Since I've been feeling GREAT for the last 3 weeks, I took my chances and started a big project...Cleaning out the oh so cluttered house... :) Baby steps at a time!! haha!!
Yesterday the basement got a good cleaning up, it looks so much better now! Almost all the toys are put into boxes with big labels on them. The kids can ask for one box at a time to play with. There are a few toys left on the shelve to play with (for example, woody and Buzz lightyear!) And some toys still need a box (like the little people, but they are hiding right now...) But overall, I am happy with the results... and don't worry, not all the boxes are full, just some of them (like the cars and the barbies... haha!)
Today I started baby-proofing the living room, which meant... taking the Lego out... And since I don't want the Lego in the basement (cause then it would end up EVERYWHERE) I had to put Tjipke's drums in the basement and use our music-room to make another play area for the kids... It turned out ok! The livingroom looks specious again!! :D Maybe today I'll be finishing with the diningroom... we'll see how well the kids and the baby behave!! haha!!
Written in my heart about 12,5 years ago, written for all to read on Sunday July 26, 2009.
Today's message in church inspired me to write about the dream I had years ago... I think it's finally time I write it down... not that I will ever forget, but I would like to share it with you all... :)
I was 13 years old when I got the dream. I did not understand it at the time, and did not want to talk about it with anyone... There is only a few people that heard this before... :s (shame on me...)
The dream:
Thousands of doves were flying in the air. All of them were grey, except for one. That one dove was pure white and flew all the way in the front. A lot of the grey doves were following and listening to the one white dove, but there were some that were trying to get away, and if they succeeded at leaving the group, they would fall down to ground. They didn't even look back at what they had left behind...
There was one dove that got my attention. It felt as if I was that dove, I always tried to get away but got pulled back by some other grey doves... I didn't feel in place where I was, but stayed because of them. Until that one moment, I pulled myself out of the group. I felt free, but only for one second, because soon after I pooled away, I felt myself falling and falling and falling... The one thing that was different about seeing this grey dove, was that it was looking up and crying about what it had left behind.
I would always wake up before the dove felt on the ground.
Almost 2 years after having this dream for the first time, I understood what the dream meant!
I was 2 weeks away from becoming 15 when I heard the 'Easter story' with my heart open! It finally wasn't just a story any more! I understood that Jesus had died on the cross for ME! All this time, I was trying to pull away from the most important Person in my life! All this time others were trying to pull me back. And I'm glad they did! And I'm glad He did! For a week I was struggling with myself, what would I tell others?? Others that always thought of me as 'that Christian girl' when actually I wasn't. I was just following my parents' believe, not my own...
Then there was youth camp. Saturday night, when everyone was in line for the one and only shower, someone offered me a bucket with water. I've never been a girly girl, so a bucket with water sounded just perfect for me!! :) I took it with me, and some soap and shampoo, to a little room in the barn. I sat on my knees and started washing my hair... And then and there I got this warm feeling inside, butterflies if you wish... and everything made sense! God had just told me the most important thing of all: "I love YOU!" I started crying and gave my heart to Him!
Just a few day's after this, I got the dream about the doves again. But this time, it did have an ending. Just before I would hit the ground, the white dove came down to me and carried me back to the group so I could follow Him! Without being held by my beloved, but flying with my own wings and listening with my own heart.
Now why did I never share this story? Good question, I don't know... Maybe because God didn't want me to use it until now, maybe because He wants YOU to read this right now at this moment... Or maybe because I was just to shy... :)
Wow, God does not sit still when you ask Him something to His glory!
I was having a very hard time finding some 'quite time' to spend with God. If it's not the kids that distract me away from Him, it's the laundry, or the dishes, or the garden... It's so easily done to put the Most Important One in second place...
For the last week one certain sentence of a song was stuck in my head:
"Jesus, my passion in life is to know You. May all other goals bow down to, this journey of loving You more."
And this truly is my passion! But why is it so hard to 'make' time for God? I praise Him through singing, and by looking at my kids, and looking at nature... BUT I don't take enough time to get to know Him more! And so I asked him with all my heart if He would help me find more time for Him! "Ask and it will be given to you"
Monday morning, 6 am, I am wide awake...
If you know a bit about me, you know that this does NOT happen to me, I have trouble falling asleep at night, and trouble waking up in the morning... I need lots of hours and lots of coffee to wake myself up...
And here I was wide awake... I was afraid to get up, since that could be tragic to the rest of the day... tired mommies are NO fun! So I stayed in bed till 7, and got up to do the regular things...
Tuesday morning, same thing happens again...
Since I'd be gone all day (shopping) I really needed that extra hour, I was SO frustrated... why would this happen???
Wednesday morning, same thing happens another time!
But this time, a still and small voice said: "you needed more time, here it is!"
So I got up and went downstairs to read my Bible! I finally understood! God was giving me more time!! And I so enjoyed my time with Him!!
Jesus, my passion in life is to know You
May all other goals bow down toThis journey of loving You more
It's that time of the year again... Just a few months before the new loads of toys come in, we need to say goodbye to some 'older' toys... Which was actually very easy this time, since Rachel was missing out on the fun for a good reason... :p
While she was at preschool and Bauke was having a nap in the car (since he felt a sleep on the way back from groceries), Marten and I were going through the toys that I had set apart a while ago and nobody missed... :p
Everything except for the mr. Potato head's family was allowed to go! Right in the middle of pricing it all, Bauke woke up and came in the house, he was actually very good, since it was all toys he really doesn't play with anymore... That boy got too big too quick... probably because he IS the third child in the family, I still see him as my baby, but he is turning 3 next month (!?!?!) Hard to believe... :p
So everything is now waiting to go to the sale! Kids toys and clothing sale in the rec center tomorrow... I wonder what cool toys will be there to buy!!!
(I know... I just make it go on and on and on... But I actually bought some pretty good Christmas gifts in the last couple of years!! Reduce Reuse Recycle!! AND I'm bringing in 10x more then I'm going to buy!)
PS. The picture above was at one of the basements worst times!! haha!! 6 kids in one basement with too many toys turns out to be a disaster! LOL
I decided this year that we would have a garden again. Not too many different things, just easy and simple... Here are some things that I'll have to remember for next year:
1. 4 rows of BEANS is just TOO much, even if half is green and the other half is yellow...
2. If there are 'different' colors of seeds, it means that there is a different kind of vegetable involved
3. Tomatoes do not turn red when not in a sunny spot
4. Only 4 out of the 50 tomatoes that do grow in the sun, will turn red
5. 3 rows of Cherry tomatoes is just not such a good idea
6. Think about what to do with thousands of cucumbers, BEFORE you plant them
7. remember that it's not just picking the vegetables, you also have to actually do something with them so you can enjoy them all winter long
8. Be ready to have your house being taken over by tomatoes so they can lay in your windowsills and turn red instead of green or black
9. Pick the beans before the rain season starts, even if that means picking them in 37C
10. If you do not follow up on number 9, you end up with muddy beans
Now here's hoping that next year I will remember my own 10 tips!
The picture is not even half of what came and still has to come out of the garden...
Second hand shopping was never really on my 'fun' list...
As a kid I did love going to 'rommelmarkten' (comparable with yardsales, only not in peoples yard...) but when I got older, I just thought buying used things from someone else, was gross...
Up until I got kids of my own... :) And moved to Canada... :)
I'm still not too used to digging through bins and bins of clothes to find something that fits me or one of my kids, but I am trying to! More so for my kids then for me! :p Although I have to admit that I had a lot of fun last spring when I went second-hands-clothes shopping with 5 other ladies! But doing things with 5 other ladies involving shopping and clothes is always fun, second hand or not! :p
Anyway, here in Truro, we have a second hand store called "new to you". It's actually a Community workshop and so all proceeds go to Colchester Community Workshops.
Today Bauke and I visited the "new to you" shop and we found some great deals: All for 50 cents each...
I can tell you, with deals like this, I don't mind second hand shopping at all!! Marten can practice his words, Bauke can learn his letters and Rachel can tighten up her drawing, all in the middle of having fun!
Today was quit the busy day here at the Zijlstra house... First of all, at 3.40am this morning I (yes... me myself and I) got out of bed to help out in the barn (milk test had to be done)
Since I got woken up twice (by precious kids), of which one was at 3.15 I was pretty awake in the barn! :p As soon as the last liters were written down, I crossed the road (ok, the title does not apply here! I'm not a chicken, or a Lama...) and prepared everything that needed to be prepared before the kids would wake up (lunch for Marten, etc)
Before I could even lay down on the couch, Marten and Bauke woke up (6.30) and so the day in the house started...
Marten ended up 'not feeling too well' so he stayed home (prepared lunch for nothing) And we had a pretty 'normal' day...
Up until 3.30pm... Time to get the chickens ready to leave the farm to get 'you know what' ...
Yes, I was not looking forward to this moment of the day, since I (yup, me myself and I) had to bring those chickens to the 'slaughterhouse' (creepy...) and because Tjipke would leave before I would be back, I had to take the kids... I'm telling you, those kids learned a hard real life lesson today...
Just a few months ago those cute little chicks arrived at the farm, they were little, 'beautiful' (as Rachel calls them) and actually quite cute! They were even named...
We've seen them grow up to become such nice chickens... and then it was time... time to end their life... :s
For me, I'm ok with this, I rather have the chickens that I will eat (:s) fed by my husband then anyone else (right) But my poor kids...
"but mommy, they are so nice, they never hurt me" said Bauke...
"they're still so beautiful, I don't care that they're fat" said Rachel...
"It hurts mommy, I don't want this to happen" said Marten...
And so our journey starts... we loaded the chickens in the car (not mine, luckily) and off we went...
1 Meter ahead 1 pops out of the box... "red alert red alert" call the kids...
I put it back in the box and add some more duck tape to the lid on the box...
15 Kilometers ahead, the same one pops out of the box again... this time I added a phonebook, to lengthen the side of the box (and more duck tape, to keep it all together)
About an hour later we arrive at the place... The chickens get taken out of the boxes and off they went... Tomorrow we can pick them up, ready to be frozen...
I was ready to have some cry babies on our way back, all I heard was Bauke repeating himself "but they were so nice, sigh" and then Marten asked "when will oom Sjoerd buy some new chickens, I really like to have chickens on the farm again, maybe ones that lay eggs..."
Done and forgotten... But still a lesson learned maybe a bit too young...
Oh yes, the Lama... On our way there I was looking all over the place for deer (ever since I got hit by one, I'm sooooo scared it will happen again) when all of a sudden there was a lama by the side of the road! Pretty funny, must have gotten out of his fence... :p
As the title says, this post will be about... good old Lego's... :)
Almost a year ago, Marten really got hooked on Lego! Both Tjipke and I love Lego's too, so we were pretty excited when we discovered this!! I must say... we got a little spoiled...
It started out with just a little bit... well... that's how all things start out, a little bucket of bricks, and 1 truck... but soon enough it got a bit out of control, and now we can open our own Lego museum! Grandparents pitched in on our new addiction, loads of Lego sets were shipped from Europe (where they still are a little bit cheaper and easier to get) and birthday and Christmas helped out too... Then we got lots of lego sets from friends, second hand! And last week I was at a yard-sale, where I found TWO boxes full of Lego, for $10,-!!! (The space aircraft was build out of this batch!!)
And guess what Marten wants for his birthday and Christmas this year?? Right... LEGO!! We need a bigger house to house all this Lego... :)
All I'm saying: all you Lego fans out there, come and visit LegoLand at our house!! :D
I finally finished the eclipse book, just in time before I go to see the movie!
Bella, torn between two loved once... Discovering that she does love Jake too, not sure anymore of what her future holds, and yet, as sure as anyone ever could be...
I could so relate with her! Not that I am torn between two boys! Ha! I found my Edward, or I should say Jacob (hot and human) 13 years ago! (wow, that number just blew me away! So long ago, and yet as if it was yesterday!)
No, I'm torn between two places! Canada and Belgium! Not sure who's the cold and the warm one here, right now both are having too high of a temperature for me!! :)
Both places are where I want to be, both places are where my heart is, and yet, I can only be at one place at a time... Home! Wherever that may be!
One day, I will be HOME and it will all be ok! No more pain and no more tears! And right now, my Warm Rock will always comfort me! Thank you God!!
Are my words cold yet? Inspiration just walked in the door...
Marten had his last day in school today, and brought home everything that was left in his desk! Including his pencil holder...
The Crayons you see were his treasures... He picked them up from the floor, "the ones no-one else wanted" he said :s AND... He brought home a years worth of pencil shavings. (Is that even the right word for it??) I'm NOT a 'clean freak' but this had to go... I convinced him that the shavings had to be thrown away... :) The crayons? We'll hang on to them until he refuses to use them... :)
