outside my window.....

this evening we had a gentle snowfall...heavy enough though, to cancel classes at church.

the snow looks so beautiful out our window, that i just had to run outside & snap a couple of pics.

i love how the snow wraps around each branch.
the snowflakes were huge coming down & it was so mild out.
i'm not sure how long this will stay...this winter has been so mild so far, that as soon as it snows, within a few days its all gone.

luuuuvv day.

so today is valentines day.

do you celebrate it?

if you do, how do you remember your loved ones this day?

for me, i guess, i thank God for my family~ actually, i thank Him everyday for giving them to me.

i don't go out & buy him something special, but i try to do the extra special at home for him.
i make him & the kids~b/c this day is for them too ;) a yummy dinner with all the fix'ns.
this year they asked for manicotti with caesar salad, garlic bread & sparkling grape juice.
i haven't made this in a while so this was a huge hit in my house!!

wayne did bring me home a great bottle of wine which is always appreciated by me...i love a good dry, full bodied red like a shiraz or merlot.

i don't need the candy{nor do my hips or waist!!} or the flowers on a day like today.
i appreciate flowers when he gives them to me randomly...no commercial holiday needed for me!
i'd much rather have the hubby & kiddos all around the table enjoying a great meal together, laughing & sharing about our day.

this day is about... loving~
putting others first.
being selfless.
thoughtful.
kind.

this is how we are called to live everyday!

we are born with a lifelong thirst for love.  our hearts desperately need it like our lungs need oxygen. love changes our motivation for living. relationships become meaningful with it and no relationship is successful without it!

love in its truest sense is not based on feelings.
rather, love determines to show thoughtful actions even when there seems to be no reward.
you will never learn to love until you learn to demonstrate kindness.

'do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves'~philippians 2:3

i have by my kitchen window a 'year of daily reminders to lead one's heart' from 'the love dare'{from the movie 'fireproof'}
this was given to me by my bff~luv her b/c she always knows what i need..whether it's an encouraging word or setting me straight or having my back!


so, my friends, when was the last time you spent a few minutes thinking about how you could better understand & demonstrate love to your spouse(or family member/neighbor)? what immediate need can you meet? what's the next event(birthday, anniversary) you could be preparing for? great relationships come from great thinking.

love is thoughtful.


tell the ones near & dear to your heart that you love them. today. tomorrow. everyday.
you don't know what tomorrow holds, so tell them you love them today.

school sports.

our dani girl loves her sports.
being in gr. 11 & with the work load she has, it can sometimes be a juggling act!

last weekend the senior girls volley ball team headed up to bellville which is 3.5 hours north west from where we live.
the quinte christian high school hosted the 'ocssaa' {ontario christian secondary school athletic association} tournament, consisting of 19 ontario christian schools.

since i wasn't able to go with her, she took her own pics with her crappy little camera.
she would update me all weekend with her texts, which was fun.
i could get excited for her here at home, just knowing how they were playing.
and they played their little hearts out!
they came home with silver medals around their necks!!
they played hard in the final game against the host school, but quinte edged them out to win the gold.

awesome playing girls, we're so proud of you!!

when she came home sat night at 11, needless to say she.was.whipped!
then mon right after school, another game in st. catharines

spike dat ball!!

 even being so tired from their long weekend, the team still won the game.
it's going to be busy next week as zone playoffs start.

and while dani's vb season is winding down the elementary boys have just started basket ball.
get this.
levi made the team!!
what's that you say, he's so small though.
well, yes he is.
but this kid is quick and can take the ball down the court pretty good.
he had his first game today.
they lost.
that's ok...they're still learning to play as a team.
sorry, my pics are bad.
that's all i  can say. they're bad.
here they are anyway...

since both schools were in navy jerseys, our boys put on the red pinnies.
you'll notice, well maybe not from these pics, that levi is the smallest on the team.
he did good though!
he made his mama proud :D

my sweet niece just got married this past nov.

i'm bad. i didn't get any pics :(

but check the professional pics on the blog at the side:  
photography by elma or click here

one word....FABULOUS!

if you live in the niagara region and need any photography done, elma's your girl!!

{this obviously isn't one of elma's or mine for that matter, but it's the only one i could get my hands on!}