Hacks has a giant link list that I have yet to explore - and don't think I will get very far through that. Dewey's Treehouse was another blog I stumbled upon in this vortex of frugality. I recognized "mama squirrel" and "ponytails" from comments they've made on the Abarbablog. Small world eh? The other two on the list, "Merchant Ships" & "Not Made of Money" were two more that at a glance looked interesting, we shall see, they might get removed later.
Okay, I better go.
Aimee |
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| Waiting |
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It's Advent and the snatches of time I have here and there I am trying to prepare my heart for Christmas. I have been thinking about waiting.
I am waiting for a lot of things
waiting for naptime
waiting for Lance to come home
waiting for bedtime
waiting for time off
waiting for thursdays
waiting for fridays
waiting to hear about the arrival of close friends' babies
waiting for Christmas holidays
waiting to give and get gifts
waiting for the weather to warm up
waiting for a photo radar ticket in the mail
waiting for change
in others
in my circumstances
in me
waiting for wholeness
in me
in my friends
in the world
waiting for Emmanuel
remembering the first time
longing for the final time
and trying to notice and welcome all the times in between |
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| Folk Show at CLBI |
Hello,
Wanted to let you all know that there will be a lovely folk show at CLBI tomorrow night (tuesday). Our friends Sheree Plett, Jeremy Eisenhauer and Kenton Wiens will be performing songs from their hauntingly beautiful brand new Christmas album. The show is at 8 and is FREE. So come on out and hear some gorgeous music and buy a non-cheesy Christmas CD.
Check out their myspaces to listen to tunes (just search for Sheree Plett or Eisenhauer, then enjoy!)
They are also going to be a part of Pacific Theatre's Christmas Presence and Christmas in the Valley - in Vancouver and Abbotsford. Visit Pacific Theatre's website for tickets.
And congratulations to Schulz for being the first and only male to respond to the last post.
Thanks Shannon for the tips on the template adjustment. I think I'll give it a try. I like the idea of the wraparound title.
I meant to introduce you to my new links. I think that will be in another post.
bye. Aimee |
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| New Look Obviously & Some Thoughts on Males |
So, as you can see I have tried a new look. After years of the same green and yellow dots hummingbird has a new face. And I must say I like it a lot. I was inspired by Avey (one of my new links - see sidebar) and was happy to find a free template that wasn't generic. After installing it I am happy to announce that I figured and fiddled my way to some adjustments in colour and now have it almost how I want it. I would still like some sort of title near the top, so any tips on that would be welcome (Avey, I did email the girl but she never got back to me, oh well)
Thanks for delurking. so crazy to find out who's reading. Most of you I know but there are some of you who I can't even figure out how you got here. And one of you made me laugh - you delurked as anonomous and didn't say your name. That doesn't actually qualify as revealing your identity.
One observation about all 41 comments received so far. Do you see the common thread in all of them? They are all women. I know for a fact that I have male readers. But they aren't announcing themselves. I have some theories as to why this is the case.
1. They know I know they read, so even though they've never commented they don't consider themselves lurkers.
2. They are a little embarrassed that they are men in a woman's world - blogs, atleast in my blog circle, tend to be mostly written and read by females and what would it say about their manhood if they announced their presence here?
3. They don't want to admit that they find mundane details of my life that interesting (what would that do to the stereotype that women are totally into little details whereas guys are more about the big picture - Lance and I have countless laughs over our differences in this area)
4. Maybe they just don't want to comment simply because I asked them to.
Well guys, now maybe you'll never announce yourselves - and that is fine. And maybe there are only three of you afterall. But if you're reading and you know I don't know - as in you've never told me in person that you read - I dare you to comment.
Yeah, that will really work Aimee, just dare them and watch the comments fly in.
Well it was worth a try. Doesn't a girl have a right to know the demographics of her readership?
Enough about that. I should probably go to bed.
Hope you, and I mean all of you, males and females, are well.
Aimee |
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posted by Aimee at 
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