| Project Life |

I have made a resolution to not make a resolution this year -- weird, I know.  But my theory behind it is that I always fail at my resolutions..I can't remember anytime that they have ever taken root and actually happened.

Example: Last year I made a resolution to document our years {with kids} into multiple albums I have owned for 7 years {I bought them with this plan in mind}, I have moved these albums through three houses and two renovations and they are still empty.

So in my quest to not resolute my resolutions, I'm going to complete {and admit my failure from last year & 5 other years! LOL} I'm going to take a good kick at the can and document our lives.

This isn't going to be costly, I already have the page protectors, plenty of papers, the albums & anything that I may need to produce these 6 albums.

I have seen "project life" albums {that's the brand name for this specific way of documenting aka: scrapbooking} I LOVE the way they look...but..I don't want to invest in papers, pockets, washi tape if I'm not 100% committed to it.

I have also seen friends who just print off a few photos every month and keep them in an envelope and on New Years day they do up a two page spread of their whole year.  I LOVE this idea too...and initially I thought I could do this...

Yeah RIGHT!!!  What was I thinking!?!  I take blinking photos of everything! I enjoy documenting our lives through photos, my boys {all three} LOVE to look through albums and re-live our adventures. I adore digital life, but truly my heart belongs to paper...list writing, journal keeping, photo albums, worn pages of my favorite books...there is just something about holding it in your hands.

So this is what I've done thus far; I've organized the year in photos..hokey stink that's A LOT of work!  I had over 10,000 photos from 2013 alone.  Ridiculous!

But I did it and now I'm compiling them onto 12x12 sheets to be printed. I will add some journal details on scrap paper once I get them back from the printers.  

 So here, since I've sucked at keeping up on my blog for the past year I will just post my project life pages here...Here is our trip to Hawaii in three pages:

| New Year // BE |

2013 has gone with the wind, just like that it was here and now it's gone.  Sometimes it's sad it goes so fast...those rich moments fade, other times I'm thankful that the cheap moments flee just as quickly. 

 | 2014 |

 You're a blank canvas

You have potential and yet are still unknown

You bring promise and new beginnings 

 Along with all that you bring fear of the unknown and unrest of what is yet to come. 

See, I know we have not been promised anything.  We just need to have faith. We trust. We stand guard and prepare for what we think is to come, but at the end of the day we just have faith.  That faith can overwhelm everything else.  So with that I will rest. 

I will just BE

2014 // I will just BE 

I will be free to be me, free to love Him, free to love unconditionally & be loved unconditionally.

- - - 

Back a few weeks before Christmas I was watching Ellen, I'm not a huge fan of Katy Perry but she was on Ellen and was actually dressed, so I watched. 

What came next absolutely astounded me. I saw a young beautiful broken girl singing, not just any song but a song about unconditional love. 

There is conditions on everything in life. That's part of this whole deal, but Christ is unconditional with His love for us.  So when I first heard this song it brought tears running down my cheeks.  I didn't hear it with ears of a worldly love but of a love from the Father to his daughter.

I hadn't heard this song before this version on Ellen...that may be why it made it so obvious to me as to the intention of the song -- my mind wasn't comparing the way it sounded on the radio etc. I just heard the story of the song.  

I'm worthy of His love and that it's unconditional. 

I sat with tears streaming from my face to my heart at a new revelation of His love for me, for you, for Katy.

It's my hope that this year, this fresh 2014 is filled with unconditional love from our Father, that He reveals His love on a new level; that there are no strings, no stipulations but just unconditional love felt in every aspect of your life and that you're able to slow down and revel in that love.  

Accept it.  Accept Him.  And just BE

{here is the song clip from Ellen, please listen then read the lyrics as if God was writing it to you}

"Unconditionally"
Oh no, did I get too close?
Oh, did I almost see what's really on the inside?
All your insecurities
All the dirty laundry
Never made me blink one time
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally
Come just as you are to me
Don't need apologies
Know that you are worthy
I'll take your bad days with your good
Walk through the storm I would
I do it all because I love you, I love you
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally
So open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart
Acceptance is the key to be
To be truly free
Will you do the same for me?
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
And there is no fear now
Let go and just be free
'Cause I will love you unconditionally (oh yeah)
I will love you (unconditionally)
I will love you
I will love you unconditionally 

- - -

Much Love, 

{XoXo}

| Keep my eyes above the waves |

Today is a normal Wednesday, make beds, pack bags, kids to school, pay bills, get groceries, lunch with friends..nothing special or exceptional. 

Except that I've been listening to this song on Itunes for the past 24 hours {yes, I'm one of those!}. 

Back when I chatted about purpose here I spoke of the waves coming and pulling you one way to the next.  I don't have life figured out, I'm just a girl trying to figure out what Father God desires for my life.  

Where my passions lye and what He has in store for me and my boys. 

I'm preparing my heart for change if He so chooses or for things to stay the same, but whatever it be may it be in His will with His blessing and protection. 

I hope you can grab a cuppa something and take a few moments to dwell in Him while you listen to this song.  Praying it touches you as it has me.  

You call me out upon the waters.
The Great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find you in the mystery;
In oceans deep my faith will stand.

So I will call upon your name
And keep my eyes above the waves.
When oceans rise my soul
Will rest in your embrace,
For I am yours and you are mine.

Your Grace abounds in the deepest waters.
Your Sovereign hand will be my guide.
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me;
You've never failed
And you won't stop now.

So I will call upon your name
And keep my eyes above the waves.
When oceans rise my soul
Will rest in your embrace,
For I am yours and you are mine.

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders.
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever you would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my saviour.

I will call upon your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in your embrace
I am yours and you are mine.

Much Love to you lovelies! 

{XoXo} 

| Purpose \\ In Motherhood |

In life we all have purpose.  As a Mom that is a constantly changing thing.

Some days my purpose is to do laundry, clean toilets, fill the tummy of my hungry family.

Some days my purpose is to hug & cuddle my littles, some days it's less about the "stuff" that makes up life but more about the people.

Some days my purpose is to dream; to be a visionary..for my family, for my God, for me... 

Most days I wear all three types of hats...some days {ok, who am I kidding..most days!} I don't look pretty wearing all these hats!  That's a fact!  It's a tough tough gig people!

I do find that this is one of the most difficult things as a Mom, to constantly be changing hats taking one off to put another one on.  I like consistency, I like there to be a pattern...the same isn't boring, it's dependable!  I like dependable and I function much better when things are steady and normal.

*Disclaimer!!  If you're reading this and you're not yet a Mom and you think you would like to be a Mom but also love your own schedule without having to constantly be dealing with changing tides....I would highly recommend you reconsider becoming a parent.  It's the most self-less role you will ever play; I'm just sayin'!*

Changing tides, when you're swimming in the ocean you have be watching for the next wave and for the pull or push that it may have on you.  This is what being a Mom is like.  You can be sure that there is going to be a push or pull for something other than what you're doing right now.  The kids like the tide will push or pull you in one way or another...this is good, this is what being a Mom is all about.

Being a Mom is like swimming in the ocean, it's lovely and great until you get caught in the rip tide and it can surely rip you a new one if you're not ready for it!  

All this being said, being a Mom is worth every frustrating & exhilarating moment and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Today I've sat down and taken a deep breath and let the laundry pile sit at the end of the bed while I took time for myself...I'll get the laundry done, I'll get dinner made and I'll get my hugs in with all my boys but today when I had an hour that I could have been catching up wearing my "home-maker hat" I took time for myself and refreshed my heart and set my mind on my purpose.

Here is my day in photos 

1. Me wearing a new necklace a gift from my neighbor 

2. My freshly updated flower pots

3. Alphabet cookies, fresh cut flowers and a sweet little hand ready to do home reading

4. My feet taking time to rest and refresh

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty"

Psalm 91

Hope y'all have had a great day and had time to rest in His shelter.  Take a moment out of the race to rest in Him! 

{XoXo}

| Lately // A catch up post |

Good Morning All {all of those who may or may not be still reading this - HA!} either way I'm still here, I'm trying to get caught up on some things around my home and this blog is on that list. 

At any rate we all gots to start somewhere so here I am! 

We've been home from our trip to Maui for one week today and since then life has taken over and we've been going non-stop.

I love life and all that it contains, but sometimes I just want to stop and smell the lilacs {especially since they are in season here}.

Here are some snipits of what we have been up to since we came home...

1. Cherry blossoms in full bloom

2. Cole & I on our way to a field trip

3. Veggie prep for the week

4. Unpacking // ugh, need I say more!?!

5. Beautiful lilacs

6. She Loves conference 

7. Play date and walk through Fort Langley

8. Bloomin' 

9. Summer is almost here and the boys are wearing hats and shorts to school! 

I've started working on a re-cap of our trip to Hawaii but I'm trying to get them in scrapbook order so I can do it all at one time...I'm still working on my project life project which between everything else is so much work!  But I'm going to get it done sooner than later so I can be caught up for 2014. 

Hope you all are well and enjoying this season...I've got a few things blooming in my heart that I'm gonna share, just need to collect my thoughts ;-) 

{XoXo}

| Chaos |

This is what my kitchen looks like after school {post tornado children!} I know it doesn't look like chaos but to me in the rush of homecoming, homework, reading & dinner prep it feels terribly out of control! 

 Just in case you can't see what I'm talking about here is a run down of what I see/feel in this photo: 

1. Bags yet to be unpacked from school

2. Dishes to be put away 

3. Middle of deep cleaning the stove top 

4. Chicken that has to miraculously be made into dinner

5. My semi-warm semi-cold coffee 

6. Laundry in mid fold

7. My clothes that have yet to make it to my room

8. Laundry basket filled with hangers & clothes that need fixing {my children walk on their knees dontchaknow!}

  I know it could be much worse, but in my mind & the way it makes me feel is that it's chaos!

I don't know why I'm sharing this, my home is to be lived in and is a working home I just want to be real with all of you lovely ones...it's not always the photo of perfection, there are things that make me feel like a rotten housewife and mama.  But that condemnation doesn't come from the Lord! 

So I'm thankful for time to get everything re-set and the endurance to sort/fold/clean/organize all of my nagging jobs that as a "home executive" get pushed onto my plate. 

I've been watching bits and pieces of American Idol this season and I watched Angela Miller's performance the other night and it brought me to tears {hope the link works!} It just reminds me that I'm not alone in this race we call life and that He gives me courage, strengthens me and gives me a life set apart...isn't that a great reminder!?!?!

: Here are the lyrics :

You find me here alone
I hear a voice that’s so unknown  
It strikes courage up my backbone  
Strengthen my heart  
A life set apart  
I see that’s what you are  
You come, you come with open arms  
And you say “I love you for who you are”  
When I was haunted and alone  
With this baggage on my back dragging me down  
You set me free  
You set me free  
You set me free

Here's to a great weekend ahead and getting lots of time in as a family! 

{XoXo}

: Today :

We have had a crazy week, all of us caught a bad cold and we've been trying to fight it off.  Mr. L stayed home from work for two days which was nice but I've been trying to catch up on rest and that doesn't really work when you're a Mama to busy little boys and when life is full!  

So today the littlest and I are hanging out with a pile of pillows and his favorite stuffies

I'll be doing less lounging on the pillows than him but it's sure nice to just be home with no plans to go out except to walk to pick up the biggest boy from school this afternoon. 

Enjoy your day Lovelies! 

Oh, and if you're wanting to get on your home organization binder here is the link to mine that I posted last Summer with all the links to the {free} printable pages :: Enjoy! 

{XoXo}

: Instagram Friday :

Happy Friday Lovelies!!! I just have a few short minutes to post so this is going to be brief.  

On mother's day {which we actually celebrate on Saturday for me and Sunday for our Marm & Mum} I got a lovely surprise of a new phone.  My phone was dead, dying, almost gone and I had continually complained to the Mr. about how stupid my phone was acting.  He didn't seem to care.  

Does he not know that his families well-being was based off of me having a reliable working phone!?!?! {just kidding}

Anyway, on Friday night I was out at Walmart...Walmart has NO reception, so I told him I would text him when I was on my way home.  I tried to text; failed to go through, I tried to call; went straight to our carriers help line. What is happening here!!?!?  So frustrated I walked through the door choked that my dumb phone was again not working!  

I check my emails online, there is an email from Icloud {insert natural blond here} -- I say to him "what is Icloud" he says "I think it's a thing to do with the Iphone, what did you sign up for now!?!" I say "nothing!" then I think, think, think, oh yeah I may have signed up to win a new Ipad -- "there you go" he says, "now they think you're a customer and you're going to be on their mailing list getting junk emails all the time!" -- feeling sorry for my no phone self and dumb about falling for a "sign up and you'll win" scheme...I go to bed. 

In the morning he leaves the room to check on the boys in the play room and comes back to cuddle with me {this is typical of a Saturday morning} a few minutes later there was a quacking duck under my pillows..I look at him, he looks at me.  I'm like, "what's that" -- then I clue in...lifting the pillow to find a brand spanking new phone!  I was stunned!  I had asked for hanging baskets for mothers day...but a new phone will have to do ;)  

Here is the first photo I took with my new phone:

 

 Now comes the obsession with Instagram.  I don't really Facebook -- I'm a "liker" on Facebook, I scan it, I "like" other peoples status' and update my profile photo, that's about it!  I don't do twitter, I really only do my blog, well not anymore!!!  Instagram is the perfect outlet for me the one always capturing beauty or moments in photos.  I LOVE it! 

So here's a sampling of my Instagram this week:

* * * 

: Cole registering for Kindergarten, not so sure about this! :

  

: New necklace :

 : busy in the office :: wedding season :

 : Beckham :

 : eldest and youngest :

 : these three things I love :

 : spring beauty :

 : family en-route shot :

 : bloom :

 : rainy afternoon :

 : heading state side :

 : spring in bloom :

 : it's a love/hate thing :

 : top knot :

 : fresh free flowers :: LOVE :

 There we are, if you have an Instagram account and want to follow me I'm Shawnalad -- I'm off to get the biggest boy from school and then off for a date night tonight.  

Gonna be a great weekend filled with sunshine, gardening and hopefully some baking! 

Happy day Lovelies! 

{XoXo}

: Where have I been? :

Okay, maybe you haven't missed me as much as I've missed posting. But it's been a crazy few days {okay, week!} and I'm still in the thick of it.

I've been up to my woo-hoo in cake making, this is just one of the special orders I had for this past weekend, I'm currently working on cake no. 3 in the past 5 days.
I got lost in our closet for a full 8 hours - it was a horrendous mess and I was so sick of it not being organized {only due to me being lazy and not putting things back in their appropriate spots} -- but now that it's organized and one jumbo bag of clothes is off to good will, I feel that I'll be able to keep up the new found organization.
We celebrated the first day of Spring break with a stop at Tim Hortons for a sprinkle doughnut for the boys..after Tims we drove to Starbucks for a coffee for me..I'm SO not a Tim Hortons coffee girl. Give me my Starbucks!
I've been working on a rather in depth surprise project that is finally completed today -- I'll be thankful to deliver this surprise and carry on with life ;)
Had an absolutely fabulous night out with Tawn @ Lady Antebellum last night, such a great show, can't even express it! We sat down for one song out of their whole play list. It was a BLAST!
Because I missed writing about this last week, here is last weeks "52 weeks of blessing"
This one was a hum-dinger last week -- God had specifically been asking me to do something and I was basically lazy {& a little stubborn} and didn't listen. What He had asked me to do was not difficult or expensive, I was just being a brat. So then He puts it on my heart to do something that costs more and is more out of my way then what He was asking me to do before, but this time I did it and it was good to be obedient to His prompting. I have to say lovelies, this was probably my most difficult one to do thus far.

Anyway, I have a friend who was going away on a 6 hour flight so I picked her up a few items for her flight: a magazine, some snacks & sugar free sweets and delivered it to her house the day before she left on vacation.There ya go, that's what I've been up to -- we also hosted 2 dinner parties over the weekend, went to church and attended another birthday in the City. Mix all that into everyday life and no school for the kids, makes for one busy Mama...but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Have a lovely Tuesday everyone, I hope to be back with 'What I love Wednesday' tomorrow. But if I'm not, don't fear, I'm probably just cooked into one of my cakes or something, sure to rise to the top again ;)

{XoXo}

: Rite of Passage :

I talk about the "rite of passage" often.

It comes in different forms at different times in our lives.


Here are some of the ones I've experienced...

I can remember when I was 18 working full time downtown while living in the valley, dating Mr. L, I remember having "NO" time & being "SO" busy and I had "NO" money {HA!} but I didn't really have any expenses either...figure that out! That is a rite of passage - I was a girlfriend.

Mr. L & I got engaged and I thought it was going to be this dreamy lovely delightful time, IT WAS NOT! It was a short amount of time crammed with decisions, expectations and frustrations. At one point during our engagement I even threw my ring at Mr. L in the street...yeah, dreamy hey!?! That is a rite of passage - I was engaged.

We got married and I thought we would have so much time, I would be Mrs. homemaker and I could do things my way -- it was MY house. Um, yeah..not so much. My new husband and I had our first fight over the fact that I was taking control of everything and our home was NOT my bedroom in my parents home. It was OUR home and the way I was running it was not giving him space to enjoy it. OY! That is a rite of passage - I was a wife.

Then we get pregnant with our first bebe and again there are expectations and unexpected changes that nobody tells you about. Yes, it's a joy, yes it's one of the greatest things in life if not the greatest thing. But that greatest thing doesn't come without HUGE sacrifice. That is a rite of passage - I was pregnant.

You raise those kids and send them off to school prepared with what you hope are ground rules for life to find out that your kid {you know one of the greatest gifts, that one} punched another person in school. Nice. That is yet another rite of passage - I was a mom.

Remember those days when you were "SO BUSY & SO TIRED" they don't even compare to the type of exhaustion you feel once your a parent responsible for teaching your kids the right way, teaching them about God and living through Him, feeding them in every way {spiritually, physically, emotionally}, helping them turn tough lessons in life into learning experiences, feeding their bodies not just their tummies...the list goes on forever it seems. I laugh at the time I stayed home all day with my little guys, sure it was hard but the demand of having kids in school is so much more exhausting - it's a constant juggle of time vs. chores...I don't even know how moms that work do all of it! This is all a rite of passage - I am a washed up mother.

I now watch my parents and my in-laws running around trying to assist their kids {us} with taking care of their grandchildren, in between having a life for themselves and dealing with ailing parents..I have yet to experience this rite of passage but I know it's sure to come.

You can't write a book with all the "rites of passage" for life that's why they are "RITES OF PASSAGE" You have to walk through it yourself -- just remember that whatever place in time you are at, someone has come through it and has survived it; you can too!

Of course all of these moments in time and rites of passage obviously had their joys, major joys and most of the time that is what I remember. But life isn't perfect, change hurts and rites of passage are just that, CHANGE!

Try enjoy the moment you're in -- you may be in a time where everything you have known is changing think back to all the other "rites of passage" that you have gone through thus far and just know that it's going to level out and you'll have overcome another rite of passage. After all isn't that what life is all about!?!?

That's all that's on my mind for today Lovelies -- I'm off for coffee with a friend and a day at home, should be a good day!

{XoXo}

: Weekend Recap :

We had a great weekend around these parts...we had our first dusting of snow for 2012 and it was sure welcomed from around here! I LOVE snow, I love that it makes you slow down, that life seems quieter and simpler - all in all, I have no complaints about snow!
So on Saturday after the big dump of snow on Friday night, the boys woke up SO excited to head out in the snow and Mr. L happily obliged by building them their first "Frosty" in this house.Pretty cute little {ahem, not so little at 5ft 9 inches} Frosty -- the poor little guy now has a mean lean going on from the sun beating down on him for most of the day on Sunday...but as of right now he's still standing; leaning ;) Saturday afternoon we headed into the city to celebrate our niece's 4th birthday -- it was a beautiful afternoon for a drive into the city {as pictured in the first photo}. We enjoyed some great food and had a fun time celebrating the little princess. It's always great to catch up with Michael's family as we don't see them as much as we'd like.Sunday we went to church and had a great time of worship, I love that we have a church that feels like family to us. We've been through our fair share of hardship as a church but I truly feel blessed to call it my home. I look around during the service and I see faces of love and comfort; the faces of family - SO blessed!

Sunday after church we all came home for a rest -- once the boys got up we bundled them up and sent them outside to play while Mr. L {and I} installed the new faucet we purchased from Lowes on the way into the city on Saturday...isn't she lovely!?!?


Here is the old faucet, worked like a charm just wasn't as esthetically pleasing ;) She wasn't cheap but since we're installing a new sink in the suite and it needed a faucet we decided to put our faucet downstairs and install a new one for us...just shy of $200 it's the only change {other than paint} that we'll be doing in our kitchen for a couple years, so it was worth it! Did you see the cute little succulent on my window sill? I bought it from Ikea for $3 and transplanted it into one of my old glass candle jars from Ikea {you know the ones that you buy with the candle wax already poured into} -- they are great little glasses and clean up like a charm -makes for a cute little holder for my succulent, and since you can kill succulents by over watering it's a great way to ensure the soil stays dry! On Monday the streets were less than ideal for driving so Mr. L stayed home and we declared it a "snow day" at our house. The boys had new paint projects to work on, fresh snow to play in and lots of Christmas puzzles to complete.
Mr. L and I worked. He on advertisements and me on cupboard organizing and finishing up a few projects I had on the go...twas a great way to spend our snow day!But alas, we're back at it today, the snow is still here but a little someone needed to go back to school and the littler one needed to be registered for Kindergarten! Oy Vey!
So off I go to attack another corner of our home and to finish up the new load of laundry piled high on my mud room floor!

Hope you all have a lovely of loveliest Tuesdays!

{XoXo}