Rainy Weekend

After one heck of a drought this past summer I am grateful for all the rain we have been getting these last few weeks of fall. However, it can be a real pain when all it does is rain! You have to get creative, because part of you is dying to  be outside because you know the cold of winter is on the way and you want to enjoy the last wee bit of reasonable weather. The other part of you just wants to be so lazy and enjoy the pitter patter of the rain from your nice dry bed.

I can relate to both of these feelings. I decided it might be helpful to have a list of rainy day ideas so you don't have to get to creative while fighting the temptation to stay in bed.

Here you are my dears! Embrace the rain!

Lazy, "I just want to stay in bed" type of ideas:

1. Get a giant mug and a warm pot of tea or coffee, locate a comfy couch, some blankets and maybe a pillow or two. And, most importantly, get a giant good book to read to your heart's content.
I recommend any of the Karen Kingsbury books, as they are a favourite of mine at the moment. I would also suggest you find a comfy seat near a window. If you sit facing a window you can enjoy the beauty of the rain transforming the world outside and if you sit next to the window you can hear the lovely sound of rain on the window (which has the extraordinary power of lulling me to sleep).

2. Find someone you love and sit together on a couch, cuddled with blankets and pillows and watch the rain together and chat the whole day long. A lovely bonding experience and can be so much fun!

3. Pick a good rainy day movie and cuddle up to have a movie day! Movie days, in my opinion, should only ever happen when it is raining. I am a sucker for chick fllicks, so Sweet Home Alabama, Dear John, Bride Wars, The Proposal or something of the sort. Or, for a family movie, Up, Finding Nemo, Despicable Me, The Waltons (my all time favourite), Little House on the Prairie, Mary Poppins...any of those are good, fun choices. 

I like to make a giant blanket & pillow fort for rainy day movie watching!

Something Fun to do Ideas:

1. Bust out your favourite board or card game. My favourite is Apples to Apples, and that's great for any age. I also recommend Bananagrams, You Don't Say, Dutch Blitz, Scene It, or just good, ol' Go Fish!

Have the best game day the world has ever known!

2. I love to bake all the time, but there is just something about rainy days that makes it so much more fun. So bust out your apron and the flour and get your kitchen into one big, delicious mess!

3. Why not embrace the rain? Find your most reliable boots and head out to puddle jump. When was the last time you jumped in a puddle, on purpose? It is so fun and the world's best stress reliever!

4. Kind of along the same lines of card and board games, a puzzle is always fun for a rainy day. I recently bought my friend a puzzle for her birthday. It was an Awkward Family Photo's Puzzle and was hilarious!

5. Dancing in the rain. It seems like such a silly thing, but is so much fun. There is something totally freeing about letting go of caring about your hair getting wet or your make up running. Try it! And, get someone to come with you. It makes it even more fun. You'll laugh til you're crying!

6. This one could also be a lazy day option. Find a place with a tin roof and spend the day there. What you do when you're there doesn't really matter, but there is something incredibly comforting about the sound of rain on a tin roof.

7. Find a chair and place to sit that is outside, but out of the rain. A closed in or covered porch, inside the door of the garage or carport. Anywhere you can stay dry and be outside is perfect. Nothing beats the smell or fresh rain and watching it fall.

Well those are all the ideas I have for you now. I hope that if it is raining where you are this weekend I have helped you fill the hours and enjoy your weekend!

Many blessings and prayers,

Emily

21 Reasons I Will Always Need You...

Today is Friday, yet again. Tonight I am heading home for supper and movie night! My younger sister has invited me over to watch The Vow with her tonight. We have both already seen it, but it's so good, so how could we not watch it again?

So in thinking about going there tonight, I thought about how I will forever need my family. I am nearly twenty one years old and I would still rather be with my family and boyfriend then anywhere else in the entire world. I mean that.

I am such a total home body! After having my friend here last week I came to that realization. My friend and I had a lovely visit and it was wonderful having her here, but I was thoroughly exhausted by the end of the week! I would rather be at home hanging out then being out and about doing things! And, although I have my own place now, I would still rather (most of the time) be at home at my parent's house then at my apartment. Not because of the house, but because of who is there.

I have come up with a list of reasons why I will always need my family, and of things they've taught me, thus far. Enjoy!

1. I need someone to bounce ideas and dreams off who will be totally honest, even if I don't always find it helpful.
2. Without my Dad and brothers, who the heck is going to come running when I have a flat tire or my car breaks down?
3. Who else can accurately remind me of the crazy, reckless child I used to be?
4. They are my grounding force and can always help me remember what is truly important.
5. The boys teach me more about Star Wars then I would have ever been capable of learning on my own.
6. They remind me of the fun (and importance) of front yard games of British Bulldog, Football or Baseball.
7. They will still be there even after I yell at them, waiting for an apology.
8. My Mom will always be a phone call away when I can't remember how to make pie crust, fried chicken or potato soup.
9. My parents will always be the voice of reason when I feel I am battling in a losing war.
10. My siblings will be my protectors and no one stands a chance against them if I get hurt.
11. Daddy will always see me as a princess, even when I see myself as a tattered Cinderella before the ball.
12. No matter how far away I get, my family will always say the Rosary together at night and I will be there, in their hearts.
13. My Mom will always remind me of something that the Bible and the Church promises me when I face any trial.
14. They always will each, in a different way, inspire me to be the very best version of myself.
15. I have 4 built in best girl friends who I can always be myself with, 100%!
16. My brothers show me, every day, how very, very different they are from little girls. I have learned, over and over again, the value of a good, old fashioned wrestling match on the living room floor.
17. My parents will always be a reminder to me of extremely hard work and dedication.
18. Mom and Dad will forever by my example of a beautiful, fruitful marriage.
19. My brother is my reminder to be joyful in all things. No matter what's going on, a song is always on his lips, or on his phone at least!
20. My siblings are my reminder to always be a good example, because they watch my every move.
21. I will forever need my family because they never stop loving me, even when they stop liking me. That is a true and rare blessing!

I challenge each of you to make a list of reasons why you need your family, or what they have taught you. You don't have to show anyone, but it will just help you to remember why you love them, because sometimes it is easy to get caught up in why we don't like someone and we forget why we love them anyway.

Have a safe, happy and blessed weekend!

Many prayers,

Em

Protecting Your Angels

Okay, so I am not a mother, and I will not pretend to know the trials, joys and sorrows of being one. However, I am a daughter, a big sister and hopefully, one day, I will be a Momma. 

I know there are a lot of tough decisions you have to make as a parent. Should she be allowed to go to this party? Out with that boy? To that sports game? Should she be on contraceptives? Should she be vaccinated? If so, what ones do I allow, which ones do I say no to?


Today I came across a very disturbing article. It is entitled "Teenage Girl Becomes Infertile after Gardasil Vaccination" and is written by Steven Mosher & Elizabeth Crnkovich. The article tells the story of a 16 year old Australian girl who received the Garasil vaccination in 2008 and has since experienced "premature ovarian failure". The doctor that diagnosed her said that she cannot say for sure that Gardasil was the cause, but they have ruled out all other possible causes. 

I have linked the article at the bottom of this blog for you to check out & read more about the vaccine, which is strongly promoted in schools for 11 & 12 year old girls. I have also heard rumours that they have recently come out with one for boys as well. I am not sure that that is true, but I have heard it. I think the article is definitely worth some attention, because if Gardasil is causing some serious infertility issues in your daughters, sisters, or even yourself, then we're living in a pretty scary world.

The article also says that immediately after this young lady received the vaccine she experienced irregularity in menstruation and was told by her physician to take oral birth control. She refused, but it is believed that is she had agreed then the symptoms of this early menopause may have been masked and never correctly diagnosed. I wonder if there are not more woman out there suffering from awful impacts of Gardasil, and may not be aware because the are taking contraceptives?

So, an interesting read and worthwhile sharing! 

Protect your little angels, and don't let them get the vaccine. I have never had it because my parents said 'no' when the school tried to force it on me. I am now more thankful then ever that the didn't agree to it. I sent my Mom an email this morning with a link to the article for her to pass on and thanking her for not allowing me to get it.

Anyway, have a lovely weekend Internet!

Love & prayers,

Em

Article Link:
http://pop.org/content/teenage-girl-becomes-infertile-after-gardasil-vaccination

As a little disclaimer, I am a Catholic, and the reasons my parents chose not to vaccinate me with the Gardasil vaccination was, at the time, purely a choice of morality and faith. 

They, and I, believe that since this vaccine protects against HPV, which is transmitted through sexual intercourse, it should not be necessary. My siblings and I were taught that sex out of marriage is morally unacceptable and against the teachings of our faith, so contracting this disease should not be an issue if we live according to our faith. 
I know some people will say, "What if I am raped?" Fair enough. However, if I am raped then there are going to be a lot of issues that I will need to deal with, and I do not think I will care if I was vaccinated against HPV at that moment. I would also rather take that risk, and pray that that never happens, because I do not want to do anything to destroy the possibility of having children one day.

I also do not believe in the use of contraceptives for any reason. My faith and morals being the primary reasons, and I have also done research and I have not liked the medical stats on those using contraceptives.

A Hometown Tourist

Hey ya'll!

I hope you are all having a lovely Thursday! I am exhausted, so apologies in advance if this is all over the place!

This week I have a friend staying with me who is visiting from Alberta. I met her when I was serving with NET Ministries in 2010. Now she has come to visit my lovely province for the first time. Yay!


I picked her up at the airport on Tuesday and we went on to explore the city. I live about an hour and a half from the airport, and go to the city often enough. But, I also take for granted that I live near it and never do tourist-y type things. As any good tour guide, I tried to take my friend to all the places you would typically visit when going there. So, I was an all out tourist, with the camera and everything!

I brought her back to my apartment for the week, which is in a fairly small city of about 14,000 people or so. Needless to say, there is not a lot of touist-y type things going on. There are a lot of smaller towns near by that are fairly touristy in the summer months, but come the fall, a lot of things shut down. I am really having to get creative.

But, I truly am running out of ideas! Help! If any of you have any suggestions for things to show her in small town Ontario please share them.

I did however, come up with a brilliant idea of how we are going to spend this evening. My family. They are always good for entertainment and there is never, ever a dull moment in that house. She will meet them for the first time. Good luck, my dear, good luck!

I know this is a fairly 'lame' post, but I wanted to fill you in on the life of yours truly!

It's almost the weekend, so here's to the last bit of your week :)

God Bless,

Emily

Daddy's Little Girl

My Father is an amazing man. I mean, as the primary breadwinner for a family of eleven, how could he not be? But, I have not always recognized that about him.

About two years ago I went through some serious healing that brought me to the realization I have today, that my Father is truly an amazing Father, Husband, Friend, Brother and Son. This healing came about during my training for my year serving with NET, the fall of 2010.

The spring of 2010 I had graduated from High School, and throughout most of those four years, sadly, my Father and I were at odds. See, my Daddy is not perfect. He is not the most affectionate man, and he often picks apart what we, my siblings and I, do. I am sure it is not to hurt us, but to challenge us. But, as a young teenage girl (who was, and is, very sensitive)  I didn't see it as a challenge to grow, work harder and become more fully who God created me to be. I saw it as an insult and that I would never be good enough to please my Father.

Dad and I fought a lot through those years. He could not wrap his mind around the fact that what he said hurt me. He only saw what he was trying to do- challenge me or joke with me (he is also a huge teaser, and I didn't always find it funny). I remember on numerous occasions calling my boyfriend in tears and saying that my Dad didn't love me, he didn't understand me and I could not wait to get away. Deep in my heart I knew that wasn't true, but at the time I felt heart broken by his continuous criticism. 

However, the fall after graduation I started my training for my year on NET, and one day we focused all on "the Father". We were discussing God the Father, andH is constant love for us, and how are earthly fathers are just that, earthly and human! Human- not perfect, but broken, faulted human beings striving for the Kingdom, whether they know it or not. That moment was so healing for me. We went on talking about how, no matter what our relationship was with our Father, we could heal and grow from it, and we have to keep in mind that they are no more perfect then we are.

For the first time I was able to see my Father as the loving caring man he is. I was able to recognize he was not perfect, but he so badly wanted to love me perfectly, and he wanted me to be as perfect as possible so I could one day spend forever with him in Heaven.

That day I forgave my Father for any hurt he had caused and I also made a promise to myself and to God that I would try to understand him better. That I would laugh at his jokes and stop seeing it as a personal attack, that I would forgive him when he hurt me, and that I would see his criticism as an opportunity to look more deeply at myself and see room for change. I realized that having a relationship with my Father needed to be worked on, and may not come easily, but it was so important!

My Dad and I are friends now. I trust him to help me make wise decisions, and to teach me knew things. And, even though I no longer live at home, I still rely on him. My Mom and I were chatting the other day about me purchasing a home, and I said that I would never do it without Dad's advice. She told me that right now my Father is like what a husband is when you get married. When you're married you trust your husband to make good decisions for you and for your family, and to help you and give you advice about certain things. She said right now that is what my Dad does for me. Although I have a boyfriend who I love dearly and we do plan on getting married, right now my Father is the main man I trust for decisions like purchasing a house. I do take into account the opinions and advice of my boyfriend and would not do anything he did not approve of, but at this time in my life I trust my Father to be with me also.

I thought that was such a neat explanation! Parents can be so wise!

Anyway, enough rambling. Go out there and love your Fathers.

God bless,
Emily xo

Friday Oh Friday

Happy Friday Internet!

It is freezing here today-typical Canada. And as I was sitting at work I heard this strange noise and looked out the window. The sun was shining and looking lovely and there was snow falling! Snow...It's October 12th. I am so not ready for snow!

But, it stopped about 2 seconds later. Whew!

Today I wanted to share with you a recipe for a warm lovely beverage for a Friday night. Who doesn't like to kick back and relax on a Friday evening with a big glass of wine, or a beer? But, if you're like me and want to cuddle up with something warm, then a beer or some wine is just not going to cut it when it is freezing outside. So, what we truly need it something warm and alcoholic. Right?

So, let me know what you think of this little puppy!

Toasty Warm:

1 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream
1 oz. Butterscotch Ripple Schnapps
Hot Chocolate (as much as your little heart desires in your mug)
Whipped Cream

Ok so what you're going to do in make some hot chocolate in a mug. You can use Coffee also, but if you're like me, you won't want Coffee at night. I really like the Tim Hortons' Hot Chocolate that you can purchase at any Tim's. But, any Hot Chocolate will do. Once you have it mixed with the water or milk in your mug you had the Irish Cream and the Schnapps. Mix all those together and top with Whipped Cream.

You can also add Grand Marnier or Kahlua if you prefer. Or, add them in addition to the Irish Cream and Schnapps.

I hope you enjoy it as you kick back and relax this Friday night!

Cheers,

Em xo

Princesses and Their Princes

Remember as a little girl when you used to look up at your daddy with big eyes full of love and he would tell you that you were his Princess?

Remember when the years flew by and you were thirteen and you looked into the clear eyes of your best friend, now covered in too much make up, and she told you that you needed to start running with her to make sure you didn't gain weight?

Remember when you were sixteen and you looked into the eyes of a handsome boy and he told you he liked you and you were beautiful and you felt like a Princess?

Remember when a young man told you that you were worthless, too much trouble, too needy... and he broke your heart?

We have all pretty well had an experience something like that. Someone built you up and someone tore you down. Someone treasured you and someone treated you like trash. And, somewhere along the way you comprised you to make someone else happy.

But, I am here to tell you that despite all the nonsense you've been fed, one truth remains. Whoever it was that told you that you are a Princess was and is 100% correct. And, if no one has ever told you that, I am telling you now. You are a Princess.

I came across an article the other day that was talking about princesses and how their are a lot of them, but what is missing is their princes. And, maybe that is true to some respect. But is their really a lot of princesses? I am doubtful, and here's why.

Princesses have high standards and they don't compromise. They are pushy and over bearing at times, but they have standards and that is okay! If you decide you are going to remain pure and save yourself for marriage then you should never be asked to compromise that. If you don't demand a man to respect that about you then why in the world would he strive for it?

See, men are goal oriented for the most part. If you have high standards then men see that as a challenge. They want to test themselves to see if they can meet them. But if they see you willing to compromise then they are going to quit trying to meet your standards and give up the chase. It is in our human nature to settle, but don't let that happen.

If you want to be a Princess, go for it! I bet that if you stick to your guns you'll be only meeting Princes, and those silly peasant boys will quickly give up the chase and head for the hills. So ladies, set your sights high and expect all men to be gentlemen and see what happens.

When we are ladies then men want to be gentlemen! Imagine what our world would be like if everyone was like this...crazy good!

But we have to remember that this is two-sided! Ladies, treat your man like a Prince. He needs you to affirm him and tell him how strong he is, how good he is at what he does, what an amazing Father he his, etc. Tell him how fantastic he is and in turn he'll start to affirm you as well!

And men, always treat your woman like a lady :) She is a princess- even when she doesn't act like it!

So, Princesses and Princes- go be the lovely ladies & gentlemen you were created to be!

Praise God!

Em xo