Cool Weather

It's so nice to have some cool weather after the sudden heat wave - 97 degrees while we were working in the yard on Saturday. Now it's cool and a bit rainy. Wonderful.

Hope

Sometimes I feel pretty hopeless, I don't think that I have ever totally lost hope though. There is a glimmer. I cling to it.

Baby Naps

I love Jude so much, I love to be with him and play and see him grow and change. I also love it when he takes a nap - I get some "me" time, time to work, time to catch up on things. I listen to him breath and stir on the baby monitor while I go about my stuff. I also know it's good for him, healthy. I also love it when he wakes up and I can go pull him out of his crib and he gives me a big hug.

Les Schwab

Gosh, I love these guys. You buy tires from them once and it's a purchase that keeps on giving! Screws in the tire, they'll patch it and fix for free. Swap out your snow tires - free. It's quick and easy and they even have free popcorn while you wait.

Apples

Crisp, fresh, juicy apples.

Music

I love music - so many different genres and styles. Rock, dance, techno, classical, reggae, pop, gospel, blues, country, folk, americana, jazz, acid jazz, rap, hip hop, alternative, 50s, 60s, 80s... You get the idea. I was listening the radio in the car the other day, a country station because a friend of mine is a dj so I was just checking it out. There was a song that came on and it was great - it's the reason I love country music...

Daddy's been a back-row Baptist, With his share of front-row sin.
His Saturday night still on his breathe, Every Sunday when he'd walk in.
He's never led the Benediction, He's never sang in the choir.
But he's an angel with no halo, An' one wing in the fire.

Mamma lives by the Bible, The Bible lives by the bed.
An' she's lied alone so many nights, With scriptures in her head.
Prayin': "Good Lord, just be with him, "I know his Faith is tired,
"But he's an angel with no halo, "An' one wing in the fire."

"An' I know he lives a little left of livin' right, "An he's come close to goin' way to far a few times. "But I'd trade a thousand prayers if just one prayer would come true: "Lord, please believe in him, like I believe in you."
Daddy's always been there for me, From T-Ball to touchdowns.
Fixed my car an' fixed my heart, When they've been broken down.
I know he calls for more forgiveness, Than most folks do require,
But he's an angel with no halo, An' one wing in the fire.

An' I know he lives a little left of livin' right, An he's come close to goin' way to far a few times. But I'd trade a thousand prayers if just one prayer would come true:
Lord, please believe in him, like I believe in you.
Well, I just can't imagine, What Heaven might be like. If me an' Mamma make it,
Without Daddy by our side.
Lord, could you please remember, When it's time to call us higher:
That he's an angel with no halo, An' one wing in the fire.

Trent Tomlinson

Music moves like nothing else - to raise our hopes, to comfort us, to inspire, and it can drag us down (sometimes in a good way) - there are albums that I can only listen to sparingly as they speak too clearly to my melancholic heart.

Thank You God for the gift of music.

Cameras

I love that I can capture so many moments of our life on film and video. I can share it with others, I can go back and see what has happened, I can rejoice in the blessings we have. Cameras help me to express my creativity, they help me to work, they help me to communicate. Love them!

Jesse Cyrus Taylor Smith

Jesse turned 1 today. His is an amazing story and journey and I am so thankful that he joined our family a year ago today. He is heaps of fun - he's brought joy and fulfillment to his parents and to the rest of our family. He's a beautiful boy; happy, healthy and full of life. Love him so much. Thank You God for this wonderful person that You brought into our lives.

Anticipation

I love to look forward to things. I was thinking recently about someone I know, who seems to look forward to very little - life is full of negative things and therefore, only more negative things are going to happen. This person has no hope. I am thankful that I do have hope for big things and for little things. Something that I am excited about today is a trip to Tacoma to celebrate upcoming birthdays - Jesse, Uncle Dan, Dad and Jude all have birthdays in April so we are going to celebrate them all this weekend. I am looking forward to being with my family and marking these momentous events together. I love to anticipate things, that excitement inside that something different is going to happen. Fun, fun, fun.

Helium Balloons

I have a new appreciation for helium balloons. Jude loves them. They are incredibly distracting and fun for him. They keep him amused while I'm changing his diapers. He loves to eat them, and bat them. Personally, I think they are quite fun too. It's not much, but I do love them!

Crisp Spring Days

What a beautiful day today. Colin, Jude and I went for walk around our neighbourhood. We set out for a park and ended up taking a rather circuitous route, but it was lovely. We also discovered a lovely little park that actually had swings for little ones like Jude. Anyway, it was just wonderful to be out in the sunshine, with crisp air and soft breezes. I am so thankful for this amazing weather, I'm thankful for these changing seasons, this wonderful movement in life. Sweet.

Water

I love water. Water is good. I love drinking water, listening to water, seeing water, being in water. Oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, pools. Love 'em all. Right now I'm especially thinking about drinking water because I am thirsty. I am thankful that I have fresh, clean drinking water available to me whenever I want it. Cheers!

Colin John Blackett

Today is our 9 year anniversary. We've lived in 3 different countries - multiple times for two of them. We've lived in seven different abodes. We've gone to school together, we've ministered together, we've worked together and we are raising a son together. We have a lot of fun together - we are well-suited in many ways, we make each other laugh. In many other ways we are so different and it has been tough as we have talked and cried and fought and not talked and started talking again. We understand each other more and more and yet, we find new things about each other to be baffled at. We do love each other though and one of the things that I love so much about Colin is that I don't doubt his love, his faithfulness, his loyalty and I don't doubt that Colin will stay with me, will partner with me no matter what life throws at us. I am thankful for my friend, my lover, my partner.

Oranges

Sweet, juicy, succulent. Orange have to be just right for me, but the right ones make my day. I have an amazing batch right now. Everything that an orange should be. Fruit is the best!

Overcast Days

I love being indoors on an overcast day - I feel all cozy and warm when I look outside. Of course, I love being outside on an overcast day as well - walking in the wind, bundled up against the chill. I think that just as sunny days evoke emotions, cloudy days do too and not necessarily negative emotions. I feel more poetic, dramatic and daring on cloudy days.

Light Switches

Ok - so Jude and I spent atleast 20 minutes today turning the light switch on, turning the light switch off, turning the light switch on, turning the light switch off...you get the picture. Anyway, for one thing, light switches are just plain handy, for another, it's so amazing to see all these things that we take for granted through the eyes of a child. What a wonder to be able to flip a switch and this wonderful, glowing orb lights up. So that's why today, I love light switches.

Toast

I love toast. What is it about taking a plain piece of bread and applying heat to both sides that transforms it from bread to TOAST? The flavour changes, the texture, yummy! Add to that, the fact the Jude loves toast too and what's not to love. I love toast on it's own, toast with a myriad of toppings, I love toasted sandwiches, sigh... I'm thankful that I have bread and that I can toast it!

Baby Monitors

I am thankful today for a modern wonder called a baby monitor. It means that Jude can sleep peacefully in his room while I work away downstairs and yet I can still hear him when he stirs. Love it!