Cloud 9

Arden spent a lot of her time in her first couple months in her "cloud." It was a handy place to put her during the day, since the bassinet was upstairs. She loved napping, looking out the window and just hanging out.

The cloud - bathtub + sheepskin + blankies

All warm and cozy in the Kensington house

Looking towards the light

Naptime

Napping while the roofers are roofing and the wood is being delivered. This girl is pretty good at sleeping through anything!

Napping during a stroll along the beach.

Tummy nap

Ah, bliss.

Sleeping feet

First smiles

Here are some of the first smiles we were able to catch on camera!

1 month old!

These were taken June 17th - Arden's 1 month birthday

The first month

Here are a few pictures from Arden's first month of life at our house in Kensington.

Arden having a nap in her "cloud" - aka the bathtub lined with a sheepskin!

Cuddle time with Mama

Kicking about in the cloud

Bath time! Generally well tolerated

Raising the flag at our new house in Wheatley River!

Arden's first picnic!

On the holiday Monday and my birthday (May 24), we took Arden down to Rackham's Pond for her first picnic!

A beautiful sunny day!

Here we are under the apple tree in blossom!

She slept through most of the picnic :)

Our beautiful girl!

Introducing Arden Leigh!

Arden Leigh was born May 17, 2010 at 8:48 am, weighing 7 pounds and 1 ounce! She's been keeping us happily busy the last four and a half months.

guiding values

At last, our first house is on the horizon! Did I mention it's a little scary? But also exciting, in that laying-awake-at-night-thinking-up-bathroom-colours kind of way. I want our home to be beautiful, comfortable and inviting, in a way that reflects who we are and what we value.

In this whole buying and renovation process, it's easy to get carried away looking at new furniture and rows of paint chips, the Ikea catalogue, what's stylish now in decorating magazines, the latest and greatest in home comforts, and basically all the cool stuff we could buy if money were no object. Of course, money is an object. And there are other considerations I don't want to lose sight of.

Beyond picking a paint colour, I need to consider what values we're putting into our new home and our new life there. Some of these come from my own upbringing, my family environment, and things that I've admired in others. As Christians, we are also called to live a certain way, and I believe that extends to how we set up and manage our home. Here's a quick list of guiding values that come to mind:

simplicity
contentment
thrift
hospitality
comfort
refuge
peace
beauty
creativity


And I know there will be little conflicts along the way. How do I balance a call to simple, economical living with the desire to fill my home with beautiful, nicely arranged things? How do I make a large space feel comfy and cozy? Do we make do with old furniture, or spend money on newer, good quality items? How can I open my home to others while maintaining a private refuge for our family? How can use our home in seeking and serving the kingdom of God and his righteousness?

Just some thoughts as May 28th gets closer . . .

two years!

Hello . . . anybody there?

I've decided to come back to this blog after almost 2 years of absence. I've still been posting on Red Letters and a little on Red Letters Theology, but I haven't had the time or the inclination to think or write about homekeeping. But things are changing.

School is over, and last June we moved from Ontario to PEI. We've spent the last year or so renting a house in Kensington, but we're about to take the giant leap of buying our very own home! We are definitely tired of renting, and we've been blessed with the finances to get a mortgage, so we're taking the plunge! Our closing date is May 28th.

Our new home is in the little village of Wheatley River. It's an older home on a third of an acre, built in 1913. It needs some work before it's livable - including a new roof, electrical upgrades, new furnaces, new porch, new bathroom. You know, minor details. Oh, and some of the wallpaper has got to go! It's a little daunting to think of how much needs to be done, but I'm excited to make it our own and make it a home.

As for other major life changes - we're having a baby! I'm due in less than a week, on May 17th. So this is definitely going to be a busy season. Stay tuned.