This week's adventures

Here is us at the library.



And here's Sage in this session of swimming lessons for Sea Turtle.

Today's Scripture Study: D&C 44

This is the piece that spoke to me most:
"5 That your ^aenemies may not have power over you; that you may be preserved in all things; that you may be enabled to keep my laws; that every bond may be broken wherewith the enemy seeketh to destroy my people.

6 Behold, I say unto you, that ye must ^avisit the poor and the needy and administer to their relief, that they may be kept until all things may be done according to my law which ye have received. Amen."

D&C 44: 5-6

In this passage, enemies refer to those things in life that can bring us down. In other words - people, places and things in which I have no control over. The cure or protection is touched upon in the next verse where it talks about visiting the poor and needy. Again, getting out of ourselves and helping others not necessarily takes away the trial but can bring some peace in our life so we are not consumed in our own sorrows. And also it helps us to develop charity, which is the Pure Love of Christ.

Today, I am grateful for the blessings that God continues to pour out in our lives.

My week to Guelph and Toronto(Sick Kids)

Last week was a bit of whirlwind. Like the rest of this year, it has had it's mountains and valleys. And even some middle of the road time. The way I made it through... Prayer, prayer and more prayer.

It'll take a few posts to get up to date. I'll try to work on it as much as I can.

Here is our little Annika last Saturday and Sunday before the surgery.



Sage and his precious little sister. (these videos aren't as crisp as I did them in compact form so I could upload quicker)






At Dragon Fly Park with Jade, Rayne and Sage.





Riverside Park


Sick Kids Hospital was completely amazing. They were exceptional skilled, compassionate and investigative. I can't say enough good things about them. The staff to patient ratio in that unit is 1:1 with a max of 1:2. Once Annika was out of ICU, there was a private room with a built in wall bed, equipped with bathroom, shower and roll away cots also with linens provided for the family. The staff took their time with you with questions and very gentle with our precious little angel. They had countless surveys to complete with research. We are incredibly blessed to be living in this area with Sick Kids having some of the best surgeons and healthcare in the world. (no exageration - people come internationally to Sick Kids) And this all is paid through our taxes and not directly out of pocket. Wonderful I say!

Here is our little Annika after surgery. Difficult to watch her in pain but the staff were attentive in helping her manage it. I praise my Lord for the blessings amongst this huge adversity.

The Train! The Train!

Here's a our trip to the country today and what we found down a dirt road.

Friday already

The week went by very fast. I can't believe it's Friday already. It's been a prayerful day and a half. I had some thoughts that I had been pondering and turned to my church site. www.lds.org

Some great words of encouragement helped yesterday and today. Here is a clip that I watched entitled, "Hope Ya Know, I Had a Hard Time".



That reminded me of our family motto: Good works are the best medicine. It reminded me that the Saviour knows us and what we were are experiencing. The sweet and the bitter.

I was praying this morning, to hear God's will of something that was and still is very much on my mind. I needed to be reminded that I need to get to that quiet space so that I can communicate and HEAR the Lord's responses. I strongly received an impression and direction on what I needed to do. I felt the calm assurance of God's Spirit. The article, Sugar Beets and the Worth of a Soul by President Thomas S. Monson I had read the day before had strong meaning now.

Quote, "He has promised: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88).

Shortly afterward, the opportunity presented itself to express what I needed to. Again, I felt the calm assurance that I can do the Lord's will and I need not worry about the outcome.

My grand-father Frank Lepine words from his personal history remind me that my daily writings are of worth to me and to my family.

This next clip confirms it and lets me deeply know that the Hand of God is in my life.



I love my family so much and I know that with God, all things are possible as He certainly has proven time and again if we submit to His will joyfully and seek the happiness in our life.

Plans for today

Today, I plan to do the laundry as I want to get it down while there's not a ton of humidity.

And we are writing out our plan for our 72 hour Emergency Pack Test trip. It's been almost a year since we fill our 72 kits so it's time to restock it with fresh stuff. Shane and I decided that we would run a with it. So in the early part of August, that is just what we plan to do. We will take our kits and live in the van for 72 hours. We are going to travel around and stay outdoors as much as we can and sleep in there at night. Sounds like a lot of fun and challenge! I'll keep you posted as time goes on and definitely let you know of the outcome.

Our ward is also putting in an order at the Bishop's Storehouse. Awesome deals. Shane our budgeting to get quite a bit of stuff. Especially with wheat at $5.60 for 25lbs! Okey dokey, the little guy has been patient waiting for me so I am off. Have a good day :)

Another day

Nice, sunny morning with a light breeze and 19C. Up again with little Sage last night even though he didn't have a nap but at least he fell back asleep right away each time. It's like having a baby in the house.

Well, it seems that my best time to recap my day is the next morning so here it goes.

As I mentioned the day before, we have been dealing with yucky backed up water. The plumber still hasn't shown up. Shane's ready to look for a new place. There's a call to the health board if he doesn't come today.. uggh I really like living where I am with all the beautiful trees and the park a moment away but I can't have the sink exploding with foul smelling water with debris in it 9x a day. No joke. We counted nine times yesterday.

Sage didn't sleep in the afternoon but we did have some quiet time. I also printed out some summer colouring pictures and took out the tempura paints. He's starting to want to stay with in the lines now as opposed to just colouring indiscriminately. And he's made this progress through his own recognizance. Later, we spent some time outside on the swing. Sage ran around with a stick and was fascinated by the construction workers who were laying new pavement for the parking lot. Later we went to his soccer which he is really loving and since the library is right in the community centre, we picked up The Bernstein Bears, Thomas the Tank and Curious George DVDs. Bedtime was quick after story time as he fell fast asleep.

Got to talk to my boy Austin for a bit. Love him so much. He's looking for work - hope he finds something soon.

Sad news - Rochelle and Mike's dog Champ was just diagnosed with Canine Lymphoma. He's got a month or so. So sad.

Sage's Serenade

Sage was doing a little serenade in the morning.

Our Little Climber at the park.

Our little Hero with his cape!

Climbing the wall and reaching the top!

Yucky Sink and Yesterday's Reflections

Once again, we had yucky, stinky, soapy, dirty water come up our drain in the kitchen. I wish I would have taken a picture of it. Oh well. Shane called Transglobe, our property management. He was pretty forceful about it today with comments about the health board and so on. LOL He usually is fairly quiet about these things but enough is enough. Yuck!

Someone came over fairly quickly which was great. Except I was in the middle of my housework so things were a little disorganized. Funny how that doesn't bother me as much as it use to...

Anyhow, throughout the day yesterday - I was reflecting on my life, the lives of my children, extended family and other families and of course - all the events that have transpired this last year. I thought of why we do the things we do...or don't do.
From my prayers, study and reasoning, I have more or less settled in to the fact that we are who we are. Some of us have natural tendencies to be this way or that regardless or the environment they are nourished in. And yet, we cannot disregard the strong influences that our experiences impact us. Because no one can accurately measure how much nature vs nurture defines us, I subscribe that it is only the Lord that is the ultimate judge of our character. I must therefore seek not to judge others harshly (including myself) and treat all equally. Slow to anger - quick to forgive. This does not mean I need to subject myself or innocents (I am using this as a noun) to harm. But it can help me to view others as the Lord does.

Yesterday was a beautiful summer day again. The morning we were in the south end of London. Shane had a meeting at CNIB which was very brief. Close by was MacDonald's so we took Sage to the play place there for awhile. By the time we got home, it was almost lunch. Sage had a great nap. For supper I made a fresh broccoli casserole. I chopped up a bunch of broccoli, a little onion and tossed it in a can of mushroom soup. I topped it with a crumbled piece of whole wheat bread and a little grated mozzarella. It was very nice. I did very well with my food until the evening when I caved in to one of Shane's BBQ ribs. We had got these large beef ribs on sale next to nothing. It was amazing. I had only one. Sage's day finished with another trip to the park which he loves. Weather was fabulous. Took the dogs and they loved it too.

Shane and I watched a little Project Free TV and then had some lovely chats before sleep.

Last words - Though life has been tumultuous for 2009 - there are still some pretty happy and tender parts of it.

A Return to Healthy Eating

As of late, I am once again feeling like the remorseful addict in the mornings with unspoken comments like, "I'm not going to eat like that again and today is the day!"

Well today is the day. This past year I made an amazing discovery. It all began and was a several month long process. I had been reading the Doctrine and Covenants Section 89 known as the Word of Wisdom. It is the health code of our beliefs as Latter-day Saints. It discusses the limited use of meat which Shane and I have been diligently attempting this last year and a half. However, upon closer inspection, I found my answer. Because the directions are so broad, if one searches, you can find direction on your particular needs.

For me, what spoke very loud and clearly - that what was going to help with my compulsive eating and digestive issues was to Strive to Eat Vegan Most Often. I did a test if you will in February/March. I was in Guelph for 3 weeks helping Jocelyn's boyfriend Corey's grandfather that is in a nursing home while Corey's mom - Rose was taking a vacation in Scotland. While I was in Guelph, I stayed for most of my visit with my good vegan friend, Janette. For the next 3 weeks, I ate completely vegan. I felt fantastic. My digestive issues were almost completely absent except for a day that I had an emotional upset that brought one on. My cravings for excess food were also non-existent.

So that was my amazing discovery. My conclusion to feel better and have some weight-loss was to Strive to Eat Vegan Most Often. Once I was home it was more difficult but most of the time I have been eating Vegetarian most often. Except as I stated at the beginning of this post, which has not been so. And I am feeling it.

This morning I woke up with a firmer resolve as I mentioned that I was feeling yucky. And it's been a good start. After working out some details with Shane, we agreed that at least for now, he is welcome to join me in whatever I am having but any meat foods is his domain.

SO FOR TODAY: I WILL STRIVE TO EAT VEGAN MOST OFTEN!

Though not everything that I am subscribing to; below is portions of an article on Yahoo, that sealed my inspiration today. It also has a nice pasta dish recipe below that can be made vegetarian too by leaving out the fish.

"7 words that will change the way you eat

Posted Fri, Jul 10, 2009

Canadian celeb chef Michael Smith says there are just seven words he follows when it comes to healthy eating: eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

The motto comes from Michael Pollan's book 'Omnivores Dilemma' and it's one of the only guidelines Smith follows when it comes to preparing balanced meals.

"The media gives out contradictory nutritional information, says Smith. "Every week there's something you should eat, and something you shouldn't eat, and sometimes it's the same thing. It's very confusing "...

Smith is part of growing trend in Canada to return to locally produced food. ...

"When you know the story behind what you cook, it becomes personal," Smith says. "It's not just about the products, it's about the connections."...

"All of the major food problems we face - obesity, nutrition, sustainability - are a result of us taking food for granted," says Smith. "Buying locally is one of the easiest ways to be a good neighbour."...

And how can you do your best in the kitchen? "Unrealistic expectations are put upon people when it comes to cooking," Smith says. "The kitchen can be a friendly place. So set aside stresses, relax and make your kitchen your sanctuary."

If you want to whip up a truly simple, delicious and relaxing meal in your sanctuary, try Michael's amazing smoked salmon with pasta and simple lemon dill cream cheese sauce.

Smoked salmon with pasta and simple lemon dill cream cheese sauce...

1 lb penne or your favourite shaped pasta like bowties, long pastas like spaghetti don't work as well
1 cup room temperature cream cheese
1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 heaping spoonful of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup capers
8 ounces smoked salmon, or more
sprinkled sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Season it liberally with salt until tastes like a day at the beach on Prince Edward Island. As the pasta cooks it will absorb the salted water and become properly seasoned. Cook al dente, until the pasta is cooked through but still pleasantly chewy.

Scoop out some of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta but not quite all the way. Leave it a bit wet. Toss the pasta back into the pot along with a splash or two of the reserved water, perhaps a half-cup or so in total then immediately add the rest of the ingredients. While the pasta is still steaming hot it will easily melt the cream cheese and form a rich creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately."

Sunday, our Sabbath

Today was a really good day and I am glad that I am getting the hang of organizing my posts a little better. Sage slept much better last night with only waking up briefly and then he feel back to sleep quickly. He did wake up early but at least it was light outside. A couple nights back, I was up for 3.5 hours or more with him. I spent the morning hanging with the boys (Sage and Shane :) Then it was a quick dash as I realized that it was close to leave for church. We were picking up some people investigating the church who were Napalese (orginally from Napal). Church went really well also. With our meeting time change, 2 weeks ago was a bit of a nightmare. We now meet at 12:30pm with sacrament as the last meeting. Usually, Sage as well as others are sleeping at this time. However, it went great and Sage pulled it off with flying colours :) :) I noticed that many of the other children, though worn out were settling into our new routine too. And the talks were really good. I pulled out items on how we deal with trials. Young Sr Pilling and Br Ramsey shared some heartfelt stories.

We do now start with Nursery which Sage absolutely loves!

We also completed our wills this morning and they will be signed in a couple weeks. I had differing responses from family but it is reassuring that when we pass on that details of our passing and disposal of our worldly possessions will be outlined so that our family can focus on their mourning and each other instead. (at least that is the plan LOL)

After supper, we headed to the park below the hill to burn some energy in Sage and ended with a bath and our usually bed-time story routine. Even though he was obviously tired, it took a good half hour for him to fall asleep. He appeared in a sound sleep but 5minutes after my exit, he was up crying. Poor little guy. Hope this is going to be a good night.

Just a note on the park. It's great the way Sage is engaging in self play and playing with other children. Our neighbour is a young black girl. Her parents are new Canadians but I am not sure from where. Anyways, Sage and her were playing tag which was nice. There are a lot of new Canadians here in London and in particular our neighbourhood that attend the park. I love to people watch. There was a black man and his 2 boys that would come close to the play structure and then leave. All the while, they were looking towards the ground. I mentioned to Shane this curiosity and eventually he came close and asked if we saw keys as he had lost his. Mystery solved.

A Nice Fun Day at Home

Yesterday afternoon started off with putting together Sage's Caillou puzzle a number of times. He so enjoys it. We had his pool out and he was playing with his toys. Such nice weather for it. We finished off the evening with making a Superman cape for Sage and a fun pillow fight. I had also a video of the pillow fight but I realized after that it was too big to put on here.

Sage's Soccer and Swimming Pics

Here are some pictures and a video of Sage's Swimming Lessons in July. He had a lot of fun and met new friends Aleesha and Hunter. And there is a pretty wild looking cloud there too. There is a picture of the BBQ we organized with his swim class. And some shots and a video of his soccer! (Still trying to get the hang of this posting thing)