Who is your Hero?

When looking up the definition of a hero it says "a man (woman) of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his (her) brave deeds and noble qualities." it also added "a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal." 

xander and his favorite hero ever!

I love that Xander is able to understand and use all sorts of words in his daily life. He is able to communicate what he would like or what is making him upset. He is also able to communicate how much he loves us or what he thinks of us. The other day while Jim was playing hide and go seek with him, during one of the breaks between hiding Xander felt it important to tell Jim "Dad, your my hero." 

As I watched on and tried not to let the beautiful moment make me cry. (because we all know I'm a crier) It got me thinking. What are the things that make us a Hero in someones eyes. It could be something simple like that hide and go seek game, it could be something deep like a big hug and an "I love you".

 It could be something like an aunty that loves to spend time with her nephews and makes it a priority.

Aunty Rosie

Aunty Lexie

It could be something like a friend that takes the time to make a little child feel special. Someone that claims the title of family, just because they love you. 

Uncle Dylan

It could be the people in your life that would do anything to see you smile. They would do anything to spend their spare time with you just to watch you succeed. 

Grandpa Atwood

Grandma Atwood

Or those relatives that don't see you very often but even as a young child you could never forget the impression they have made on your heart and spirit.

Uncle Batman (Doug) 

Great Grandpa Houseman 

Great Grandma Bee

Great Grandma Easthope and Grandma

It could be those who love to wrestle and let you get away with things that maybe a mother or father would never let you get away with, but they do so as safely as possible and always catch you when you fall or take the fall when you get caught. 

Uncle Matt

Uncle Dano

Uncle Kimball

 There are so many different kinds of heroic acts and so many ways to become a hero in the eyes or a child or anyone for that matter. Xander has so many heroes in his life. So many people to look up to and to remember someone for the good things and influences they have placed into your life. 

I have to thank all the Heroes in my life. The people who changed my life growing up. The people who loved me despite my downfalls. Those who encouraged me to be a better version of myself. I also have to thank all the heroes in Jim's life. Those who helped him get to me. Helped him get through the rough patches and believed in him even when he didn't believe in himself. 

Now I saved the best for last. 

Jesus Christ, Savior/Superhero

There has never been a better example of a Hero.

Not for you, not for me, or any other person that has been or ever will be in this world. 

He sacrificed his own life so that we would never have to suffer alone. He took upon himself every pain, every sorrow, every wrong doing. He knows how we feel when we are sad, angry, depressed, anxious, upset, devastated, broken, lonely or empty. He has felt it all by his own free will and choice. 

AND HE STILL LOVES US DESPITE ALL THAT HE WENT THROUGH!

He would do it again in a heart beat if we needed it. 

He loves me when I don't love myself.

He cries when I cry.

He laughs when I laugh.

Jesus Christ is my Savior.

He is my Hero.

He is our older brother.

In closing I leave you with a challenge. 

Find the Heroes in your every day life. 

They are everywhere. See the little things that bless you. The people that love you. The people who love your child when hes acting crazy. The people who provide service all around you. Those who teach, listen and talk with you. Be open to all who could be a hero in your life and remember to thank them for being that way. It brings your heroes up and encourages them to keep going on doing what they are doing. Providing future heroes as others learn from them. 

Yeah for food storage.

My mother taught me that it is so important that I have a food storage. She also taught me that when someone offers me produce so never say no thanks. We went an picked cherries the other day. Seven gallons of them. They were so beautiful and so delicious. Then we came home and my mother jucied them all for me and then I got to try my hand at making jelly and syrup for the first time. It was so easy. I have no idea why I have always been so worried I would destroy it if I tried. I always thought it was so pressured and time sensative that I just wouldn't do it. Well today I did it. 5 batches of jelly and 11 jars of syrup. It was no hard at all. Trust me. If I can do this then anyone can do it. 

I always knew how important food storage was. I always had a food storage when I lived on my own. My closet would be half filled with clothing and half filled with food. I rarely spent any money on food at all which lots of my friends thought was weird. I always bought things in bulk when they went on good sales and that was just how I was raised. Well when I got married it changed. I started running into times where money was a rare thing and I was always so nervous. However, somehow there has always been food. I have never had an empty shelf. I give credit to my mother for  teaching me how to shop smart. I read a funny meme on Facebook the other day that said " when the fridge is empty and I feel like I'm going to starve and then all I the sudden my mom goes in and pulls a three course meal out of it" and I went wow that's how I felt when I was younger and now I feel on the other side of the quote. I hope and pray that as this generation becomes more and more about fast food and convienence eating that I can teach my kids what my mom taught me. So no matter what happens in their lifetime they can be prepared and ready knowing heir families are going I be ok. 

Like Father, Like Son

Today I was looking through some old pictures on our computer and I found an awesome picture of Jim when he was younger. Around the same age as Xander is. Such a cute little boy. 

This is the Picture that I found. 

I love it so much. As I was looking at it Xander came up to me and started talking to me. I have always thought Xander looked alot like I did as a child but wow. I was shocked. 

Here is my Xander boy only a few weeks ago. 

So I decided I need to compare these two cute faces and here is what we got.  

Same chin

same ears

same face shape

Same hair color

same nose

very similar eyes

wow, yup these two must be related. Not that I ever doubted but I love it as I watch Xander grow to see the things that I love so much in my husband start to manifest more and more in my son whom I love so much. SO WONDERFUL. These are just a small part about why being a mother is the best Job/Calling anyone can choose in this life. There is Nothing, NOTHING, better then motherhood. I am so happy that I have been blessed with such a smart little man. His health has always been good and he loves to play and learn. I may not have the blessing right now of multiple children however if he is all that I am blessed with I will have had more then my share. Thank you Father in Heaven for knowing me better then I know myself. For blessing me with an amazing Husband and Child. Thank you for understanding my pain and comforting me and lifting me when I can no longer life myself. There have been times when I have not understood, there are still times when I dont understand, however, they will not overtake me. 

Just like the famous poem "Footprints" I know that lone set of footprints in my life does not belong to me. It belongs to my Savior and he will never give up on me, he will only let my trials rain down until I cannot take the rain anymore. Then he will step in and carry me through it. I also understand (and this one was hard to learn) that my Lord cannot take away my trial, but he can be there through it if I ask him to be and have faith that he will listen. I am grateful for learning experiences. I pray that someday I will be able to use these experiences for the benefit of others around me. That will be worth everything. 

Cant put a $ on memories!

I have loved taking pictures for a long time now. I love to take pictures of everything I see. My husband and I just recently bought a wonderful camera that is so much fun to play with. 

I have been told from time to time that I could do this for a living if I wanted to. Here is my reasoning why I haven't wanted to. I love to take pictures. I love it so much that I carry my camera with me everywhere I go. 

I love to take pictures for people in their special moment. 

I love to catch the beauty in everything around me. 

I would gladly, any time I am asked take pictures for anyone. 

My reason, I could never charge someone, so that they could have a tangible copy of dearest memories.  

I feel it is so important to always take a million pictures. They are a window into the eyes of the past. 

They help people to slow down and gaze at the beauty that often times is missed. 

I will always take pictures. I will always give of my pictures freely to those who would enjoy and love them. 

These last two are very important to me. When I was younger I took these pictures. I had a little cheap camera with very little extra on it. I took these pictures with it. Capturing what I think to be a beautiful sight that might have been missed by others. It was nothing fancy. It proves that anyone with a cell phone, a point and click camera or anything else can catch beautiful things around them. You just have to be willing to open your eyes and look. 

Summer Love!

I love Summer. The warmth, the breeze, the time, they all seem to add to the sweet tender memories we make in the summer. We have had the opportunity to do so many wonderful things in the last few days with both sides of our extended family and some wonderful friends. Xander loves more then anything to play with his cousins. We got the chance to take him to the Zoo in Calgary for the first time in his little life and he LOVED it. He just loved the animals and loved to run from place to place. What a trooper too he went the whole day without a nap and hardly grumped at all. If only we could all be more like little children. They are the best example of who we should be like.

Fun times spent with Family

Amazed at everything

We also had the opportunity to spend time with lots of Jim's family for our nephews birthday. Its so much fun to get to watch cousins grow together and become friends. Xander loved to play with his cousin Maebie and Welsey. Its finally getting to the point where they will play so beautifully together without me worrying if someone is going to be hurt or sad.

I am also so blessed to have a wonderful husband who loves to come and play with us and help Xander learn and play with his cousins. Xander looks up to Jim so much. He has started something new lately that as soon as he wakes up he asks me where his Daddy is. If its a weekend and he is home then he will go and give him a giant hug and if its a work day he will say "oh I miss my Daddy so much". He just loves to play with him, and I love to watch their bond grow.

Xander has such a wonderful personally. He loves to joke around and tell stories. His imagination is beyond any that I have seen before. His favorite toy to take around where ever we may go is Ironman. Jim and I gave him this toy on his 2nd birthday and so far nothing has rivaled Xanders love for this character. Even when he doesnt have the toy with his Xander will tell everyone that he is Ironman. He makes my day brighter all the time.
We are working right now on potty training and I have to say it is going very well. All other attempts we had before this past week were disasters and I was becoming very discouraged and then this last week he must have just decided he was ready and out went the diapers and hello to big boy unders. He goes through every day now with usually no accidents. Its not perfect yet but I am so impressed that it has only been about 5 days and we got this down. My can do attitude has been restored. That was a tough one. haha

Another adventure we had lately was cutting down this tree in our back yard. Before anyone goes all "tree hugger" on me it had berries on it that would have made my kiddo really sick so it was a half to go. We also have one more that is going to go of the same kind. I cant wait to fill that space with a few fruit trees and someday have some wonderful summer treats. Anyway back to the chopping of the tree. Jim basically did that whole tree by himself with that little axe. So impressed. That was a big job and then we had to chop the rest of the tree apart in order to move the tree off our baby grass we are trying to grow. Now we have a few spaces we are going to have to replant some grass but our backyard is looking so nice.

Xander and I get the opportunity on Tuesday nights to go and watch Jim play Ultimate Frisbee. He is so great at it and it is fun to watch. For those of you who dont know it is kind of like football mixed with basketball but with a frisbee. Its an awesome game. We love to go and be supportive to him. Its hard at times to even keep Xander off the field. I can see him learning to play this one soon with Jim. Hes already got a pretty good throw for a soon to be 3 year old and is getting the catching down. 

Sometimes Jim scares me with his Jumps and Dives for that little piece of plastic but the wounds always heal with a little TLC and then hes back at it again.

I love my charmed life. Its is exactly what I need and I know my Heavenly Father knows that. I only hope that other people can look past the scorching sun, raging winds, potty training mishaps, bug bites, poison berries and sports injuries in your own life and pick out the things that really matter. Because when the sun goes down and your safe in your own home, I hope all the things that really matter are safe at home with you. I know mine are. I would never want it any other way. 

The artist in us.

“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up.” -Pablo Picasso

I saw this wonderful quote an it started my mind off on a tangent of all the things that I had the option of being and how I got to where I did. Early on Jim and I made a promise to never tell Xander he couldn't do a sport or take an instrument that he wanted or really any hobby but rather to encourage him to try as many different ones as possible to find a true passion. Children are naturally gifted with so many talents. They are a blank canvas waiting to soak up all that we can show them and turn it into a masterpiece. I remember when I was very young I was so in love with singing. Not only that but I had the confidence to go with it. I also remember the day that I was told by a fellow choir member to not sing so loud in a very hurtful way. Now this shouldn't have had an affect on me. But for whatever reason my confidence in my singing disappeared very quickly and still to this day it is terrifying for me to sing infront of an audiance. This peer had no idea the lasting impact of those few words and though it shouldn't have impacted me so, it did. I still love to sing however it's difficult when I am worried about being to loud for those around me. 

I wonder how many people have hidden talents and loves that they wish so badly to show to the world but for whatever reason can't. I wonder how many children because of a peer or sadly sometimes because of a family member never have the opportunity to shine because there confidence is hurt. 

Xander has found a love for singing. He sings all the time and makes up songs as he goes. It warms my heart. We were out for dinner tonight and he started singing at the top of his lungs along with the radio. I can only hope and pray that the people around him help me encourage him in his love for whatever he chooses so he can grow and excel. I know as a parent that my part is large. I also know that as hard as I try mine will not and can not be the only influence on him. My goal is to build that confidence strong in all aspects of his life so when those people do come to drag him down he can be fortified and withstand whatever they can throw. So whether he wants to be a soccer star or a singer, an art major or a construction worker the options are as endless as the sands in the sea and I can't wait to watch an cheer him on in his efforts.