One rainy morning last week, we drove north for just under an hour and went to one of our favourite spots in the forest. There we explored.
I happened to grab my camera on our way out the door, and this is what I documented.
Saskatchewan, you are surprisingly and unassumingly beautiful.
Emory
Posted by Hello, Scarlett Blog on 07/06/2020
https://helloscarlettblog.com/2020/07/06/forest-children/
Ten years of being married to you. One decade. Where do I even begin?
Our life seems to change from year to year, and although it’s had its downs, I would say that this stage of life is one of our best and strongest yet.
We worked hard to get here. It took us six years of unrelenting searching to find this acreage. Now that we are here, we are thanking God and counting our blessings everyday through conversation and as we pray. We are renovating slowly this time just so that we don’t finish it too quickly and then get an urge to move and start over again. We are mindfully adding things (like fire pits and playhouses) to our property so we can take the time to unwind throughout the day and during the night and really just enjoy this life. This life that we have built together.
We waited five years exactly before I became pregnant with our first child. Then nearly three years later we added our second. This is what works for our family. We had those wonderful years where we could solely focus on one, and now we are focusing intently on both of them. Although we do get tired, we are far from overwhelmed or stressed out. They are beautiful and sweet children, and we are so lucky to have been made their parents.
Our journey is far from over. We are strengthening our relationship with God, living meaningfully, trying our hardest to reduce our waste and preserve the planet (a far cry from previous years), learning how to be less anxious and relax more, striving to be the best parents, communicating more to improve our marriage, and trying to give back when we can. Personally, you would like to make more family traditions, advance in your career, and just have more fun. I would love to eventually have one more child and then to foster children.
Only God knows what the next year of marriage will bring. I hope that among all the bad in the world right now, that it will begin to shift to only good for everyone on this planet. Also, that the good that comes from our family will continue forward. I love you all!
Em
Posted by Hello, Scarlett Blog on 06/01/2020
https://helloscarlettblog.com/2020/06/01/tenth-anniversary/
With the New Year being just around the corner, I wanted to wish you all a happy 2020!
I don’t remember being particularly excited about the new year growing up. However, ever since having children, I consider it to be almost a magical time in our lives. It’s a symbol of new beginnings, of promise, and of what is to come. Over the last few years, I also consider it a time to start over and to become a better wife, mother, and person in general.
This year we have made three big resolutions to work on as a family rather than going it alone. With the busyness of our everyday lives, I feel like we sometimes are letting the temporary chaos get to us and we aren’t always putting our best foot forward. I want my children to grow up in the happiest and most loving household that I can give them.
Over this last year I have come to the harsh realization that just because people are part of your family, it doesn’t mean that they will love or even like you. Your parents, former stepparents, or whoever might fight tooth and nail to not be part of your life, and no amount of invites or tears or even showing up on their doorstep will make them be present or even care. Sometimes you will hear firsthand that they hate you, which is what you might need to finally move on. I’ve been told that it is just better to cut those hateful people out of your life- even if it hurts and it is the last thing that you wish to do. But making yourself happy is key to living a happier life, for yourself and your family.
This year we are all about love. We will surround ourselves with those family members who want to be in our lives and embrace them with open arms. This is Geoffrey and I making a conscious effort to become even better parents and better spouses. Our children will never question their worth or our love for them. Never. That’s the best gift that I can think to give them. (I also firmly believe that if we better ourselves then we are bettering the world!)
That said, we also have less emotional and more physical things that we are looking forward to this year. Remy and Wilder are getting a new bedroom in January, we are getting a new kitchen in March/April, and my brother and his family are moving back to BC! That means we can still go and visit them, my dad, and stepmom every summer. I am looking forward to this new tradition.
Do you have any resolutions? Did you accomplish what you wanted to over this last year? What lessons did you learn? I would love to hear your thoughts below.
Have a safe and fun New Years Eve and see you all next year!
Emory
Posted by Hello, Scarlett Blog on 12/30/2019
https://helloscarlettblog.com/2019/12/30/happy-new-year-2/
Merry Christmas all!! Even though these are traditionally my shorter posts, I love that after six years, I am still here to wish everyone a happy holiday! It’s an honour to still be writing my blog and hearing from those who are kind enough to comment.
We were able to go on a few outings this holiday season. The first one that we took Remy and Wilder to was called Glow.
Glow is an indoor light festival located at Prairieland Park. This was its first year in Saskatoon, and I’m guessing will have many more to come. It featured light gardens, a treasure hunt, food, playground, Santa Claus, live entertainment, and over one million lights!
A little more on the expensive side, it was still worth going at least once.
Next, we were able to go to the Enchanted Forest at the Forestry Farm.
This drive-thru holiday light tour is in its 21st year and has over 80,000 visitors per year. Every year features one new display.
Visiting the Enchanted Forest is something that Geoffrey and I have done every year since dating! Remy enjoys it immensely, but Wilder is still too young to understand what is going on. This was her fourth time going, and his second (we took him last year when he was two weeks old). She has already asked to go back again, so I think that we will go once more before they take it down in January.
Finally, we visited the walking light display at Pike Lake Provincial Park on Saturday. It was our first time going and it was just so much fun! The weather was somewhat warm and the displays, although not many, were very well done. You could also go ice skating, play crokicurl, gather around the bonfire, and have hot dogs and hot chocolate afterwards. Too cute.
Our family seems to change with nearly every Christmas picture. From a beardless husband and two dogs and a cat in 2013, to hair extensions and masks in 2014, a first pregnancy in 2015, our first baby in 2016, a second pregnancy and miscarriage in 2017, and finally, another new baby in 2018. Life has certainly been exciting over these last few years! I only hope that we will continue to love, learn, and grow in the New Year. You as well!
Happy holidays, and enjoy your time with friends and family!!
<3<3<3
Emory, Geoffrey, Remy & Wilder
Posted by Hello, Scarlett Blog on 12/23/2019
https://helloscarlettblog.com/2019/12/23/merry-christmas-5/
This week has been one of deep reflection for me. On Friday November 15, our Wild One will be one year old! This has been one of the fastest and happiest years of my life.
Geoffrey and I had always planned on naming our son Wilder, even years before I became pregnant for the first time. In 2016 came Remy, then our second baby Rowen who I lost in 2017, and finally, Wilder in 2018.
Wilder was and is our rainbow baby. He brought us great hope when we felt lost and sad.
He has been the sweetest, loveliest, and most easy-going baby from the start. I remember being pregnant and at the end of each day I would jump up and down and shake my belly in order to get some type of movement. He was just always so content in there and hardly ever moved around. The only thing that he would seem to move for was the sound of Remy’s voice. He would start dancing whenever she was being particularly loud! I was therefore certain that they would have a strong bond once he was born. That has definitely been the case! These two are as tight as can be.
Because he was so calm in my uterus, I questioned whether or not we should name him Wilder (if he turned out to be a boy) almost the entire time that I was pregnant. That is, until he was born. It was such a wild birth that everyone who met him afterwards said that he had already lived up to his name. After that, I never doubted our choice again.
Wilder is sweet and calm but with an adventurous side. He loves climbing and isn’t afraid to explore any furniture or object that stands in his way. He loves everyone and enjoys waving to and playing peekaboo with strangers. He can out-wave anyone!
He babbles constantly, says a few words, crawls, stands unassisted (!!), walks by only holding onto one of our hands and by pushing anything that moves across the house, loves to people watch, is sensitive, is a pretty good sleeper, still breastfeeds, and still has no teeth! I don’t know what will come first at this point- walking or teeth. He’s pretty close to both, I think.
Anytime I feel sad about him getting older I have to remember that it is a good thing. He is happy, healthy, and thriving. It is only natural that he will keep growing! This is also such a special time in my life- being pregnant and having children. I almost feel like my life is a fairy-tale. Once this phase is over, I will never again get to experience anything even remotely similar. Thus I am trying to soak in every moment that is humanly possible!
I am writing this post on November 10, 2019. On this exact date in 2017, when my niece was getting baptized, I found out that I was pregnant with our second child. While this time of year is one for rejoicing, I can’t help but feel a bit of sadness around our baby that I never came to know or hold. Remembrance Day alone is one for sombreness and reflection, and I will certainly be doing a lot of that during this week- for many reasons. We are blessed to live where we do and lead the life that we have. Sadness aside, I am truly thankful as well.
I wanted to include a prayer for Remembrance Day that was in our church bulletin:
Loving God,
Have mercy on your people,
And open our hearts to peace and love.
Reward all who have died for the country,
And grant that Canada
And all nations
May continue to work
For peace and justice.
Bless us in your service,
And help us to follow Jesus Christ,
Who is our Saviour and our Lord
Forever and ever.
Amen
If you are still reading this, thank you for joining me in my pregnancy journey and Wilder’s first year of his life! Also, for following me through all these trains of thought, trips down memory lane, and emotions. Here are a few pictures that I wanted to include because I have never shared them on my blog (or social media). Gosh, how my darling son has grown.
We will be celebrating Wilder this Saturday with the few family members that love him and have been in his life since the beginning.
Have a lovely lovely lovely week, everyone!
Emory
Posted by Hello, Scarlett Blog on 11/11/2019
https://helloscarlettblog.com/2019/11/11/one-year-old/
Hello, Scarlett Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.