Being a native of the prairies and not BC born and raised, there were some things I had to get used to when I first moved here. Some adjustments were easy; how green it stayed all year, the beautiful snow-capped mountains, and the fact that you could get by without owning a pair of long [...]
I remember when getting an email was a novelty. I wrote my first email in college to my roommate sitting in the computer lab next to me. Eventually, after marrying and being transplanted to Abbotsford, I used email as a way to keep in touch with my family living in the prairies. I'd turn on [...]
Spring has finally sprung and at the Brandsma farm we are more than happy to say good-bye to what felt like a very long winter. Winter was rough this year. We had numerous windstorms that wreaked havoc on our farm. There were power outages and downed trees. The tin was torn off the front [...]
As the only female in my male dominated household, I’ve become accustomed to some of the idiosyncrasies of my situation. Things I used to wonder and shake my head at no longer faze me and I ponder whether they’ve rubbed off on me a little too much. Flinging cloths and tossing trivets There’s the constant [...]
When God, in his infinite wisdom, filled my house with five active boys, He thankfully looked after a few extra details that have come in handy. From the time I was young, I knew I’d live on a farm. I’m not sure how I knew, but I knew it. My mom was a teacher and [...]
Another school year is under way. And while only a few weeks ago I was resisting the idea of my low-key summer days coming to an end and ushering in the season of routine, there is comfort and stability in predictability. As much as I miss my guys when they are gone, I was looking [...]
The email was followed up by a text; the kind that starts off with polite pleasantries about the weather and courteous queries about how I’ve been, only to make the awkward shift into, “So…while I’ve got your attention, I was wondering….” It’s the ever-popular approach of requesting a favour of someone or reminding them of [...]
Twenty-two years and 5 kids later, Valentine’s Day is coming, and romance looks a little different for us than it did back when we were dating. I met Steve in college. Our first encounter was almost immediately. I missed the bus from church back to campus and was panicking about arriving late for my [...]
When I was a young girl, my sister and I spent hours doing the stereotypical little girl thing – playing house with our dolls. We were unconcerned with stereotypes, feminism, and equal opportunity for women. We simply loved our dolls, dressing them, feeding them and playing the role of mom. We attempted to include our [...]
Expectations. We've all got them. In fact, we often have high expectations; especially of ourselves and the ones we love most. Expectations can be great. They have the power to motivate and kick us in the butt. They push us to do our best. Like when my boys look to the bench and see the [...]
