A Dad's love

Today Brent came home with flowers (it's valentines) my heart melted when I looked at who they were for. Audrey. His princess. 

Seeing the man he is, how he loves his babies and what a kind gentle hearted father he, is simply the best gift I could ever receive for myself and my babies. 

He loves Audrey and Beckham in the sweetest most sincere way I have ever seen a father love their child. I am so proud of the Father he is. I love seeing him take them on dates, adventures and investing in them.

I came from a broken home so I never experienced this kind of relationship with a father. It's something I always longed for as well. Someone who made me feel worthwhile, valued, cherished, and took an interest in my heart and who I was. Someone who cheered for me in sports, someone who showed me how I deserved to be treated and who cared about having a relationship with me. 

Don't get me wrong. I was raised well. I just had a lot of desires in my heart. I think that is why I fell for Brent. I think that is why I continue to fall for him and respect him more and more with each passing year.

He is the kindest, wisest, hardworking, loving, gentle, ambitious, caring, respectable, sweetest, genuine man I have known. Marrying him was simply the best choice I ever made! 

Seeing how much he cares for our children is so endearing. My heart warms instantaneously. The daily wrestling and chasing is never annoying (even when it's wild...and it does get wild), watching them snuggle and 'chat' is the sweetest thing I have experienced, watching him invest time into developing a genuine relationship with them and sincerely caring about how their day was is just beautiful. I really couldn't ask for a better daddy for my babies. Audrey and Beckham are so blessed to have a man that cares so immensely and I hope that one day they can look back and know that their parents are there biggest fans.

Audrey just 'glowed' all day after Brent brought her some beautiful flowers. She spent most of the day telling us how much she loved them and smelling them (they didn't smell) haha.

I hope that beckham will see how a man is supposed to treat a woman and model that in the future and I pray that Audrey sees that she is treasured and deserves to be treasured and cherished by a man. 

Trampolines and Sprains

So I went 'trampolining' with my girlfriend Joanna. We went to a place called 'extreme air park' the entire place and a million trampolines. Well apparently I'm not as young as I thought. I landed really bad on my ankle. I tried to walk it off. Even tried to just keep jumping. Oh mercy.

Let's just say I could barely drive home. Brent had to carry me to bed. My ankle doubled in size then it turned purple. It was yucky. I had to get x-rays and everything to rule our fractures. 

They said that the x-rays made it hard to tell if there was a fracture because of all the swelling...I don't really understand how it correlates but ok. Anyways 90% sure it's a sprain. I'll take that. Especially since in 7 days we leave on vacation!!!

Valentines

So everything was a hit! Well besides the pink eggs. Haha I totally toned it down as well. We only had strawberries and pink eggs for breakfast. The pink eggs freaked beckham out haha. I guess it's slightly unnatural. We had quite a hoot though. They especially loved the little mailboxes. So now I'm going to curl up on the couch with my chocolate babies and watch a cartoon, because that's how we roll this morning. 

Preschool valentine party

This lil spunky princess wanted to give everyone some sassy kisses this valentines day.

She was so excited to give all her friends her valentine cards and treats. She was doing special valentine dancing all day to celebrate as well. Love this cheaky monkey!!!

No more thumbs!

We are trying to conquer this thumb sucking. Socks, safety pins, tape over the pins...and stickers to bribe her to keep them on...perhaps also the bribery of saying if she keeps them on she can also have a treat in the morning.

She has been injuring her thumb by sucking it to much...and let's face it she is 3...it needs to end.

Wish us luck!!

Valentines Prep

Ok. Hi, my name is Sheena. I love celebrating everything...besides valentines. I'm talking I never have liked it. Even as a teen-I never gave into the hoopla. I married a man. A wonderful man. He is a fan of valentines. Every year I do something sweet for him (small), we have a fondu and cuddle and call it a lovely valentines. 

We now have babies. I really don't want them to be tainted from my disdain for the commercialization. I feel like we demonstrate daily love for each other. We don't just hold out to show each other love on valentines day. So here I go...I'm giving in to the commercialization and letting them experience it and develop there own feelings for the holiday.

It was almost liberating, letting go of my opinions and stubbornness. 

So here we go. 

They will wake up to.

-a handful of chocolate (who wants wild babies early in the morning) a handful is adequate 

-socks 

-undies

-love notes from mom&dad

-felts

-a 'placemat' that is educational

-a mailbox I can use throughout the year to write them sweet notes or leave little treats.

Ok, I hear you. Functional things. Not crap that will be broken by the end of the day or thrown out. Undies and socks will become a big part of or valentines tradition. Who doesn't need a few more pairs of undies or socks.

Tomorrow morning we will have a pink breakfast.

-pink eggs

-pink fruit

-pink pancakes

Cheers to my first festive valentines day. Brent secretly grins at my hypocrisy

Valentines

Audrey wrote all her valentines for her little friends and was very proud. I can't believe my sweet little 3 year old can write her name! Proud mama moment! 

Impending '30'

Brent's turning 30 in June!

I turn thirty in just over 3 years!

Gasp!

We are closer to 30 then 25 that's for sure! 

Lately I've been feeling old. Boring. Old. Boring old. 

I'm not scared of turning 30. I don't think the age 30 defines me. I for sure feel totally content in all we have accomplished and the stage we are at. 

I feel like the right way to describe it is I have a very adventuresome free spirit but this stage of life is a whole different kind of adventure. This last 5 years has had logs of changes in this free spirits body, mind and soul.

My first

-Stretch marks (from each babies...strangely the left hip sports my stretch marks from Audrey and my right hip from beckham

-wrinkles on my forehead 

-sense of fear if something would happen to Brent or I. (Turned into impromptu life insurance within 48 hours)

-sense of fear when on adventures (took Brent flying for his birthday and realized I am not the fearless free spirit I used to be)

-outgrowing my jeans from grade 10 in not the good way...I ain't growing taller. Oh mercy. 

-my life isn't just my life. My life is a constant role modelling to my babies...I am no longer just accountable to myself.

So my new haircut and color may make me feel young and trendy (as pictured below) but I'm realizing my soul isn't the soul of the 'A-typical 26 year old' I am totally ok with that as well. 

So when I pronounce 'I feel old' it's not simply because I love going to bed before 10pm...it's more then that. Jesus has given me so much in the last 5 years. Maybe I just have a 'old' soul. In a good way. The stage of life and contentment isn't the same as most other 26 year olds. I'm in a different place then anyone else in my 'peer age' my peer group has jumped years ahead. 

-strengthened and deepened my relationship with Jesus. I've really learned and grown in my faith. It's not just my faith because I've been told to believe it a million times but instead because I have a personal relationship with Him

-He's given me a husband who I can sincerely say is my best friend. Who I can sincerely say that I respect love and admire. 

-He's given me two children who take my breath away in a good way daily. Who have taught me to be selfless, humble and gentle.

-He's given us a church to call home and raise our children in

-He's given us a home to call our own and make memories in.

-He's given me real friends. Not just friends for the good times. Friends I can cry with laugh with and walk through real life. It's something I always wanted growing up. Real friends. Genuine honest open and raw real friendship. (bizarre? Maybe I'll write about it a different day)

I'm going to embrace this 'I feel old stage' I'm going to 'tweak it' and label it differently. 

It's really more like... I feel blessed beyond the years that I am. I never would have imagined the life God would have gave me. I truly wouldn't change anything (ok, maybe my pregnancies because maybe that secret not so secret ache for another child still resonates in my heart). Beyond that though I am sincerely greatful and humbled every day for the small simple thing that I get to do. (Maybe not folding laundry)...it slaughters me. 

Cheers to another year feeling older.

Another year feeling blessed beyond my years. Grateful for all those that are I'm my life and who I love. 

'Audrey'

Audrey has been wanting to make valentines for her friends this year (for months) seems like she's a little like mommy in the sense that she gets excited about things far in advance. I love her fierce little personality-she's a go getter!

I told her how we have to write our names on valentines. She really wanted to learn how to write her name. (Grandma and Grandpa Converse) were gone for almost all over January. We thought that it would be special to learn to write her name while they are gone. It gave her a timeline to work towards.

Well she surpassed her timeline by quite a bit! She did it and has proceeded to also learning how to write many other letters!!! She's such a little all star! At 3 she is rocking 'writing' 'abc's' and 'sounds' so proud of her!!! 

'Two'

While Audrey is in preschool my time with my sweet boy usually involves errands, special dates and errands hehe. I took Prada to petsmart to get groomed (cutting her nails is a death sentence...better them then us *wink wink*) 

Into petsmart we go, he's such a good little boy especially when it's just me and him. We has 15 mins to pickup Audrey. Beckham really wanted to go look at the fish. My morning with him had been 'selfish' and 'efficient' not a lot of time for fun. 

As Beckham proceeded to chant...'fish fish fish mom fish fish fish...' I saw it as an opportunity. Sometimes 'no' seems so easy. Lately I have been trying to say 'yes whenever possible' it's a hard one when you're juggling a million things. I just had been feeling really heavy. Like my babies are having their day filled with the word 'no' when they really weren't asking for much. 

So beckham and I proceeded to go down and look at the fish. Every tank he pointed excitedly and said 'fish fish fish mom...fish!' The time was ticking and instead of ending it right there I texted my sweet girlfriend to sign Audrey out and that I'd meet her on the playground a couple mins late (we sometimes do this for one another as we usually play at the park after preschool).

Beckham looked at me and said 'my fish?' And his tone was clear. He was asking if he could take it home. I felt almost like Jesus was nudging my heart. Had he pointed to the $15 fish I might have said no. He wasn't though...the fish he chose was the .19 cent feeder fish. Aka the fish that would become another animals food. 

I looked at him and said,  'sure honey, you choose one.' He looked and looked and chose one...(the tank prob had 80-90 fish haha). I told him to tell the lady he chose one...sure enough he went and told the lady. God bless her heart. She was so sweet to him. She got his exact fish out. The exact fish...exact .19 cent fish swimming among 90. Oh he was so excited.

He said 'fish fish fish fish fish' all the way to the car. I asked him what he wanted to name the fish. (I had thought I would help him.) NOPE he has a name all picked. 'Two!!!' He exclaimed. 

So now we have a fish. A fish that sometimes gets poked when I'm not watching. A fish that is overly loved. I figured better to be pestered by toddlers then eaten alive...right? His life isn't so bad right?

They feed him...love him...ask to hold him (hahhaha)...I say 'no' don't worry.

2014. A year of as many 'yes' moments I can muster. A year of innocent moments treasured forever.

A day passes so fast with nothing meaningful so easily. I'm learning that by simply saying yes I'm able to indulge in meaningful ways that really are obtainable. Life isn't about the extravagance it's about the simple moments. I'm treasuring each and every 'yes moment' I can muster. 

Keeping me honest

While approaching a yellow light today Audrey from the back seat bellowed...'MOM-eeeeeee...yellow means slow down...not go FAST!'

I couldn't help but giggle. I have my own personal police officer in my backseat. Such monkey. Safety first! Such a smart cookie