| november joy dare | day 30

three gifts astonishing: 

1. apple crisp: this never happens. i was craving apple crisp all night, and i actually had the ingredients for it!

2. friendship: reminded lately that true friendship always picks up where it left off... that no matter what you go through, or how long you are separated, a true friendship is never lost!

3. joy dares: the fact that i completed this month of joy dares! i never finish anything.

| november joy dare | day twenty nine

three gifts red:

1. my favourite mugs: friends from our last church gave us these when they got a new set, and they hold a mean cup of coffee...

2. the best dishcloth: i randomly bought these from Homesense a few months ago, and they are the BEST cloths I have ever used. they grab everything!

3. betty crocker recipe book: Matt's grandma Shirley gave me this recipe book when we first got married because she was concerned that I couldn't cook. I like to put it on display to remember her.

| november joy dare | day twenty eight

three gifts in community: 

1. our community: i love our area of Saskatoon. it takes 2 minutes to get from my house to work, there are lots of parks, and we are close to Wal Mart (hell on earth, but neccessary).

2. community of students: i love our youth group and the relationships that are building between all of the kids. this is the first year that i am really noticing a sense of community and relationship building. it's awesome.

3. church family: i know i go on and on about our church, but it is truly a blessing to be a part of a community of believers who love one another. i love our church's desire to see people grow in their relationship with God and others. it is my goal as i go forward to build more meaningful and deeper relationships with those around me. church is a blessing!

| life: 28 years later |

28 years later. 

I have looked at myself through the eyes of a 21 year old for... well, 7 years. I think over the last year I have actually started seeing myself for the age that I am, and not the age that I remember being.

This year... has been a big one. Lots of highs and lows, always learning, always failing - but always growing. And with that, comes lots of personal reflection.

I have learned 

that motherhood is hard, and it's easy to judge other parents when you aren't one - or don't live THEIR life.

i don't like shopping as much as i like to impress people. approval addiction. (work in progress)

friends are important. relationships are hard work.

it's o.k to like what i like. even if others don't.

i enjoy having a blog, because i don't feel obligated to use capital letters.

people don't care about me as much i think they do (in a good, "you're not the centre of the universe" kind of way)

how you act, and the choices you make have consequences, and they impact people. for good or bad.

naps are gold. don't take your free time for granted when you have it! ;)

worry. it doesn't add to my life, and it doesn't solve my problems. sooner or later, it all works out... even if it's not the way i had planned. (lesson in progress)

it's important to lighten up. expectations put on myself, other people, situations, etc. are always a doorway to disappointment. sometimes you just gotta let. it. be.

to stop wishing people knew me "back when" and "before this happened" and just let them know me for who I am now, the person that i have become because of those moments.

where I am now is not where I will always be. there is hope. there is growth. life is a journey.

people are crazy. and someone probably finds me crazy, too.

life is too short to not eat the things you want. seriously, eat the freaking cheesecake/candy/chips/chocolate, etc... LETS GO! { in moderation, of course } who am i kidding... i have always been an advocate of this, and not in moderation either. candy is always a good idea. cake is always a good breakfast, and so is pie. 

people in Saskatchewan don't know how to drive. sorry to generalize. but seriously. come on.

the importance of being happy for other people. i struggled with an inferiority complex and wicked jealous streak for years. God does not play favourites, and just because my life isn't like yours, it doesn't mean one is better then the other.

wealth is always moving with the horizon. you can have lots, and still feel limited. "mo money, mo problems!" (yep, i went there) i am blessed and thankful for my needs being met. He always takes care of me.

there IS such thing as gross coffee (I never use to believe it.)

i am not defined by how many friends, followers, and likes I get.

i am defined by how i treat those who i live and interact with, in person.

there is nothing new under the sun.

ministry would be great, if it weren't for the people. love people, but they are complicated, and let's be honest - sometimes hard to get a long with. {and sometimes i AM that person.}

it's important to do what you enjoy - whether career, or hobby - it is miserable to feel unfulfilled.

whatever season you are in, it's only a fragment of time. whether good or bad. remember your mountain tops when you are in the valley - to keep you encouraged. and remember your valley's when you are on the mountain top - to keep you humble.

you can never take too many pictures... especially of your beautifully, handsome, brilliant, charming, sweet, outgoing baby boy! {he definitely takes after his mother}

life starts when you stop trying to figure it out.

and lastly...

days become weeks. weeks become months. months become years. and they are all important. from the laziest day, to the longest year - they are all a part of my story, and they matter. it's important to not worry about what happened yesterday, or what will come of tomorrow. all i have is today.

 First birthday all married and stuff... 22 yrs old. 

 Rockin' a stiff upper lip for my 4th!

 Not happy about the cake at my 2nd b-day.

 :)

| november joy dare | day twenty seven

a gift handmade, held, happy. 

1. baby foot mold.

2. father and son.

3. happiest with him.  

 

| november joy dare | day twenty six

three gifts prepared: 

1. t-shirt screens: this is all i want for my birthday, and Christmas. Preparing them today so I can make them in the next week or so. Look for it in pinspirations! :)

2. foot molds: preparing this for Nana Bombay for Christmas.

3. lights: going to pull out the Christmas decorations today. I'm not putting a lot up, but going to use them for our Elevate Christmas formal, and a possible baby Christmas pic! Stay tuned.

| november joy dare | day twenty five

three gifts ugly beautiful:

1. my home today: love my home it is beautiful, but today... it is ugly due to disaster.

2. birthdays: another year older (sad) but I have lived another year of life (beautiful), and this year has been the best year of my life, because Bennett is here. I still function out of the mindset that I am 20 years old. I kind of stopped looking at myself as being any older at that age... but, sadly, I am 28 in two days. Getting close to the dreaded 3-0. Sigh.

3. Saskatchewan winter: I know I have mentioned this a lot... the winters can be ugly because of the cold, but the snow is so beautiful, and when the sun comes out- it is magical! ha I don't usually use the word magical. Interesting.

| november joy dare | day 24-ish

my OCD and perfectionist personality traits are going crazy over the fact that I forgot to do this yesterday! UGH! I ruined a streak. Oh well. 

three gifts humble: 

1. the disaster: Every once in a while it's good to remind yourself that you can't do it all. I have no desire to do anything but rest this afternoon, and my house is a pig pen! oh well. my sanity is more important, and I can clean later, when I am fully charged. We are all happy.

2. this child: I am humbled to know that God would give me such a good gift. Every day I love him a little bit more, and I didn't think that was possible.

3. my church family: there are so many amazing people at my church. SO humble, caring, genuine, true, loving, Christ-like, merciful, and real. Whenever I think about the gift that God has given us in this church, I thank God, and I am humbled to know that he would place us at Elim in this time. This pic is of my friend Charmaine, with Bennett from today. It's so nice to have other people love on Bennett, especially when we are so far from family. I wish you could hear him shreaking - it was hilarious.

| november joy dare | day twenty three

three gifts only in Christ: 

1. salvation: "for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

2. new life: "this means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

3. steadfast love: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23 

| high five for friday. |

1. Christmas: I set up our small Christmas tree in the corner of our living room, this week. I decided not to bring up all of the Christmas stuff from the basement, because we are going to Ontario on the 17th anyways, and I am not that big of a Christmas decoration person, anyways. Too much work for it to go unappreciated ;)

2. They see him rollin', they hatin': Bennett can roll from back to front, and front to back, now. He often gets stuck and I have to help him out, but it's cute to watch.

3. Nancy: I had a good, long, convo with my oldest and bestest of friends. (I know bestest is not a word.) It was so nice to be reminded how important friendship is. For a long time I have taken her for granted, I have searched high and low for another one like her, (because of distance and years gone by), and it's just not possible. You can't replace family, and she is like a sister to me. I love her dearly, and I am so excited to see her in December.

4. Hair: Gettin' these roots dealt with today. One of my favourite things.

5. Birthday cake: We are celebrating my birthday this weekend, and going to the Keg. I am so excited. I'm also heading out with my co-workers for a girls night, this evening (our version of a Christmas party) Pretty pumped for a weekend of parties!

| november joy dare | day twenty two

A gift grateful:

grateful: warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful

I am so grateful for our home. It is somewhat of a miracle to us that we were able to get into the market here in Saskatoon. 

When we moved here we hadn't sold our home in Belleville, I didn't have a permanent full time job, and having a lot of student loans didn't help either.  

When our home finally did sell in Belleville we didn't end up making any money on it and we had put a lot of money and work into it, to just get it sold. 

A fun fact: Saskatoon is one of the fast growing cities in Canada, and it's real estate market reflects that. It's real estate prices are comparable to Toronto, and for first time home buyers it can be virtually impossible to break into the market here.

Through God, people, and prayer we ended up getting this beautiful home to start a family here. We live in a nice subdivision, lots of parks surrounding us, and I am 2 blocks from my work. I couldn't be happier. 

It was also nice moving into a brand-new place, after buying a dive and attempting to make it nice. I will say that I am anxious to get the basement completed, because all of our baby stuff has taken over the main level - but that will happen in time. It is not neccessary, nor does it being unfinished make me love this place any less. 

First pic: the outside of our place, it's half of a duplex, hence the weird angle! Second pic: the sunset from my bedroom window. It's probably one of my favourite things about living here. Love looking out into the huge green-space. Third pic: It was awesome to hang out in our backyard this summer. We bought our first set of patio furniture, and our friends bought us a fire-pit as a housewarming gift. Can't wait to spend our summer out there, next year. 

| #hashtags. |

Let's be clear. I'm not getting cheesy! I obviously know I can't live without God, my husband, the baby, the bible, etc, etc.

I'm keeping this strictly materialistic.

1. coffee
2. sunggle fabric softener
3. almonds (I panic if I don't have them on hand)
4. my iPhone
5. mascara
6. blush
7. dry shampoo
8. judge judy

bam.
you?

| november joy dare | day twenty one

three gifts family: 

1. The family we are creating: I think it's so sad that Matt, Bennett and I don't have a picture together! Need to get on that...

2. My sister in laws: Love them! So full of knowledge and wisdom, hilarious, and real. We have daily group text messages and they mean so much to me, especially because of the distance.

3. Little siblings: When I was in high school I did NOT think it was that cool to have 2 younger siblings. Hayden was born when I was 15 and Raine, when I was 17. As they get older they are soooo funny. I see so much of myself in them, and I miss them a lot. I am looking forward to seeing them at Christmas.

| november joy dare | day twenty

three gifts of tradition:

I wish I could say that we have a lot of traditions around here... but we don't. I think now that we have Bennett, there will be more of an effort to carry out family traditions, but it is honestly so hard for me to think of 3 right now... I tend to be a very traditional person. I don't like change.

1. turkey dinners: If I am not involved of some sort of holiday turkey meal, I am devestated and depressed.

2. stockings: I LOVE stockings at Christmas. I get so giddy for them.

3. snow: I could do without the cold weather and poor driving conditions, but I love snow at Christmas. There were times in Ontario where you could see green grass on Christmas morning, and it's upsetting.

I don't have any pics for these things right now... and I have had a hectic morning.

| november joy dare | day nineteen

three gifts: autumn.

Let's be honest. It hasn't looked like autumn around here since Thanksgiving weekend. I wish we still had that fall atmosphere.

1. sweaters: love being all cozied up, and covered up.

2. warm drinks: no explanation needed.

3. pumpkin anything: especially pie. mmm.

Bring on the eggnog.

| november joy dare | day eighteen

one gift: made, shared, passed on.

1. made: This photo book was made and given to us by the photographer that has taken all of our family pics over the last year.

2. shared: This home we share, together as a family.

3. passed on: I bought this play mat second hand at Value Village, it was basically brand new - and it has provided this baby with LOTS of entertainment since he was born... and it gives me a break.

| november joy dare | day seventeen

three gifts of laughter:
I decided that I wanted to choose 3 people that make me laugh. When I started thinking about all of the people in my life, it turns out they are all pretty hilarious. Let's face - if you aren't quirky, with a personality, and have a good sense of humour - I don't really hang out with you. I love the weirdos.

1. my husband: I am not sure who finds him more amusing, me or his mom. But, my man has been making me laugh since we met (after I got over that initial, ew, I don't like him, he is arrogant- thing). He has the best sense of humour, and he can make light of any situation. I am usually 50% excited to hear what comes out of his mouth, and 50% nervous... all. the. time.

2. my cousin, Rachelle: you can also call her Rocky, Rafiki, Turd, or Turd Ferguson. Love her. At first the feelings were not mutual. Let's face it, what infant likes when their 7 year old cousin carries them around on their hip, forcing them to wear matching outfits? Most of the time she waddled around with a pout on her face... and then she became a teenager, and we were all good. She has the best sense of humour, will try and make the nastiest faces for pics (even though she still looks beautiful), & is definitely nostaligic like me, so we like to talk about all our fave moments - over, and over... and over again. We also like to be a source of entertainment for her older brother, and my sweet cousin, Eric.

  
3. my brother, Tyler: One of the funniest people I know. He is brilliant. He is so quick with his come-backs, you can always see the wheels turning in his head, & and he can recite the lines from almost any movie - perfectly. I look forward to seeing him at Christmas, and hear some of his one-liners. Even if they are directed at me.

| high five for friday |

 

1. I decided this week to accept it for what it is around here - winter. 

2. Bennett got a little "hands on" training in the ministry last night. 

3. Sven. Oh, Sven! A little "alter ego" of Matt Eagle. Words can not explain how funny I think this whole thing is. "Yah... Olllllllgah!" 

4. Benny decided that we have a new start up time  - and it was early. I am trying not to be bitter. 

5. Hanging out with my good friend, Lisa today! I love her lots & Matt and I love to tease her relentlessly, because she can take it (I appreciate that). Old pic, but I think it's the only one we have together.

 

| november joy dare | day sixteen

three gifts hard eucharisteo: 

1. some seasons are hard: And it's hard to see the purpose when you are in them. But, while you are waiting for your miracle... or answer... or change... we give thanks. We thank God for what we have, while we wait for what is going to give us.
In this pic I was 23. a student. a newly married pastor's wife. unemployed. discouraged. appalled by the thought of motherhood. constantly at battle. struggling. judgemental. bitter. and let's face, irritated by almost everyone I met.

yep, lots of good stuff. 

Between then and now I have gone through lots of tests and trials. Stuff that I hated at the time, but I wouldn't change for anything now. God always knows what He is doing. Little by little He chips at us, transforming us into all that we were made to be.

2. marriage is hard: As one of my Facebook friends put it the other day:

"Marriage: where a malfunctioning printer will erupt a fight between you." Yep.

So. True. I remember the first time Matt and I successful but a bookshelf together, without erupting into a huge bickering match. I am pretty sure we went to DQ to celebrate afterwards... only to get in a fight on the way there, over Matt's driving. Sigh. 

However, there is nobody else that I would rather "do life" with. I love my man. I love the family that I have been married into. I am so blessed to be a Bombay, and I always hope & pray that I do the family name proud. 

3. mom life. it's hard, too:  You know about my Ma struggles! And if you don't, read about them here. 

Or here. 
Or here.
What can I say? It's a daily struggle.
Not only do you have to carry around a second life for 10 months - ah, fun fact, pregnancy is 40 weeks long! - then you have to "help it along" and deliver it. Take care of it. Teach it stuff. Yep, it's lots of work. But - as my friend Stephanie said the other day on Twitter "Kids are hard work - but not a burden!" Isn't that the truth.

For every day that seems so exhausting, I am always ready to get up the next day and do it again... most of the time.

Except today.  I'm tired.

*I wish I could put into words how much work it was to get dressed in all that gear, just to get the mail.

| november joy dare | day fifteen

 | challenged by the blog A Holy Experience to make the attitude of gratitude a habit! |

three gifts golden: 
1. blonde hair: it doesn't matter how long I have been getting my hair done at the salon, every time I go, I still feel like a million bucks! I am glad that after almost 7 years of marriage my husband has learned to go with it, and not say a word... no matter how much it costs.

2. wedding rings: a symbol of the gift that I get to live everyday with my best friend.

3. patience: I was sitting here trying to figure out what my last "gift" would be, when all of a sudden I spilled a whole mug of coffee ALL over me, the couch, my phone & laptop. My ability to remain calm, and not lose my mind at 7:15 in the morning is a big... wait... huge accomplishment.