Sing A New Song

Missy Girl Jianna has been fooling around with Michael's guitar a lot lately, and also works away at the piano periodically.

She sings at the top of her lungs through out her (lengthy) showers and practices her hip hop moves when she thinks I am not watching.

Today, she tried her hand at a new aspect of musical creativity.

 Jianna penned her first song, found below. She is now trying to put the words to music which Michael has offered to help her with.

I am not sure what the final out come will be, ( she is 6 after all), but she is very serious about her song writing.

I was surprised to discover where her little mind and heart take her through the melodies in her head. Then again, this child has always been full of surprises!

(I left her spelling faux pas in as the song is hers completely...I think you will figure it out though)

Music Song

Jianna Piers

Someones right beside me
I think it's the wish I finnley found
someones right there helpping me out of this situation
I think it might be the friend I finnley found
Yah...
I think it's God
He's helping me
I know He's rilly helping me!
I know it's Him.
Yah yah yah yah

A Beautiful Gift

We're back and we had an AMAZING Holiday!

My hubby had chosen this Cruise as a gift to me to celebrate our first 19 years together, and it turned out to be such a precious gift.

We had time to kick back and relax, see new places, eat and eat and eat some more, soak up the sun, SHOP, laugh with friends and simply enjoy each other.

It was good, and so needed.

Thanks Baby for awesome memories...

Standing in front of our ship "Valor" in the Bahamas

St Thomas, our second destination, we shopped here and enjoyed the lush scenery

Rhonda and I in front of the "girly condos" beside the Atlantis resort in Nassau

Aren't they so pretty? Reminded me of mints.

Our guys at the Atlantis...they were more interested in the huge yachts then the girly condos

Police man directing traffic in the Bahamas

WE enjoyed our dining room experiences on the ship

The colors of the Caribbean were such a delight to the senses....even on the buildings.

I was amazed with what the chefs on the cruise were able to create 

with food as their artistic medium.

Everything from simple food, to the chocolate buffet (above), to the Art pictured below was amazing!

The watermelon chief was part of the Midnight Buffet, to his right, (your left), the flowers were all formed from vegetables...mostly potatoes.

Look closely at this musical trio...the bodies were cooked chickens, with fruit and vegetables carved to form their embellishments. Aren't they great?

During the galley tour, we got the privilege of seeing how a few thousand people are fed wonderful, hot, beautifully presented food every night. One pastry chef even taught me an easy way to make gum paste roses for desserts, then gave me the one he was working on.

Service and attention to detail were incredible.

Sunset from our balcony our last eve at sea...I loved being surrounded by my beloved ocean, being rocked to sleep at night with it's gentle rock.

(trying to walk in heels through a crowded dining room while the wind and ocean tried to knock me on my bottom was quite a different experience though...less like a graceful lady and more like a drunken sailor!)

A Very Cool Dream

Ok, this was way too cool to not share before I go.

Today at school, one of the groups of girls that I visit with daily, stopped me in the hall.

One of the girls had a dream she wanted to tell me.

I have known this girl since last year, and had some good chats. She not only wears a mask, but a whole "costume" of being a tough, non caring girl, but I tease her and tell her that she is really an old softy with a big heart.

She told me she had a really weird dream and I was in it.

There was a big party, and "everyone" was there, (the whole school, basically).

"Kids were getting smashed and stoned....really bad, they were getting sick and some were dying"

I was really getting worried that she would tell me I was part of this party scene or something.

She said I was there helping people, checking to see if they were OK, making sure they were not choking on their vomit. Telling them it would be OK.

Later, we were in one of their cars and they were driving me home. My home was this "Huge house in the sky", with a long ladder that I used to climb up to it.

I thought it was pretty cool coming from a student and even went so far as to exclaim,"Cool, I have a mansion in Heaven!"

I so wanted to say a whole lot more, but didn't want to freak this girl and her friends out.

God is speaking, whether they know it is Him or not!

Something Light

I am spending this week busily packing the kids to go to 4 different homes, the dog for the kennel and myself for the Sunny Caribbean....so, I figured I'd join in Holly's fun, for a quick blog post:

Just for fun

Where is your cell phone?  On a table in my room
Your hair colour? Dark Blond...but will have much lighter highlights by tomorrow night
Your mother? lives with Jesus
Your father? lives by the Ocean
Your favorite thing? hugs and kisses
Your dream last night? didn't sleep well, so can't remember
Your dream goal? To have a huge house by the ocean...with room for friends to come
The room you're in? living room
Your hobby (hobbies)? reading, baking...once in a blue moon, painting
Your fear? try to avoid it
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Living my dream goal

Where were you last night?getting my hair cut and running errands for the cruise...eventually bed
What you're not? In my 30s anymore
One of your wish-list items? to have my living room furniture (an heirloom from my mom), refinished
Where you grew up? Nova Scotia...my home and native land
The last thing you did? cleaned up from supper
What are you wearing?brown cords, light brown tank, aqua sweater and birthday jewellery to match
Your TV? is in the rec room and shared by all 6 of us
Your pet? Queen Kallie, (golden doodle), at my feet...King Tut, (Maria's cat)...gone stealth, probably her bed
Your computer? A Mac Notebook...birthday gift from hubby last year
Your mood? pretty tired...didn't sleep well, started to nap with hubby, but it was time to get supper on the table...maybe a little wistful about the nap..lack of!
Missing someone? Every Day
Your car? is still a dream...some cute little, completely impractical, convertible
Something you're not wearing? Men's Underwear!!!
Favourite shop? Anytime Any where!!!!
Your summer? A time to throw routines to the wind!
Love someone? Many
Your favourite colour? Forever Pink
When is the last time you laughed? A few minutes ago, with my girls...Jianna was being silly
When is the last time you cried? A week ago, I came close and probably should have...before that, when I grieved "baby C". I will cry when I watch my kids in the Santa parade, but I don't cry easily at sad stuff. One of my Quirks.

Such A Special Heart

It was early in the day, we had finished eating breakfast together...just the two of us.

I settled in to enjoy my morning cup of Red Rose and she decided on one last little something to fill up her belly before school.

The fridge closed and she came to me with red rimmed eyes.

"Mommy, did I do something that hurt your feelings?"

She began to cry in earnest, and my mind raced through the hour she had been up.

Had I answered something too quickly or sharply?

Was she wanting me to stay with her and decide on her final snack?

I couldn't think of a thing that might have brought this on.

I held her and asked what she thought she might have done.

Through her tears, she told me she couldn't really explain.

I asked her if it was this morning.

It was this morning and yesterday

Eventually, she choked out her concerns,

"Did I hurt your feelings because I was so happy to be going to Janaia's house when you go away?"

"Oh Jianna! I am THRILLED that you will be happy and not missing mommy too much..."

It took some time to be sure she understood that I was happy for her, and would have more fun on my cruise if I knew she was VERY, VERY happy.

I felt the bitter sweet tug on my own heart, to know that at 6 she would put aside her own happiness out of concern for me....to be quick to acknowledge another's feelings

I pray that I would have a heart that is sensitive to others the way that Jianna's heart was to me today.

Choices

Life is full of choices.

Everyday we are faced with many, many choices.

Some of our choices will be great, some, may cause us setbacks, hardship or even pain.

This afternoon, I am thinking about 2 students that I had chats with today.

I know I don't have the full story on either of these students, yet I can't help make comparisons.

Two very different conversations, yet my basic advice was the same.

To one, it was an admonition to work hard and start making better choices.

To the other, it was an encouragement to continue to work hard and continue to make good decisions.

One student I know very little about, but I know he is connected with his family and has been given repeated chances to make a fresh start. He has been given every possible opportunity to get an education and to prepare himself for an honest life.

In spite of all of the breaks, he seems to have repeatedly taken the "easy" road, and has now at 16, closed the doors to being educated in at least 2 different cities' school boards.

The other student is a young girl who has been in foster care from the age of 7, she is about to change homes for over the 20th time. She has lost touch with all of her biological siblings and parents...it would seem she has not been given very many opportunities at all in life. 

In fact, it would seem, she has been robbed of many.

This girl refuses to be another "stat", she has great goals and seems to be a hard worker. She has refused the easy road, even when it has been handed to her.

She has challenged herself beyond what she thought she could do...and she is making it.

As we spoke, and she shared her dreams with me, some pretty big ones that she had down sized somewhat, but even still, dreams that I would be proud to have a daughter of mine pursue.

I encouraged this girl to pursue her "adjusted dream", as it seemed more attainable to her, but to not let go of the original dream, because with the experience she would gain in her pursuits, she could line herself up very favorably to attain her BIG dream should it still be a desire.

If that remains her dream...I have a real strong feeling, she will attain it.

So what is the difference between these two students?

I am sure there are many, but the one that will make all the difference?

CHOICES

It's a little cliche, but so true, taking what ever life throws our way and choosing to use it as a stumbling block or a stepping stone...

Personally, I want to choose stepping stones!

Come What May

Mark and I watched this movie yesterday on line and are planning to purchase this DVD.

The story line deals with doing what's right, no matter the consequences.

The bulk of the story centers around the beginning of life debate, with some poignant and effective arguments being made.

I know these very issues are discussed by our kids at the high school level and what I love about this movie, is that though it is created by Christians and set in a christian college; that is not the vocal basis of the debates. It is not the usual quoting of scriptures to those who don't even acknowledge the Bible as truth. It is about sifting through the rolls of science, the justice system and what is beyond their scope. It is about using sound arguments from cases that set precedence within the Supreme Court.

Woven in and around the core story, are a number of others including a marriage that is all but disintegrated, largely due to neglect and differing life views. A beautiful Love story of not only finding your soul mate, and abstinence but also of preserving the heart.

There are other subtle and not so subtle messages as well.

I also love that this movie is done well, it is a first film done by a group of home schoolers, but let me tell you, there is nothing in the quality of the film that would announce that as such.

You can watch the entire movie in segments here and if it strikes a chord with you may want to consider buying a copy, particularly if you have a chance to show it within a church, small group setting,  youth group, or possibly a debate group.