Thursday, December 31, 2009

Goodbye 2009...

It's sad to think that 2009 has come and gone, but there's so much to be thankful for! 

2009 was a year of many joys - our wedding in February certainly stands out, so does our fun honeymoon (and first trip together) to Cuba.  However, it was also a year of perseverance and prayer.  Our wedding didn't happen without some tearful, and somewhat stressful, nights of planning and last minute rushing around.  Moving out of the house wasn't easy for me, or my family, but it certainly brought us a lot closer together as a family.  My dog (di-oh-gi) went to move with a retired couple whose fitness regime has him 1.5 lbs lighter.

Overall, 2009 has been amazing and I'm looking forward to everything 2010 has in store!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

It's raining... Furniture! - Pt. 1

Boxing Day.  The day we'd been waiting for, and had circled and highlighted in our calendar for almost half a year, finally came.  Every time we saw something we liked for our new house, the Husband and I always convinced ourselves that waiting for boxing day would be worthwhile... and we were right!



The first piece of furniture we bought was a kitchen table (above, minus the chairs).  We'd seen the table a few months ago and instantly fell in love, with the table, not the price.  We wanted to purchase it then but because we waited, it saved us approximately $500.

The table is exactly what we are looking for and fits perfectly into the space we have available in our kitchen.  Kitchen table - check.  Next up... our washer and dryer.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Happy Christmas!

Tomorrow is Christmas day.  In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of gift buying and food stuffing, I'm trying to remind myself to be mindful of the true reason for the season - Jesus Christ.  Without his sacrifice 2000 years ago, I wouldn't be where I am today - blessed beyond measure and saved by grace.

Cheers to a wonderful Christmas!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Five Weeks!

We are exactly 5 weeks away from our Closing Date! 

We've been checking up on our house (every week - religiously!) for the past few months and have finally seen couples moving into the homes on our street.  In 5 weeks, we will be one of those new couples!  But until then, we have appliances to buy, unless we wanna eat bread & butter for every meal, and boxes to pack.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Joseph's Lullaby

Joseph's Lullaby | Mercy Me

Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest Your little head

Can you feel the weight of Your glory?
Do you understand the price?
Does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?

Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase Your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace

I believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my child

Go to sleep my Son
Baby, close Your eyes
Soon enough You'll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, sleep tight

Sometimes, when I sit down and actually think about it, I can't imagine how it might have felt to have been either Mary or Joseph those many years ago.  Engaged and in love, they were ready to tie the knot.  But when Mary miraculously became pregnant, I'm sure Joseph had his share of doubts, as would anyone in his situation.

But as a righteous man, he treated Mary with nothing but kindness and love, knowing that if he had taken up his rights to divorce her (which he easily could have), she would have been stoned to death.  Walk in obedience (though it must not have been easy), is what Joseph did.

The above song sends shivers down my arms every time I hear it knowing it was the Lord's presence upon Joseph those many years ago that enabled him to take Mary as his Wife and love Jesus as his own.  It's true, the Glory of Heaven was lying in his arms those many years ago...

"The Lord himself will give you a sign:
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,
and will call him Immanuel"
-Isaiah 7:14

Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches

We went to a party Saturday night and instead of making cupcakes, like I initially wanted to, we brought Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches!




They were fun to make, but a little difficult because the ice cream had to be the perfect hardness in order to 1) not melt inside the sandwich and 2) be sturdy (but not too hard to squish between the cookies) and still hold its shape.



Finding that perfect ice cream state took a while, but the cookie sandwiches turned out super cute!  In the end, it was a very simple and fun dessert idea!


Monday, December 21, 2009

Finito...

My present for my husand is D.O.N.E.  And while it took a good 6-7 hours to put together, I hope he'll appreciate the end result (and all the effort behind it)!  It's something I've been wanting to make him for a while now, but didn't have the time (or the motivation) to make until recently.  It's kinda hard for me to explain the reasoning behind it while having to skirt around the actual "gift" itself, but because he reads this blog, I won't be silly enough to say what it is and ruin the surprise.

T-minus 4 days until Christmas!


Thursday, December 17, 2009

Nutty Lessons

I used to think I was the Queen of Peanut Butter because of how much I ate it.  PB&J for breakfast was a daily routine throughout high school.  It changed to PB and bananas in university, but the PB played a crucial role in keeping me awake and energy-filled throughout the day.  But today, I learned something new.

I was asked to babysit my friend's kids this morning, waking them up, helping them change and getting them ready for school.  Breakfast consisted of my favourite, PB&J on a toasted pita.  Simple enough, right?  Wrong!  I turned (what I thought was) an easy breakfast into a sloppy and sticky mess.  I didn't realize spreading PB onto a freshly toasted pita would melt like butter.  And boy did it. 

But thankfully, the kid eating it enjoyed it none the same.  Lesson learned: let the pita cool down..

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I take that back...

I'm an awesome gift giver!  I spent that last 2 hours at the mall (sweating... never wear a full winter outfit to the mall!) checking off my to-buy list, one by one.  I have a couple of pictures to print, 2 more gifts to buy and I am done - a Secret Santa gift for this Saturday and a gift for my little brother.  I think I've figured out the brother dilemma.  I will buy him... a mac mouse for his laptop!  Everyone needs a mouse right?! (Meanwhile, my own mouse is collecting dust at the bottom of some box at home.)  But I'm sure he'll use his.  I'm sure of it.

Gift-giving...

I've never been the best gift giver.  I like receiving gifts (who doesn't?), but when it comes to giving gifts, there's so much pressure to find the perfect gift.  For example, my younger brother.  If he wants something, he purchases it.  No questions asked, no hesitation.  Like his Macbook.  An impulsive buy, yes, but he needed it, so he bought it.  Unfortunately, it doesn't leave me much wiggle room to figure out what to get him. 

And like my last post, I'm all about the homemade/handmade gifts.  But not everyone is!  Something that seems thoughtful or personal to me can come across as super cheap to someone else.  But when did buying a gift turn into purchasing the biggest and the best [insert modern expensive gift name here]?  Who says a gift has to be expensive to be worthy of being called a  good Christmas gift? 

Or maybe it's just me.  Maybe I feel like this because I have so trouble buying gifts...

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Homemade Christmas Gifts

I am a total fan of homemade gifts.  Not only are they cheaper than purchasing gifts, they're fun to make!  My mom has a sugary sweet almond recipe that I've wanted to get my hands on for some time now, and I finally did!



It didn't take long to cook the almonds and sprinkling them (generously, might I add) with sugar.  Once that was done, they were ready to be packed!  And after cutting, filling and tying them with ribbon, the Christmas gifts for my girl friends are done!



If only finding a Christmas gift for my husband, in-laws and family were that simple.  There are still 10 days left until Christmas so I've gotta get cracking!


Monday, December 14, 2009

Cupcakes!

I love Cupcakes.  And who wouldn’t? Last week I baked some for a Children's Christmas Party and while the recipe was new, it was certainly a keeper. It was a simple recipe, yet jam packed with rich flavour and, sadly, calories (but trust me when I say they’re worth every single one).  But even if they weren't, it's Christmas time, and calories this time of year don't count!



This coming weekend, I'm baking desserts for another Christmas Party, but instead of cupcakes, I'm going to try my hand at cookie making - Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches to be exact.  When I mentioned it to my husband, he was all for it (more so than when I make cupcakes).



Oh, and if you're wondering WHY I put so much icing on a mini-cupcake, my motto is: cupcake ratios should always be 1:1.  Yup, that's right.  Can't you tell, I'm a sugar junkie!


Saturday, December 12, 2009

One Year Older...

Today is my birthday!  This is the first year that I am able to actually celebrate because I am no longer in school.  Most years, birthdays were considered study days so no celebrating would ensue, but not this year!  My Husband has planned a surprise DAY for us that will begin very soon (once he wakes up - haha).

Happy Weekend!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Who Needs Exercise...

when you have a driveway of snow to shovel?!  Certainly not me! 

Yesterday, my Husband and I came home to a driveway enterance piled with a foot high of partially frozen snow.  It forced us to park on the road and shovel for a good long time. Believe me, my muscles can attest to it.  At least our townhouse driveway will be half (or even less than) my in-laws driveway now... so I'm not complaining one bit.  No siree.  And it's a good thing my Husband is a good sport about shoveling! 

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Countdowns...

1 more day until my Birthday!
14 more days until Christmas!
20 more days until New Years!
47 more days until our New Home!! 

Super exciting times ahead!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

A Non-Holiday Closing Date... *sob*

I am sad.  Sad that our closing date is late January 2010 and not... today, tomorrow, or even next week.  Our intial closing date was supposed to be September 2009, meaning we would have had ample time to move in and start decorating our new home just in time for Christmas.  Sadly, a very unwanted letter arrived announcing our delayed closing date.

And now that the Christmas Season is in full effect, I can't help but wish I had a house of my own to decorate.  A wreath on the door is a must and so is a real Chrismtas tree, at least for the first year!  I would have stocked our cupboards with hot chocolate and hot apple cider, with marshmallows and cinnamon sticks within easy reach! 

Unfortunately, that won't happen.  The only Christmas decoration we have is our Advent Chocolate Calendar, sitting a top piles of clothes.  But on the bright side, at least I can stock up on Christmas decorations for next year during Boxing Day!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

What's In a Name?

Journey 2 Becoming... represents my life, right now.  My journey to becoming a Wife began in February, but that was only the beginning.  My journey to becoming a cook, a (one day) mother, a home owner... and the list continues, officially begins in 1.5 months, when my Husband and I spread our wings and move into our very first home.

It's exciting, but also so very nerve-wracking.  What if I can't cook?  Are nutella and bread still considered healthy and nutritious if they're eaten at every meal?  And cleaning.  I've never had to clean anything bigger than my bedroom, and now I'm responsible for a townhouse, with a garage and backyard!

It scares me, but I guess that's why I started this blog.  Hopefully my writing about the trials and triumphs of being a young newlywed, who hopes to one day be a domestic diva, will prove to be as theraputic as I imagine.  At least I hope it will.