Christmas has arrived in our home!

The day after U.S. Thanksgiving, it is finally here...you know what that means! It is time for Christmas!!!! I have finished putting up all of our decorations, we just have to get our tree tomorrow!! I can't wait!
Christmas to us, means goodies, family time, games (bring on the monopoly), Christmas movies like 'The Muppet's Christmas Carol', looking at Christmas lights in parks, spotting other families Christmas trees while driving, singing Christmas carols, listening to Christmas music, gift shopping; which is going to be a blast this year (buying for our own little baby boy), tons of baking (mmmmm...I love Christmas baking), Christmas Cantata's, and everything else that you do at Christmas time!! We are just praying for a White Christmas!!!!!!
Christmas is our favorite time of the year!! We are going to get our tree tomorrow, so I will put up some pictures asap!!!!

Decorating for Christmas!!

I started decorating for Christmas today!!! Joshua was having a blast! He wanted to see every single thing that I took out of the bins:) Especially the decorations that played music or light up! The look on his face was priceless! We are already having soooo much fun with Joshua's 1st Christmas!

I can't wait until Saturday when we get our Christmas tree with Christopher, Melissa and the kidies.

Last night we were talking about getting our tree (i.e. about calling to see how much they are, how big we should get, etc.), and Nathan spoke up to ask..."How are we going to cut the tree down?" I said "with a SAW!!!!" Nathan almost seemed worried that he doesn't have a chain saw to cut it down with. Now, if you don't know Nathan(which if you are reading this blog I am sure you do), he LOVES power tools (as do all of the Ravert guys). I said that we would be fine, and that they will probably have a good old fashioned saw at the tree farm that we could borrow. He was ok with the idea, but he assured me that it won't be like what they used to do...his Dad always brought his chain saw to cut down their tree.

What can I say, I'm married to a Ravert, and I absolutely LOVE it :) :) :) :)

Merry Christmas, Love you all!!

When times are just rough...

Times can just get tough...we ask, why does God allow this? What have I done wrong that would cause this to happen in my life? Rough times don't mean that you have done something wrong. God may have just chosen this time to continue to mold us.

~HE'S STILL WORKING ON ME~

By: Joel Hemphill

CHORUS:
He's still working on me to make me what I ought to be. It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars, The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars. How loving and patient He must be, He's still working on me.
1. There really ought to be a sign upon the heart, Don't judge her yet, there's an unfinished part. But I'll be perfect just according to His plan Fashioned by the Master's loving hands.

2. In the mirror of His Word reflections that I see Make me wonder why He never gave up on me. He loves me as I am and helps me when I pray Remember He's the Potter, I'm the clay.

I think this song sums it all up for each and everyone of us! It should be a humbling reminder to us that God has not forgotten about us and that He is taking time to work on 'ME!' (us).

What have I done for Him today? Have I given Him my undivided attention through reading His Word? Have I spoken to Him (other than thanking Him for my breakfast)? Have I praised Him for this new day in which I get to serve Him? Have you thanked Him for something yet today? God simply wants to hear from us!

~He is molding me because He wants to get closer to me!

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths." ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

"We'll See.....!"

First thing this morning I asked Nathan what we he had planned for the day, and he didn't have anything out of the ordinary. I didn't tell him why I was asking then, I had to wait for the perfect timing:) While we were eating I figured that would be the "perfect timing," I asked Nathan again if he had anything different planned for today and he didn't so I said, "Perfect, I can put up the Christmas decorations today then right?!?!?!?!?!" He just looked at me and said, "We'll see." Now growing up, those words meant yes, 99% of the time (right Dad :D)!
I am Canadian, and Nathan is American, so, decorating for Christmas happens at different times. The day after US Thanksgiving is when all the Americans have to wait until they can decorate:( We Canadians (well, maybe just my family...) usually decorate for Christmas the 2nd week of November (2 weeks before US Thanksgiving)!! So I basically have to beg Nathan to let me put my decorations up before then:) No, I usually get to decorate the Saturday before US Thanksgiving...Thank you Nathan, I love you;) Then the day after US Thanksgiving, we go and get our Christmas tree!!! This tradition has been so much fun! Growing up we never got a real Christmas tree (it would be dead before Christmas because we would have it up to early). It is going to be so much fun this year taking Joshua out with us to pick out the perfect tree!!

watch me sit up all by myself!

Joshua loves to sit up all the time now. Don't mind the end of the video though, he was just a bit tipsy, he can reach without falling over now! His big tummy helps him I think :) He usually loves to play on his piano! He wacks that thing so hard it is funny. We are pretty sure that he is going to be quite the little piano master:) he loves to play on Mommy's piano. He used to sit and let me play, now he shoves my hands away so he can play it. If there is music up in front of him he looks up right at the music while he wacks at the keys, and if there is no music up, he looks down so seriously at the keys:) Its so precious!

the sounds of the "Ravert" kids...

Casie, I just wanted to warn you a head of time about how loud these guys can get...and this is mild :) They were having a lot of fun though, so, what can we do:) and you get to watch Nathan and Joshua while you listen to all the noise!

Can't wait to see you guys at Christmas!!

when you are tired...you are tired!

Playing all day is hard work...

a day at the park

Joshua's first time to play on something at the park!

Joshua and Auntie Sandra...thank you for helping Auntie Sandra!
Joshua had soooo much fun riding the horse.

Let me get this thing....

Joshua and his biggest girly cousin, Shirley 'girly'!!!

Sitting up all by myself!

Joshua is already sitting up all by himself! He sat up for the first time while we were at Uncle Jun and Auntie Sandra's house. So, I couldn't get a picture of his first time, but Shirley and Matthias got to see him:)

He loves being surrounded by all his toys!

Soooo cute:)...look at that belly!!

always grabbing his feet!

What a BIG boy!
We can't believe how fast he is growing:( :)
Oh yeah, he was only 4 months and 3 weeks when he first sat up by himself! (October 30th!)

Big Boy Food!!

Joshua had his first taste of baby rice cereal on October 17, 09

He LOVED it!!

Yummy!

messy face...it was well worth it though:)

right away Joshua wanted to 'help'

hahaha!

is Daddy going to take another picture of me eating Mommy?


We had so much fun giving Joshua BIG BOY food for the 1st time:D

im just fiddling...

Sorry, I know that this is the same picture. I am trying to make something... you will see...eventually! :D
Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

It is finally ready!

The Ford Explorer and the Ravert family just go together and there is really no reason why!?!?

When Nathan and I were dating and also when we got married Nathan owned a black explorer. While we were on our honeymoon Christopher found me a green explorer for only $500 (which was an amazing deal)!

One year later, a family in our church gave us another green explorer. So at this point, Nathan and I owned 3 explorers!! For real:) We never drove the 3rd one, don't worry :D

The summer before we moved out to BC, we sold all of our beloved explorers :( :( and bought a Pontiac Montana. It was a really nice van!! It even had a moon roof!! That was my favorite part of the van!!

but... in BC where we live (Vancouver area) there is only 1 express way and the rest is all city driving. Lets just say that it killed our van:(

Nathan fixed the heads on our van (it took him 3 weeks), and it was all great just in time for my Mum, Alicia, and Eric to come out and visit. THEN... just one week after Nathan finished his big job of fixing the heads, the tranny died! Yeah!

We have been driving our van which now only goes up to 3rd gear (60km max) for probably a month now. In the mix of all these shambles, we bought another...can you guess it...? Yes, another EXPLORER!!!! :D

Yesterday, after waking up extra early (well, only 30 min. early) to take the explorer to Canadian Tire for the Importing Safety test. It is on the road and we are Praising the Lord for it!!!! Oh, I almost forgot, the story of yesterday taking it to Canadian Tire. I always get up with Nathan in the mornings to make him his breakfast and pack him his lunch for work, and then I go back to bed for an hour. That time I didn't get to go back to bed:( :) Joshua and I went with Nathan to go get the explorer from the Turners house; where we have had it parked for 3 weeks. Then we drove over to Canadian Tire, and dropped the explorer off before they opened. Then we were off to drop Nathan off at his work site. This meant that I had to pick him up again after work, which was perfectly fine until when I got there to pick him up and I realized that I forgot all the paperwork for the explorer:( (I set it on the end table beside the door so I wouldn't). I texted Nathan to let him know, and he told me to go back home and get it while he finished work (mean while, this is when the wonderful traffic of Vancouver is all let loose). So, I went home and got the paper work, and made it back in time to get Nathan before the mechanic had to leave (I became a 'Ravert' driver then!!!).

The happy ending to my story you already know, because I already told you. Our explorer is on the road and ready to drive!!!!!

Praise the LORD!!!

p.s. sorry for the long story :) I just had to:)

Winter 2009

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Winter (Christmas) is our favorite time of the year. This year winter just won't be the same. Growing up in Ontario and Michigan we always had tons of snow!!! Nathan and I LOVE snow!

The Lord has lead us to Beautiful British Columbia. Snow in BC is rare (with the exeption of last year), but you can get as much of it as you want when you go in to the amazing mountains! We probably won't have snow all over our yard this winter, but we have an amazing view of the 'snow covered' mountains just at the end of our street! When the Lord leads, He sometimes takes some of our favorite things away, but He can, and does certainly replaces them with something even more amazingly beautiful!!Thank you Lord, for the beautiful snow covered moutains that you have given to us! They are truly amazing!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Mommy, that baby doesn't move?

This morning I put Joshua down on this "manbug" (ladybug from Great Grandpa and Auntie Lorraine) mat to play. He loves his mat, he will roll all over it, and play forever on it. At one point I realized that he got really quiet so I went over to see what he was doing?...he had noticed my porcelain doll from my Grandma Marks sitting in my cabinet. He stared at it for 5 minutes!! Then he would look at me as if to say "Mommy, that baby doesn't move." It was so precious! Then he gave me his sneaky little smile and continued to play away:)

Daddy's Boy

Joshua has turned into such a "Daddy's Boy!" and Nathan LOVES it!

Whenever Nathan comes home from work, even if he had just been cranky, he gets so happy! I love seeing the look on Nathan's face whenever Joshua smiles, talks to, or laughs at him:) so cute.

Look at those rolls...

a favorite place to be...with Daddy!!!


can't you tell!!?

Well, Nathan looks happy, but Joshua doesn't look so sure about things:)

Daddy time is the best time in the eyes of a little "Daddy's" boy!

I cannot wait until Christmas!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com I cannot wait until Christmas! So, don't be surprised to see a lot of Christmas things on my blog :) I guess I am just like my Mum in this area. I took Joshua to Wal-mart a few days ago, and we went to the Christmas section...I just had to. He absolutely loved it! All those lights...he was smiling and laughing the whole time! Mum, I guess you have another fan:)

Our JOY; our BOY!!

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

~When the Lord sends unexpected things our way, we ask why?

We must, although it is not easy, wait and see what He is planning for us. ~

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalm 27:14

Waiting On The Lord

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.

Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.

I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,

And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait!"

"Wait?', you say, wait!" my indignat reply.

"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!

Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?

By FAITH I have asked, and am claiming your word."

"My future and all to which I can relate

Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to WAIT?

I'm needing a 'yes,' go-ahead sign,

Or even a 'no' to which I can resign."

"And Lord, you promised that if we believe

We need but to ask, and we shall receive.

And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:

I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate

As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."

So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut

And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting...for what?"

He seemed then to kneel and His eyes wept with mine,

And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.

You would have what you want...but, you wouldn't know ME."

"You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint;

You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;

You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;

You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;

You'd not know the joy of resting in me

When darkness and silence were all you could see.

"You'd never experience that fulness of love

As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove;

You'd know that I give and I save...(for a start),

But you'd not know the depth of the beat of my heart."

"The glow of my comfort late into the night.

The faith that I give when you walk without sight,

The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked

Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST."

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,

What it means that 'My grave is sufficient for thee.'

Yes, your dreams for your loved ones overnight would come true,

But, oh, the loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!"

"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see

THAT THE GREATEST OF GIFTS IS TO GET TO KNOW ME,

And though oft may my answers is still but to WAIT."

"And though oft' My answers seem terribly late,

My most precious answer of all is still, "Wait."

~Author Unknown~

Our little show-off

Last night I took Joshua to Wal-mart to get his Christmas pictures done. He was the BEST!!

To start it all off, I was going to buy him a "1st Christmas" outfit, but then I wasn't going to be able to get one. Right before I was supposed to leave (i had to run over to Sandra's because she was going to drive me) Nathan called me up and said that I could get the "1st Christmas" outfit. So, with hardly any time to spare, I ran (literally; and I am soooo out of shape - Joshua was laughing at me while I was running...wait he is only 5months old...?). when I got over to Sandra's we had to buckle up allllllllllllll the car seats which Nathan and Sandra just took out of their van, and threw in our van (Nathan had to use their van to cross the border...long story). Anyhow, we finally got all of the kids in and then went on our way (all this work for only a 3 minute drive to Wal-mart). When we got there, I ran in the store with Joshua and left Sandra stranded with her kids in the parking lot to go and get Joshua's "1st Christmas" outfit. Well, we made it on time for his picture appointment, and he was all dressed up too...he was soo cute:)

Joshua was so hilarious! As soon as I set him down on the table for his pictures he started smiling and laughing. The photographer was all worried that Joshua was going to use up all his smiles before he was ready (I was kind of too), but Joshua was a little show-off the whole time! He was smiling and laughing the whole time we were there. It was so nice compared to the last time we tried to get his pictures done (he smiled lots before and after that photo shoot).

Although it was really great while we were taking all the pictures, it made it really hard to pick out which picture I liked the best for the package I was planning on buying.

Finally I narrowed it down, and because I am part of the 'Smiles Club' I was able to get a free 8x10 of any of the shots!!!

Oh yeah, and the way to go when you are getting pictures done, is to only go with $20, then they can't convince you to buy their big packages like they always try to do!

You will all get your "1st Christmas" picture of Joshua in your Christmas cards!!!! They are so adorable:)

I LOVE my Hubby sooooooo MUCH!! :)

Romantic Snow Globes by WiddlyTinks.com

My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Joshua's Dedication October 18,2009 pictures

Anchor Baptist Church

Sunday October 18, 2009

Baby Dedication of

Joshua and Josue (Joshua)

Opening prayer

Dedication challenge to the parents

Dedication Prayer for Joshua and Josue

Joshua and Josue each recieve their 1st Bible!!


Little Daddy...

"I want to be like Daddy when I grow up!!!"
Please Pray that the Lord will give Nathan and I wisdom in training up
Joshua in the way that he should go.

Joshua's Dedication October 18,2009

Anchor Video Sermon Page

Bath time!!!

Here is our little splash machine...I usually have to wipe down the counter top and then mop the floor when he is finished!!!

Did you notice the muscles in his back...we have another Caleb on our hands:)

"Fall photo shoot"

As everyone knows, here in BC it is rare to have a sunny day in the fall.

Well, we had a 'sunny day,' so I took advantage of it and Joshua went out to do a 'Fall Photo Shoot!!"

Here we go....

Joshua LOVED all the leaves I threw all over him:)

Well, usually he loves to get his picture taken...?

I had to shake the whole branch above his head to even get him to look...

Here we go we are getting somewhere!!

He thought the branch was more interesting than getting his picture taken..?

awww, I loves these pictures:) Don't worry, it was just the sun in his eyes.

I love the fall!!

I just need to get those shoes....

I want to be Grandpa Ravert when I grow up!

If you are born a 'Ravert' you just sleep with your head covered. I guess it is in the blood! Joshua has been sleeping like this ever since he could well, since he could pull the blanket up over his head:)...but he hasn't caught on to the contagious fan epidemic yet:)

Love you Grandpa!!!!

our baby boy is teething...

poor little man...its not easy being a baby. After all, he can't tell me "Mommy, im getting these weird white things in my mouth."

He is tough though!!! He is taking after his big cousin Caleb. They are going to be impossible to beat in sports...so watch out :)

1st Christmas memories...

Our '1st Christmas' tree (2007)! This year we get to have another '1st Christmas' experience with our joy-Joshua! We cannot wait:)

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is cutting, baking, and decorating Christmas shortbread cookies! We go all

Yes, they were delicious too...even with all that icing:)

These are a couple of my decorations.

an early Merry Christmas to everyone:)

I will put this years Christmas up...well, after Christmas!

he loves the camera....wait, he's only 4 months old?...:)

Hey, Mommy, what are you doing with that camera????

You should take a picture of me.... :)

Yes, at 4 months old, he already knows what a camera is. I love it:)

blue eyes...

sitting all by myself!!

big smiles :)

Mommy & Baby Boy