at the end of the day...

My house looks like a mess. Playroom with 2 out of 3 not ready for bed.
The kitchen with dirty dishes.

The living room usually is worse then this (clothes strewn on the floor or shoes, and the covers are more off than on the couches)

But as 7pm approaches the kids are in bed leaving me to do dishes...

...tydy the living room...

...fold laundry, and clean up toys.

Yes. I do this every night (Sabbath being the exception).
But now it is quiet and I can read, and relax in a fairly clean atmosphere...:)

this week...

...was Jett's last week of classes. Unbelievable. Of course, we are still looking at a study week, and then his exams and then a month and a bit of more studying for licensing and trials on June 23rd. But, with regards to actual classes, they are over. If everything goes well, and the Presbytery is satisfied on June 23rd, Jett, Lord willing, would become a probationer. I'm learning about this system you know. I have been brought up somewhat under the church but never did I fully understand the steps (if I can call it that) of a student for the ministry. So, I make mistakes, and say the wrong thing and feel very silly but anywho I learn in the long run (I hope!).

On another note, Aaron has betaken himself to "good" reading already! ;) I'm not being serious, but it was cute to see him take ALL the FP & YP magazines off the shelf and "read" them.

My ever growing girl! She is definitely a little princess...no tomboy here (thankfully!).

She is finally interesting herself in making tea for me... :) oh but she didn't want to be in the pic, so Aaron had his go at it...notice the cow in his hand :D

I laughed sooo hard seeing this...

I also tried to get a upclose shot of his curly lashes...he is the only one that has them. No wonder Effie (Campbell) says he could pass as a girl!

Quite enjoying his morning bottle.

What are you living for?

Just a few thoughts I typed down...nothing orderly but that is because of time restraints. :)

I was listening to a sermon online last night (as I usually do on a Prayer meeting night)…the content was on the love of Christ which was really good (of course). In the sermon the minister also spoke about how in the Reformation times (and other times) it was a “killing time” a time that people died for Christ, rather than deny Him. But we do not live in those times, it is a “living time”…but, are we living for Christ just as they in the past had died for Him?

So easily we live for ourselves, and for our pleasures. Some of my readers may only be living for themselves, jumping from one pleasure to another…but they find little satisfaction. Amazing really, how one keeps searching for satisfaction in everything else but they never look to Christ for it because He is not appealing to them and yet the fountain of satisfaction and true happiness is found in Him! That baffles me greatly, although it shouldn’t as I know that our hearts are blinded by nature.

And too often there are things to take away our time that should not be there. And wow, we live in such a day that is pumping out these time-wasters, and distractions…and unfortunately it works very well. Moderation is a very good thing, but is hard to keep by if all we see is immoderation!! And impossible too if we are relying on ourselves. How I like simplicity!

Our chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Are we glorifying God in our everyday lives? Are we being conformed to Christ, becoming like Christ?

Please remember that when I write these kinds of posts, I am not pointing fingers at anyone in particular. This is mainly for my own benefit so if I am pointing, let it be at myself. E.S.

Cake, Photoshoot and cheerios

First cheerios...I feel bad for not trying it out sooner, but I've had too many episodes with the previous 2 children with gagging on these things...but he ate them quite well and enjoyed them too.

Ah chocolate cake...:) with a wee star in the middle (I got bored :D)

And photoshoot first attempt...

Hahaha one of my favourites for Owen's expression

Pretty close!

*sigh*

Photoshoot attempt 2... One of the oldest (this was actually last due to Owen wanting down)

Some success?

I give up.

Or not?

Not this one...

So...thats all for now...and now I go to fold clothes yippie!

Breakfast Burritos

I don't usually post these kinds of posts but I was in the mood of being "out of the ordinary"...so, this is our breakfast on weekends and on days I want to surprise Jett.

What you need:

• 2 eggs (for one person)
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, & onion powder
• Tortillas
• Sour cream
• Salsa (or Picante sauce if your in the South US)
• cheese :D
• Chopped cooked potato (optional)
• fried chopped onion (optional)

So just like you would make scrambled eggs, do the same thing adding the spices, and onion and potato (if your including those). And fry in a pan...

Layer on a warmed up tortilla...cheese, salsa/picante and sour cream...mmm something mexican for breakfast yummy!!

Once eggs are done layer the eggs on top and fold...

and voila, a delicious breakfast burrito... :)

I'll post again later D.V. with a small photo shoot I did of the kids...some are okay, but none of them turned out just right... :S But for not I need to do Amy's hair. :)

I remember now

I was going to say that we've had to increase Amelia's medication for her seizures. We were noticing probably around the beginning of this year funny things. Then these "funny things" got more frequent, nothing drastic mind you, but still odd...anyways, that's all to say about her condition. We are STILL waiting for her DNA results...and its been a year now?! :)

a little clip of our Psalm singing Saturday

And then I forgot to video more!! :(

we believe in...

...Child Labour :D

But seriously she likes doing this!

Ah yes, I wanted to update this days ago, but for some reason time seems to be in fast paced mode…well at times. J It has been a Springy week in the sense it is raining again. But we needed it, for no sooner had it started then the flowers (well some of them) began to grow and some are blooming too. The birds are singing their beautiful songs…but it is still cold, infact colder than last week I think. But Spring is here, and what follows but Summer all being well?

So Ev what have you been up to?

• - Sewing quilt tops, and using a skirt to make an apron (a neat idea I came up with this morning)
• - Recording Sabbath Day stories for the children, and doing some secular stories as well
• - Being extremely tired. I can’t help but worry if I have mono again, but then again I always fear I have it if I’m slightly overtired. Perhaps I’m fighting a bug or something.
• - Getting excited about my mom’s possible (ok very possible) trip to Scotland.
• - The usual house hold duties
• - Teaching Aaron his numbers, shapes and colours. He can’t say their names but he can point to most of the items if you ask him to (numbers are still a difficult one for him)
• - Getting hopeless over Owen’s eczema. Today he again tore at his cheek and now it is left with bloody scratch marks… :’(
• - Baby wearing again lol! Only for walks, or when Owen’s been fussy and refuses to go to sleep oh I did this for Aaron one night too, for some reason it tends to calm them. Thank you Steph!
• - Get excited over Jett’s classes…only 2 weeks of actual class, then one to study and then his exams unbelievable really.
• - ooh I forgot my last thing that I was going to mention!

When I got the sleepy wrap Owen was sleeping and I was too excited to wait for him so I used Aaron as the test subject.

Even Daddies can wear these... isn't this one cute?

Two handome boys...

Ah ha! a peek at what I've been sewing...

A bird caught out of the kitchen window therefore glare I think!

Went for a walk last week...

Hi Jett! :)

A chocolate beard (sort of)...he gets a white one when he eats tuna lol, and probably a reddish one when he eats something with spaghetti sauce.

All right, have to clean up the above man after his lunch which was NOT "chocolate toast". :)

for Julia

I had recorded this a while back when a letter came in the mail for Amy...soo I'm finally getting it up here for Julia to see ;) Will post later...uhm, hopefully!

an update finally -sorry this is long

A proper update from the Smith family is long overdue...so here I go endeavouring to fill you in on some details of life here!

Jett has gone through a couple of very busy weeks, but things have calmed down somewhat. He has to go to Larne next weekend I think, but at least after that he has a week off (sort of) . He'll fill that with studying and preparing for sermons to be sure!

But he has made two walks with me in a weeks time and that is great! I can't walk with all 3 in the double stroller anymore because Owen has grown soo much...this just means less walks, if any now. :( Amy needs to learn how to walk instead of always riding but it is hard to train a 3 yr old while still managing the other two in the stroller...very difficult. Ah well.

So this is how we did it today :)

I feel like everyday is just a wake-up-and-drag-my-feet-around kind of day...oh, I do go to bed early, at least by 10pm...but Master Owen likes to awake at about 2, or 3, or 4am for a bottle!! Aaron did something similar I think when he was this age. And then comes his crankiness and protest of being put back in cot, so we give up and let him in our bed but still he is fussy...and wow he is loud!! Well, last night Jett burped him properly (I've been too tired to do so previous nights and figure ahh he is older so maybe he doesn't need it anymore...oh dear) and guess what he did! The little screamer settled much better, though still not in his cot, but at least I got a better restful sleep! Yes, I feel dumb...if this is the cause of all those distressful nights!! I guess we'll be burping him properly from now on.

Owen is no longer allowed to do this unless supervised.

Why? Because today he did this to a chair and after he shook the chair it finally gave way and fell on him!! Yes, a cut just above his lip and just below his nose and a big bruise inside his mouth...poor kid!

And speaking of him he has been quite the trouble lately, and I feel very bad for him! His eczema is just as bad as ever, and nothing is *really* helping him. I have been giving him a bath every day now, because I do notice that afterwards his skin looks less irritated and he doesn't scratch as he normally does (I'm using a soap substitute and then aveeno bath oil - I really like that stuff! and then aveeno cream after his bath). I suppose if he is just as bad or worse by monday I'll have to take him in...it is hard to see blood on the babes sheets or blankets because of scratching himself in the night!

Speaking of trouble, isn't this a good way to keep babies "out" when your trying to read a book?? I had such a laugh at this!!

My sweet Aaron is becoming our placid child I think. I at first thought he was a little Jeremy in disguise, but he isn't like that anymore, he is sooo calm! Owen I think is like Jay, hyperactive and ready to move! He even tackles his older brother if he has the chance!

Oh, and they swapped highchairs...lol, Aaron liked Owen's laidback highchair (hahaha fits his personality), and I rather liked Aaron's for Owen because it kept him nice and straight for his feeds.

Oooh I love my boys...oh did you notice I cut his hair? I thought he would look awful with short hair but he is actually even cuter!!

Oh...thats the end of my photos. aww :( I was actually having fun putting captions on them, not that they were much good anyways!

So, in other news, we are planning on hosting an informal Psalm singing afternoon at the Perth manse Sat, March 20th. I'm looking forward to this. It's nice to visit but it's also nice to have something to do while you visit...not every time but for once in awhile I think.

Aaron can recognize the letters, A,B,C,D,E,M,O,P,T,U,V there may be others I just haven't tested him on all of them yet...great for just learning these thanks to a Brainy Baby dvd! I wonder if the ones on colours and shapes are any good...hmm! Oh and he won't stop singing this song...it used to be very annoying especially if he woke up in the middle of the night and started singing it!! He is now moved in Amy's bedroom...:D

And I can't think of anything else...oh, only 5 weeks of classes left (not including his one week off, and his study week for the exams)! Can you believe it?! He has been telling me what he has been studying, such as the cults (i.e. Russellites, Mormons etc) and the RC church...very interesting. I was shocked when he told me that the people in the RC church pay for their mass!! Perhaps I heard it before, but it really clued in this time. Ah, what a blessing and priviledge to be in the church that is filled with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

And so, I must really get ready for the Sabbath tomorrow. Till next time D.V.