Soccer

I’m very happy to be able to tell you that watching Berry Boy play soccer got much more entertaining as the season progressed.

I even took some pictures:

(he’s the cute blonde in the black shorts and the blue pinny over his jersey)

Little dude had some sweet moves…

and he wasn’t even too bad in goal…

Now, what cracks me up about that picture of him in goal is the expression on his face:

That is some serious Game-Face.  It kind of reminds me of this guy:

These pictures were taken at the last Church Picnic Sack Race Championship.  As you can see, this is serious competition. 

Observe:

I think there’s a strong family resemblance, don’t you?

Eleven

Today, 11 years ago, I got all gorgeous , put on a simple but fabulous white dress, an extra long veil, and walked down a church aisle to marry Berry Guy.

It was an excellent day, even when the side zipper on my dress split from top to bottom during our pictures before our ceremony and I had to be sewn in to the dress with fishing line.  Even with that, it was a fabulous day.

I can’t imagine being married to anyone else.  Quite frankly, I don’t know who else would put up with me.  I love the way he teases me and harasses me, and the ways that he takes care of stuff around the yard and house.  I love it when he washes the cutlery because he knows that I hate it.  I love it when he wrestles with the boys and plays “sleepysaurus”, and I love it that when I make a new, less-than-spectacular meal, he’ll eat it and never flat out say that it sucked (although there may be some mocking later on…)

Our anniversary plans were derailed due to a serious shortage of babysitters, so I’m salvaging the weekend by baking him an Oreo Cheesecake (his favourite) and by making him pick up take-out pizza from the *local* pizza place (my favourite - and I’m still not sure if it’s a good thing that they can recognize my voice right away when I call in…).  I don’t mind a quiet evening at home with the cheesecake one I love, and I’m looking forward to relaxing on the couch in front of the fire with a movie.  And the cheesecake Berry Guy.

Mushy Mondays

Berry Guy

You made my heart melt…

when I asked you to get the boys breakfast after I was up re-settling Berry Baby for half an hour during the night, and you let me sleep in a bit, gave the boys breakfast, changed Berry Baby’s diaper and dressed both the boys, and did the multitude of dishes left over from last night’s fun with company.  You really blessed me this morning.

 

I love it… 

when you take time to be with the boys

and share your ice cream

and love them

and make them wooden rifles (and pistols and shotguns)

and make up crazy games with them

like “magic circle” (among others)

 

You amazed me…

when you arranged overnight child care for the boys and planned a romantic night away for the two of us, with supper at my favorite restaurant and a night at my favorite resort.  I’m so excited for our night away (a night of uninterrupted sleep is BLISS at this point)

 

I am blessed…

to have been married to such a wonderful man for the last 10 years.

Mushy Mondays

*sigh*

I just think this is worth showing again.

Thankful Thursday

I have a special list today. I thought it could wait until Mushy Monday, but it just really can't. So here goes:
I am thankful, as always, for that first cup of strong black coffee made from freshly ground beans in my stainless steel thermal coffee press (and no, being thankful for coffee never gets old, especially when Berry Baby is determined to have excruciatingly long night wakings at odd hours of the night...I will never be tired of being thankful for coffee)

For antibiotics to take care of Bronchitis, and for not sweating, shivering, and aching the night away last night for the first time in the last week

But MOSTLY, today I am thankful for Berry Guy.
I am thankful for our (almost) 10 years of marriage
I am thankful for marrying a man who loves God, who loves me, and who is an amazing father to our boys
I am thankful that he is amazingly thoughtful
And I am thankful that he totally cannot keep a gift secret for any length of time, which is why I get to wear this...
...already, even though our 10th anniversary isn't until February.
I am thankful for the thought that he put in to having this made just for me - 10 stones for 10 years of wedded bliss *wink*, 3 of which are the October birth stone (because he and both the boys were all born in October) - the largest one for him, the medium one for Berry Boy, and the smaller one for Berry Baby.
I'm thankful that he still, after 10 years, calls me "precious" - and makes me feel so.


"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth...Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together" (Ps. 34:1 & 3)

Mushy Mondays

Berry Guy

You Melted My Heart...
when after 2 and a half days of grumpy wife (I blame hormones) you came home with a stunning bouquet of roses because we had gotten engaged 10 years ago at (approximately) this time. You are amazing.

I love...
that you remember random things like this. especially when I'm being tired and grumpy and not quite like the girl you proposed to 10 years ago.

Berry Boy

I Love...
your drawings (of Ninja Turtles) and how you love to show me the things that you do.

You make me laugh...
when we're eating supper and you *gasp* and say "hoh, I'm almost done" when there is still at least 3/4 of your food left on your plate, and then you "count" to see how many forkfuls you have left

I really enjoy...
reading to you before bed in front of the wood stove, because you like how warm it is right there.

Berry Baby

I think it's funny...
that you hold your spoon or fork very diligently in one hand while you shovel food into your mouth with the other

You are too cute when...
you walk (or totter) around with your bear firmly clutched in one hand...

when you see your bear, grab him, and make happy "cooing" noises at him...

when you see your bear laying on the floor and you bend down to pick him up but end up laying on the floor burying your face into his body...
(basically when you do anything relating to your bear)

Mushy Mondays

Berry Boy

You melted my heart...

when I was trying to settle Berry Baby for his first nap sans soother, and you came in after half an hour of crying with your blue stuffed elephant to give to Berry Baby to help him stop crying. You are such a wonderful big brother.

You made me laugh...

when you told me that your friend was wearing cowboy boots to Kindergarten and that he couldn't run very well, and I said that it must be tough to run in cowboy boots, to which you replied "yup, that's why they use horses."

when you were walking around the house saying "fishing to complice" over and over, and when I asked you what you were talking about, you told me that that was what they said on "Animal Mechanical" at the end of the show - I suggested that perhaps they were actually saying "mission accomplished" (lol)

I love...

that you are almost as excited as your Dad about the "swamper camper"

when you come up to me at random times, wrap your arms around any available part of my body and tell me that you love me.

Berry Baby

My heart melts...

when I am getting ready to put you to bed and I give you your stuffed blue elephant, and you grab for him and make happy cooing sounds at him as you squish him to your face, and then hold him back and look at him.

when I am holding you while you're drinking your bottle, and you pull it out of your mouth and *offer* to stick it into mine - you're starting to be a good *sharer* :)

You astounded me...

when you decided that this "walking thing" looked pretty good, and decided to do it all on your own, with no encouragement from anyone, at the tender age of 11months, and you looked SO PROUD of yourself

Berry Guy

You made me swoon...

when I came home from a night away to find that you had the dishes done (almost - you were in the process) and the floor vaccuumed, and even the highchair cleaned up.

I love...

how excited you are about your "swamper camper" and how nicely it is all coming together. I love it when you get to pursue one of your MANY ideas.

Mushy Mondays

Berry Boy

I love
the way you can make a 1-syllable word into a 2-syllable word...like "corn" becomes "coren".

the way you exclaim "hoh" at the beginning of your sentences, just like a good little mennonite boy (as in "hoh, that's a nice Bobcat" or "hoh, this is a great meal mom" or "hoh, that's a deep hole"...)

that you're concerned about your hair looking "cool" and after I style it for you, you spend the rest of the day touching it to make sure it's still "cool"

the way that you compliment my clothes (as in "hoh, I like that green sweater a lot mom")

You made me laugh

when your Kindergarten teacher came for your home visit and asked if you were excited to go to Kindergarten, and you told her "well, I've already been to Kindergarten before" like it was so last week, been-there-done-that (because you'd gone ONCE for your Kindergarten orientation day)

when you were waiting at the kitchen window for the guy with the Bobcat to come around the house to dig a hole in the backyard, and you said "hoh that Bobcat is sure wasting time" because he was taking too long (or you were too impatient)

Berry Baby

You terrify me

with your standing independently and your walking-along-furniture skills, because I'm pretty sure it means you will be walking before your first birthday

You melt my heart

when you snuggle in for your bottle and finger your hair above your ear, and then finger the hair above MY ear (and then shove your finger into my nose...ok, that's slightly less heartwarming, but still cute)

when you crawl over to me with a big toothy smile on your face, grab my knee and bite/slobber all over my knee and pants

Berry Guy

I love

seeing you and Berry Boy go out to work on the "swamper camper" or the Jeep. He loves working with you so much.

seeing you wrestle with Berry Baby and encourage him to walk

sitting with you on the couch, listening to your plans for your current project, or talking about the boys and their antics.

Mushy Mondays

Berry Baby

You made me laugh...

when your brother fed you Saskatoon Berries, and you liked them so much you wanted to eat the bowl itself, and were lunging over your brother to get some more

I love...

how you're growing, all the new things you are learning and trying, and how happy and fun you are being for your special Grandma.

Berry Boy

You made me laugh so hard...

when you were biking all over the yard in your broken ski goggles on your pink bike

when you showed up at the side of my bed at the unearthly hour of 6:45am and told me that you *needed* to get out to the shop because "your" workers were here - and you ended up beating your favorite worker to work two mornings in a row

when I met you on my way to the shop at 8am, and you insisted that you had already had breakfast, and when I asked you what you had eaten, you told me you'd had berries, and then were offended when I ordered you to the house to have a "real" breakfast

I'm so proud of you...

for being such an enthusiastic helper and working with our workers - you are becoming such a big boy

Berry Guy

I love....

that the harvest is going better than you had hoped and that you have such a nice sparkle in your eye

that you are enjoying being around the farm full time

how hard you work to get this incredible crop off, and how you encourage me to keep going even though I would like to quit often :)

Mushy Mondays

Berry Baby

I love...

that you're such a go-getter. you want to be on the move so badly and it's so fun seeing you crawl and get into trouble, and then grin at me with your toothy little grin

that all you want to do right now is stand, because it's "new"

that I came to re-settle you for your nap for the THIRD time and you were proudly standing in your crib, absolutely pleased with yourself that you had finally done it

Berry Boy

I laughed...

when we were trapped in the car with you and you were *singing* "chicken playing a guitar" over and over in a very annoying way, and when I told you to please stop singing "chicken playing a guitar", you obeyed, and instead began to sing "Transformer playing a guitar" over and over (I can't accuse you of not listening)

I love...

that you run outside in your pj's first thing in the morning because your Dad is there working somewhere on the yard

that when I ask you to give me "five more minutes" of sleep in the morning you *usually* do and entertain Berry Baby for me

that you told me we were "having a special day huh?" when we went up to the lake yesterday and did basically nothing, but you were still having fun just being with us

that you *work* really hard with your Dad and *your* workers

Berry Guy

I love...

spending time with you at the lake, sitting on the beach, doing nothing at all

driving in the car with you, talking with you and enjoying being with you, and laughing at your sense of humour while the boys are crashed in the backseat

that you have time off work this year for the berry harvest - you are so much more relaxed about the season this year and it's a pleasure for me to see you like that

that you do jobs for me, like weedwhacking, which you don't really want to do but do anyway

Mushy Mondays

Berry Baby

I love...
That you are so excited to sleep with your big brother that you giggle and scream for 20 minutes at bedtime until your brother has to come and ask me to take you out of the room so that he can go to sleep (ok, ok, it was completely frustrating for the first two days, but I'm over it)

That you "insist" on "sharing" our food, even though you have had a complete meal of your "own" food

Your chubby chubby thighs - I love squishing them with my hands and making you giggle

Berry Boy

I love...

That you like sleeping with Berry Baby so much that it even eclipsed sleeping in the tent trailer with your Dad

The way you say "come oonnnn" and "how cool is THAT"

The way you are always telling me that you're a "good helper huh?" while you're helping me or your Dad

Berry Guy

I love...

they way you tease me because it says that you love me

your sense of humour

the way you enjoy working on the farm - I'm so excited that you get to take time off this year to do the things you want to do with harvest

Mushy Mondays

Berry Boy

I love it when you...

say "perkfect" (instead of "perfect") and "puffets" (instead of "puppets" - you will probably go to kindergarten with the worst speech impediments as I refuse to correct you on these things because I think it's too adorable)

wrestle with your baby brother and make him laugh

say "thank you Mom" spontaneously for little things, like taped episodes of "Gofrette"

You made me laugh when...

you told me that a cereal bar was "perkfect" for a 4yr old boy for breakfast

you told me I wasn't having a "happy heart" when I spanked you

you sang "I love you Lord, and I lift my boy..." (instead of "voice" lolol!)

I realised you were growing up some more...

when you told me that you no longer "needed" your "special little blanket" (I tried to insist that yes, you did so still need it...but I couldn't convince you)

Berry Baby

I love it when you...

sleep through the night - you can do this as MUCH as you like, I don't mind at all (just wish you would clue in and do it all the time)

get excited with your ENTIRE body

You made me laugh when...

I fed you chicken for the first time and you crammed it into your mouth so fast you could hardly chew, but still had more in your fist ready to be crammed in with the rest of it (nice to know my cooking skills haven't gone unappreciated)

you fell asleep in your crib...sitting up (lol) I watched you as your body relaxed, started to tip, straightened up, relaxed, tipped...it was too funny.

you found your reflection in the fridge and were so excited to get closer that you banged your nose into the fridge

Berry Guy

I love the way you...

have to immediately set up the new pool and slip-n-slide for Ryan, even though it's after supper and the forcast is for rain the next 4 days

let Berry Boy eat your food with you - you're a "good sharer"

Thank you...

for the new pool

for taking Berry Boy to the shop to work with you and make boxes - you're doing a great job teaching him how to work

Mushy Mondays

Berry Baby

I love it when you...

rest your head against my cheek when you're tired

shriek with excitement when your Dad comes home

sit up immediately after I lay you down in bed and give me your goofy grin (ok, actually this frustrates the crap out of me, but you're too cute doing it and I'm never going to win, so I will just have to love it)

muck around in your crib until you get so tired that you basically pass out

I'm thankful...

for your chubby cheeks and legs and happy smile

that you have made huge improvements in the crying department

that you were born (because let's be honest, for a while there I was not so thankful for this)

Berry Boy

I love the way...

you are so great with younger kids - this also makes you a fabulous big brother

you say "concreek" (instead of concrete) and "Pirates of the Commudian" (instead of Caribbean)

tell me that you are no longer afraid of bees, even though I know that you are

you sleep on your back with one leg crossed over the opposite knee

You almost made me snort coffee up my nose when you...

were "reading" the Bible and you said "and then Jesus turned 4 and they gave him presents - one was gold, one was plastic..."

I'm thankful...

for your great imagination

for the way you care about your little brother

that you love spending time "working" with your Dad and that you want to do/be everything your Dad does/is (Dr Dobson would be proud)

Berry Guy

I love...

that you play games with Berry Boy such as "sleepysaurus" which involves you being able to lay down, and "asteroid" which involves you kicking balls at Berry Boy while he is wrapped in a thermarest (you are the most creative Dad I know)

that you let Berry Boy "help" you work on the Jeep and the "concreek"

that you are a good leader and organizer - you always have plenty of neat ideas

that you do things for me, like hanging a brand new front door (I love it - it looks amazing)

when you come home and say "hey Precious"

I'm thankful...

that you are my husband

that you provide for us in a job you don't really like doing, but you do it diligently and with integrity