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- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
This week our family shared our first camping trip! It was my third time camping EVER, and the first time I've ever hiked into a campsite, and Torre spent his first night in a tent with great success. Originally I had booked a day off work so that Matt could go camping with friends and I would stay home with Torre, but at the last minute some people decided not to go, and I asked Matt if it would be too crazy for me to jump in last minute (and by last minute I mean at 9:30pm the night before their 6am departure time!). Matt was up for it, and so was our friend Benson, so Matt rearranged the supplies to make one backpack as light as possible so I could carry it while wearing Torre on my front, we grabbed a couple hours of sleep and hit the road bright and early.
The campsite we reserved was an 8km hike from the trail head, but due to a road closure we had to leave the car at the park office and started our adventure with a "bonus hike" of about 2km. Matt set a quick pace so we could make it to our campsite before the rain that was forecast, although we stopped at a few lookouts on the way to take in the beautiful scenery.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
The Queen's Handmaid, by Tracy L. Higley follows an orphaned servant girl from Cleopatra's palace in Alexandria to Herod's seat of power in Jerusalem on a quest to deliver secret writings from the prophet Daniel that foretell the coming of a Messiah. Along the way she must elude the schemes of petty fellow-servants and the dark magic of those who want the scrolls to remain lost forever. With no idea of who her parents were, she is also on a personal journey to find her place in the world and her true identity as a child of God.
Before reviewing this book, I read another historical fiction novel by Higley titled Garden of Madness which I thought was fantastic (two reviews for the price of one!*). That book brought ancient Babylon to life through the eyes of a likeable character and a plot that featured romance, mystery and a great spiritual connection. I was hooked early into the story and followed all the twists with so much excitement. I was truly entertained and inspired by the tale, and for this reason I was so excited to review another novel by the same author.
Unfortunately, The Queen's Handmaid did not measure up to my expectations -
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
I've been in more of a reading phase than a writing phase for the last little while, soaking in books like sunshine. This feels like the Winter that won't let go, although I just came across an email I sent to a friend last May which referenced that Spring was just arriving. Is it possible that all my memories of sunshine in March and warmth in April are just wishful hallucinations?
Sure enough, before I even finished this post, we had more snow fall. But that is not the point :) I am looking forward to sharing some more book reviews in the next while, a fabulous recipe and hopefully at least one reflection on my experience of Lent this year. I have been thinking a lot this week about how self-care spirals out to positively affect so many aspects of our lives, but it is so tempting to neglect when we are under pressure because it seems negotiable. There may or may not be a post on this topic brewing in the back of my mind.
Where does self-care fit in your list of priorities? What does it entail for you?
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
I am in heavy facebook withdrawal, since I discovered tonight we have mice. Without a social media outlet for my horror/anxiety/all the developments (set a trap, mouse went for it but was only stunned and not killed, I had NO clue what to do with a stunned mouse, so instead of putting a jar over it or something to contain it, I just waited for the problem to go away, which it did - the mouse disappeared for a while, I re set the trap, saw it again, realized it might be building a nest under one of our book shelves (it is blocked off by a big cardboard box so torre can't pull the books off the shelves. I would SO MUCH RATHER him pull the books off the shelves all day every day than see ONE MORE MOUSE run across my floor.
I am too upset to close any of my brackets.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
Lent almost snuck up on me this year, until I saw a notice for the United church's pancake dinner the week before. I have only begun keeping Lent in the last few years, but I have always found it to be an excellent practice, good for me in many ways, so I am very happy that it didn't slip by! In the past I have marked Lent by fasting from meat on Fridays and one year I read through the entire Bible over the course of Lent. This year I am taking a break from facebook (including Candy Crush, which is the real sacrifice), and less than a week in I have already seen some ripple effects.
The most immediate change is that I have spent less time overall on the computer. I didn't see this coming, since facebook is far from my favourite way to spend time online. I thought that by avoiding facebook I'd be up to date on the blogs I follow, up to date on the blog posts I want to write, and all over the emails that I keep meaning to get to. Instead, I have been keeping busy with the real life busyness of marriage, work, parenting and ministry. I have written some emails, but I have also visited with family and friends in person, and that is great.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
I was thinking the other day whether Torre is at an advantage or disadvantage in being my first child. As a plus, he gets much more undivided attention than kids with siblings, everything he does is new and exciting and amazing because we've never seen a baby learn to walk or climb before. I have pretty high self-esteem and I'm sure much of that comes from the support and positive reinforcement I have enjoyed throughout my life from family and friends. Hopefully the same is true for Torre growing up - I want him to absorb all the amazement that we feel towards him and internalize it to always know that he is precious.
However, as the oldest, Torre is exposed to my least polished-by-motherhood self: my most selfish, most anxious, most inexperienced version of parenting. Obviously I'm doing my best, but I feel like I will improve and grow with time and experience, and any future children we have will benefit from that. Maybe I'm over-optimistic about the trajectory my personal growth is on, but I do think he's at a disadvantage in this sense. I thank God he's so resilient and cheerful and forgiving even after moments when I don't have the emotional stamina to put his wants before mine (he wants to be in my arms to see what's happening up on the counter, while I want supper to get made so I'm not hangry). For what it's worth, I think I do pretty well at putting his needs before my needs, but I feel like this can only digress into insecure ramblings. I'm a good mom, but I could be better, let's move on.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
It is Torre's birthday, and I'll not spend it blogging :P
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
A friend on facebook posted an article about this ad campaign to help single mothers, and I think it really relates to my last post on incarnation.
I don't spend time reading gossip magazines except for the headlines while I wait in line at Walmart, and I don't watch celebrity news either. But I think this is a great ad campaign because it highlights an important truth:
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
Incarnation is one of the strongest pillars the gospel has to offer: that God himself became a man and lived among us.
Incarnation is also one of the strongest demands of the gospel: if God has loved us enough to fully immerse himself in our world, then we as Christ-followers have no reason to hold ourselves back. The goal of the Christian life is not escaping this world, although the temptation to do so takes many forms, and it's easy to get off track.
I'm wondering today if I might be a little off track.
When Matt and I first moved to this apartment, one of our goals was incarnation - we prayerfully chose to move from a basement apartment in a rich neighbourhood to a building near our church that people tend to not move in to. We did not come here to be saints - the relationship with our former landlady had soured, and Matt's commute was almost an hour by transit, so there were practical reasons for moving closer, but our hearts' desire was also to contribute to transformation in our neighbourhood by our presence.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
Torre and I were having a dance party this afternoon, and one of the CDs I played is by an indie band called Under Everyone. Matt and I met this guy on our way out from a Jason Mraz concert, selling CDs for whatever people would pay. His band had come up to Toronto in a van and the CD money might go to cover gas money and it was very living-the-dream in a way that gives parents cold sweats. So we gave him $10 and listened to the CD in the car on the way home, and it was really fun! The CD is called Tropical Timez - it is kind of Jack Johnson meets Jason Mraz in style.