The Stockings are Hung

And the Wiebes are nestled, all snug in our bed (well, most of them...)

 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!!!

Merry Christmas from The Wiebes!

Dear Friends and Family (and the rest of the online world!):

I had every intention this year of sending out, via good ol' Canada Post, Christmas cards.  But alas, I didn't get around to it, so my neglected blog gets to be the medium of our Christmas greetings this year.

We have had a challenging, hectic, busy year, but have been so blessed through it all. We started the year still living at my parent's home, where we had been since we finished school in May, 2010.  Since May 2011 we have moved four times, finally, just three weeks ago, ending up in a condo in Cougar Ridge, in Calgary, where we intend to stay for a while.

Since graduation Jared has been working to become accredited in Canada. In May we packed up and moved to Victoria for Jared to attend Spring term at the University of Victoria. We moved back to my parents in July, and waited for the results of his course work.  Jared successfully gained accreditation and in August he started his first legal job as a Student at Law at a small firm in down town Calgary.  He is enjoying his work and really happy to be putting all his hard work to use. In October we moved our whole family into the one bedroom basement suite of a home we own. At the beginning of December we finally emptied our storage unit, with boxes unopened for 2 years, and moved permanently into our current home. 

This year I also completed my training to become a Doula (a professional birth attendant).  I have been so blessed to be a part of so many births. The miracle of birth continues to amaze me, and working as a doula is a perfect way to put my passion for empowering birth to use.

I still have horses, which I try to ride as much as possible, but not nearly as much as I would like to.  They bring me a lot of joy, not to mention good exercise!

Both boys are growing far too fast.  Eli is as busy as can be, constantly on the move, gathering all sorts of treasures for "projects."  He is such a caring, loving boy, and a wonderful big brother.  He is so smart, always impressing adults around him at ability and willingness to share his knowledge. His favourite colour is "golden,"  he loves his mommy, daddy and Silas, LEGO, and his pony, Princess.

Silas is a constant joy in our little family.  Although he is the spiting image of his father, he seems to be developing the strong will of his mother!  He does exactly what he wants, when he wants, and refuses to be rushed into anything by anyone.  His language development continues to amuse the rest of us, with Eli being his greatest interpreter.  In the last three months he has potty trained, weaned, and begun sleeping in his own room, sharing a bed with his big brother. We can't believe how big our baby is getting.

Speaking of babies... we are expecting Wiebe #3 in the new year.   Due in April, we are especially glad to finally be settled in our own home, because we are planning to have a home water birth, attended by the wonderful midwife who was with us for Eli's birth. We are not finding out what we are having, and will be thrilled no matter what. (And yes, I'm still riding horses, even though I'm pregnant!)

We hope that everyone has been blessed as much as we have been this year.  Despite the craziness of our lives, we have been able to take a few minutes this season to contemplate just how blessed we are to have a loving Father in Heaven and Saviour, Jesus Christ, as Jared and I played Mary and Joseph in the Heritage Park Nativity Pageant this past week.  Tonight, as we act out a far less professional version of the same story, with Jared's extended family, we hope our children will also be able to feel the real spirit of Christmas, the spirit of Christ.

Blessings to you all,

Jared, Jenny, Eli and Silas

Candy Cane Cookies

Okay, one reason I haven't been blogging of late (other than the fact that I haven't had internet in my home for two months, I've moved twice since October, I'm 23 weeks pregnant, and it is the Christmas season, which means I'm ridiculously busy...) is because I have been cooking (and a little un-cooking) up a storm!  Believe me, the creations coming from my kitchen have been delectable.  For the first time in years I actually succeeded at whipped shortbread.  I don't think Michigan was meant for shortbread, but Calgary sure is. I've gotten most of my recipes from cookbooks, but I did want to share with you one little specialty that Eli and I created, straight from the kitchen of the Wiebes!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies (ya, we're working on a more concise name)

Trust me, these are delicious!

So, here you have it, my none to brilliant, but totally addicting method.  First of all, pick your favourite oatmeal cookie recipe.  It really doesn't matter which one. If the recipe calls for raisins, nix them and add chocolate. Lots of chocolate.  And candy canes.  Who doesn't love candy canes?  I bough a pack of die and HFCS free ones, so I even feel like these cookies are healthy (ha!). Then, while the cookies are cooking, use a bit of the crushed candy canes you used in the cookies to make a glaze.  While they are still hot poor a little glaze on each cookie, wait for them to cool, and ENJOY!!! Seriously, you won't regret it.

So, while you probably can find a oatmeal cookie recipe all of your own, here's the one I used, with the Christmas modifications:

Cookies:
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups WW Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats 
1 cup chocolate chips
6 crushed candy canes - divided

Glaze:
In blender mix - 
Remainder of your candy canes
1 1/2 cups of icing sugar
3-4 tbsp milk (you want it thin enough to drizzle)


Cream butter and brown sugar.  Mix in egg.  Sift together flour, BS and salt, and slowly add to mixture. Mix in oats.  Once well combined mix in chocolate chips and most of the candy canes (I pulsed mine in my blender until they were in small pieces.  Then I dumped most of them into the cookie mixture, leaving a little and all the powdered stuff in the blender to make the glaze.)   

Form into balls and flatten.  Cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack.  While still warm, drizzle the glaze over each cookie.  Wait for it to cool and ENJOY!!!


I promise to update a little more on the Christmas happenings of the Wiebes.  Stay posted, and enjoy this last week before Christmas!

Catch up

Kay, let's pretend I haven't been sick all week with no motivation to blog (not, I have been grateful, I just haven't felt like blogging.)
So, today I play catch up:

#18 - I am grateful for my dad and husband who went out in -17 degree weather to pick up my new-to-me couch and drop it off at our new house.  Yeah!!!

#19 - I am grateful for my father-in-law, who despite my ignorance of all his tools lets me use his wood shop to make all sorts of things.  We spent Saturday working on the boy's Christmas present, which I'm so excited for.  Another afternoon or two and it will be ready for the big night!

#20 - I am grateful for my sister Chloe, who despite my crankiness stands in the cold for two hours to take family pictures. 

#21 - This is silly, but I am grateful for Avatar.  No, not the blue people, but the cartoon, "Avatar: The Last Airbender."  I was so sick that day and Avatar allowed me to get in an extra nap.

#22 - I am grateful for good health. Especially after being sick, it feels so much better to feel better, even if it's just a little bit.

#23 - I am grateful for my mom and her house (which Silas still yells "My house" every time we drive up to it).  We spent the day Christmas decorating, listening to Roger Whittaker, and enjoying the season, and I loved it!

#24 - And, back to the present, today I am very thankful for the condo we will be living in this time next week. The basement suite is getting a little cramped, and with no furniture, keeping it clean is like keeping a garden clean in the middle of a hurricane.  I love the condo, and I don't even live their yet!

Egg Nog and Mandarin Oranges

Today I am most thankful for egg nog and mandarin oranges.  Actually, each of these deserves it's own day, but I'll throw them together and love them all the more.  I'm also grateful that they are only available for 2 months of the year, because otherwise I may take them for granted and not be aware of just how wonderful they are.  I think next year I am going to have to save up for a Egg Nog and Mandarin orange budget, because at $5 a carton and a box, we go through a lot of these Christmas joys.

Growing Up

Yes, I am 31 years old, I do have two kids and one on the way, I do own two houses and am married to a lawyer.  Still, there are some moments where I feel like I've just grown up a little bit more.  Today was one of those moments.  Being the 5th child of 8, I tend to get a lot of hand me downs.  Awesome! I love it.  Still, today, for the first time in our 7 year marriage, I bought my own couch.  Perhaps this is the first piece of significant furniture I have actually bought (I'm not counting the $150 Ikea kitchen table).  We started with couches from my sister Megan, which were my mother's before her.  The set was mismatched, because she had started recovering, and only gotten half way.  Then I decided to do the same, and only got as far as the pillows, so they were actually covered in three different fabrics. They were awesome.  Then, when we left for Michigan my mom gave us her 10 year old faded blue jean couches. They are actually really nice, but now they are 14 year old REALLY faded blue jean couches, and I'm afraid they won't look very nice in our nice new condo.  So, yesterday I took a big step and went out and bought a new-to-me leather couch.  Okay, so I got it for a song off Kijiji (I love Kijiji!) but still, no one gave it to me, and I feel so grown up.  I'm grateful for the moments of independence and grown-up-ness, and I'm grateful for the potential in the next few years of becoming even more so, with Jared working and all....

Midwives

I had an appointment with my midwives this morning. I am always grateful for the fact that I am able to deliver my babies with midwives.  Despite the less than ideal birth experiences that I have had, the fact that I have had midwives have saved the day both times.  I am excited to be planning another homebirth and am grateful for midwives that don't balk when I tell them for the third month in a row that no, I haven't gotten my blood work done, that no, I am not going to fill out the diet form telling them everything I've eaten for a week, that no, I don't want them to use the doppler to hear the baby's heart beat, and that no, I will not be having an ultrasound, even though I am 18 weeks pregnant.  I LOVE MIDWIVES!