Here is Love

I was reminded of this song yesterday and just had to post the lyrics. Bear sang it at our wedding and it will always be a favorite of mine. I can still hear his rich voice booming out the words.

Here is love vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of life, our ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven’s eternal days

On the Mount of Crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And Heaven’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love

Let us all His love accepting
Love Him ever all our days
Let us seek His Kingdom only
And our lives be to His praise
He alone shall be our glory
Nothing in the world we see
He has cleansed and sanctified us
He Himself has set us free

In His truth He does direct me
By His Spirit through His Word
And His grace my need is meeting
As I trust in Him, my Lord
All His fullness He is pouring
In His love and power in me
Without measure
Full and boundless
As I yield myself to Thee

Sisters

"umm...no blog post since monday?!?!?!" (to quote my sister-in-law) Okay Kim, dedicating this one to you!

Yesterday I was have a very crabby day. No particular reason, just one of those days where I was not happy. Kim and I stay logged in to chat all day (her from her work computer..shhhhhh) and periodically I'll sit down at the computer and chat throughout the day. Okay, periodically is an understatement. We probably spend WAY too much time talking via chat. I'm pretty sure my brother thinks we do. :) Since I just have this desktop to operate from our chat time HAS diminished. Some.  Anyhoo...so I'm venting to her yesterday about being crabby for no apparent reason, and she determined I needed a little retail therapy. Now, when you've cyber shopped with someone for as long as we have, you have it down! The kids and Jerem WERE in need of a little wardrobe update. So I tackled Paige, she got Anson and away we went. Sending links back and forth until I found what I wanted. Then we had to look for coupon codes, and of course make sure I was getting my 10% cash back from shop at home. I was exhausted by the time I was done. :) Okay, not really. (Just a disclaimer for you day care parents that might be reading this. I WAS watching  your children while this was going on. :) )

Later that afternoon I was commenting on how I had no idea what to blog about for the day because I was having a hard time coming out of my funk and finding something to be happy about.  She jokingly said I should blog about our daily chats. Bingo! We practically single handedly (is that a word?)  planned their entire wedding via chat. WITHOUT Pinterest too! We're always motivating each other to go workout, or finding recipes that will ruin our working out. We've schemed about how to see each other more often, and pulled each other into the trap of online shopping when we shouldn't. :)  She truly is a bright spot in my day. I am so thankful I have another sister that I am so close to. I sure do wish we lived closer, (as in them moving closer THIS way, I love it up here too much to move THAT way). I am glad we have the conveniences of modern technology to bring us together the way that it has. Even if it DOES keep me from getting some work done. :)

I just don't feel right ending this post without talking about another sister. My older sister. We have become so close in the last few years and I am so thankful for that. I have a hard time chatting with her, via computer anyway. Probably because we are so used to hearing each others voices. We tried cutting back on minutes and going to computer contact. That lasted for about a week. She calls at least every other day, sometimes daily. And we talk..well..until my phone dies. The difference viral chatting vs telephone chatting is when I'm on the phone I CAN'T SIT STILL. So I'm constantly moving around and working while we're talking. I like to tease her that she calls at the perfect times, usually just when I'm feeling guilty for not getting some work done.  I can't imagine a week going by without hearing her voice. Sorry Tash, I know I just made you cry. :)

Thank you Lord for a couple of wonderful sisters that brighten up each and every day of mine.

To have a loving relationship with a sister is not simply to have a buddy or confident - it is to have a soul mate for life.

Monday Monday

Why do we dread Mondays? I don't know. The weekend/family time is seemingly over for another 5 days? Lots to catch up on after a couple days of relaxing? Maybe. My Monday is going fabulously. I was working on a little project and came across this quote that made me smile.

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering." Winnie the Pooh

A few weeks ago I finished a bible study book that dealt with resting in the Lord. One thing that really stuck out for me was how I tend to measure the success of my day with the productivity I had. Why? Whats wrong with just STOPPING?? PLAYING?? RESTING?? It was like, if I didn't have this mental list by the day's end (I cleaned bathrooms, folded clothes..no wait..folded FIVE LOADS of clothes, made bread, washed floors) I didn't feel like my day was worth anything.

That struck me as sad when I realized I have 5 little bodies here that don't measure the success of a day by the accomplishments. I'm sure in their eyes I have a much more productive day when I spend a good part of it reading/playing with them. So, heres to the "value of doing nothing and just going along". Thanks Winnie the Pooh.

Day 2? or...maybe 3!

Yep, only took me one day of posting to miss my daily blogging. I'm telling you folks, this is NOT easy for me! It wasn't that I didn't have something to blog, I just kinda, ummmm, forgot. Until I was on my way to work concession duty at hockey, then it was too late. So today is a double posting. Yesterday first.

I read on my friend and cousin (in-law)'s blog that she was looking for a scripture memory partner. I didn't read it until at least a week after she posted but decided to send her a quick text anyway. She hadn't gotten any responses and just like that I was in! The challenge is memorizing Colossians in the next year; 2 verses a week. We call each other on Thursdays to recite, from the beginning. This week was week 3. Verses 1-6. We both had only gotten through 1-5 as vs 5-6 were rather long and we both had a hard time getting them done. This whole accountability thing is such a great challenge for me, it was just what I needed to get me going. So last night was my night to call Jill. Our conversation was such an encouragement to me. We talked about our childrens' salvation and how it troubled us/excited us. I am not going to go into details but I want to say THANK YOU to  Jill Martinson for her encouragement to me over the years and her accountability with the scripture memorizing. You are such a wonderful example of a Godly, caring mom, and help meet at home. Love you!!!

Today.

Another "small" one. After the kids came home from school today Anson went about his business as usual. Paige could have too. But instead she chose, on her own, to build a fort with one of my 2 1/2 year old day care girls and sit inside and read to her. She had FUN with it. I didn't ask her to do it. Nor did this child, it was something Paige thought of doing to help me out. Something like that goes so far with me at the end of the day/week when I am ready to be done entertaining. So, THANK YOU PAIGEE POO!!! I love you!!  :)

Our Boy

Today's blessing came early. 6:30 am to be exact. The kids were getting ready for school and Anson had something to tell me.
"Mom, I told dad this last night but want to tell you too. On the playground the boys I usually play with were tripping people and each other. They thought it was a game, but tripping isn't allowed. So I walked away and played with some other kids."
I know, it seems like such a small thing. But as parents to hear that your 8 year old walked away from something he knew he shouldn't be participating in was huge. He DOES actually listen to what we tell him. He has professed salvation and sure has a tender heart, we are just loving seeing the Godly boy he is developing into.

Where to start? Obviously my blog has been a little ignored lately. I really don't have a good reason, just a lot of little excuses. Like; my camera is out of batteries (I believe they got hijacked for the wii), and who really wants to read a blog with no photos? Or; all we do is get up, go to school, run to hockey or basketball, open skate, or church. You know know...life. Don't you all (as you can see I'm assuming more people than Tandis READ my blog) get tired of hearing about OUR day to day 'stuff'? how about this excuse; how am I supposed to string more than three words together (and it actually make sense) with 5 kids (2 and under) running/rolling/crawling around? There you have it. See? I'm really awesome at coming up with excuses.

Currently all 5 are napping (yes,I do a little happy dance when this happens), my laptop i.e. pinterest/netflix  is out of commission. So I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts that have been running through my head lately. I know how much you are dying to figure out what goes on inside my brain. I'm not just a pretty face people. (After 9 years Jerem is STILL trying to figure it out).

Well, mostly it's mom stuff. Huh, imagine that.

You know, like WHY are the rubber stamps I picked up last night in the SAME spot scattered on the stairs??

I just cleaned out Ava's dresser. Apparently this alerted her to the fact that there were now FOLDED clothes in her drawers. She happily took care of that for me and spread them all over her room. 3 times. In. A. Row.

Then there's the laundry, the cooking, and ironing (yes I actually iron-sounds so old fashioned).

And quite frankly it just all started feeling so mundane. I suppose all moms, especially sahms, have that feeling a time or three.

So here is my thought. In an attempt to see blessings in my "mundane" life, I am going to start blogging once a day about something in that day that caught my attention and made me stop and see the importance in what I do.

I hear two little voices so I better wrap up my ramblings. Since I am blogging this from our ancient desktop I will leave you with a few "old" pictures. (Told you I couldn't post without photos). Anson and Paige just a few short years ago. Life goes by so fast. I hope in this challenge I remind myself of that and also why I do what the Lord has so graciously give me to do.

December Fun

A little update on the December happenings in the Haack house. We’re in full swing of hockey with Anson. 5 games down. 4 wins, 1 loss. He’s having so much on Mites Gold this year and loves the challenge of it all.

(Anson in white helmet, #17)

Here are few pictures from the Bemidji Jamboree last Saturday. They played half ice which was a little weird since the kids are pretty big, but it worked out.

At one point the other team skated out to join them and we realized both teams had the exact same colored jerseys. Talk about confusing! They did a quick switch up and had them play another team that was at the other end of the ice. Anson said it wouldn’t have been a problem, the other team was wearing blue and yellow socks. I have a hard time believing him.

Coach Dallas giving them last minute instructions.

Moving on to the Chapel Christmas program Sunday night.

I caught these cuties peeking over the pews at me.

I got such a kick out of Chloe and Paige (a horse and rat) up there with all the big guys. They sure were cute!

I missed out on a picture of Anson because when he said his line he wasn’t at a spot I could get a picture. The kids all did great and had their line memorized. Paige was a rat, Anson a wise man. One of them was given the appropriate part for their personality. Any guesses?

Who can resist a pair of sparkly red shoes at Christmas?!