Lapier Christmas 2016

I hope you enjoyed your Christmas with your favourite people in warm homes around tables filled with good food. As I get older Christmas continues to be more meaningful as I grow in my faith and grow our family. This year will especially be a year to remember as we had Elizabeth christened. I wish every Christmas was on Sunday. Having a baby so close to Christmas really makes it easy to picture how Christ came to our world. It also reminds us that Christ is still present in our world through each child that is born.

This Christmas some of my loved ones were going through challenging times and this year it was more apparent to me than ever before how difficult the holiday season can be for some people. I hope to be more mindful of these situations going into the holidays next year and proactively try to provide some extra love into the lives of those in need.

I may currently be riding a Christmas high but I would like to begin working on some homemade Christmas gifts beginning in January, for next Christmas. I love giving gifts but I really struggle buying gifts sometimes as I sometimes wish the items had more meaning. So I have started to pin ideas and hope to get to work on my items soon. If I move ahead with this successfully I will definitely be sharing my journey as a "Christmas elf" on my socials.

All in all we had a blessed Christmas and I hope you did too. Please share any of your highlights or takeaways from your holidays in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

Merry Christmas
Love the Lapiers
PS at the very bottom of this post is a little video from Christmas eve and day.

 

Keeping Christ In Christmas | Vlogmas

Glitter Holiday Makeup | Vlogmas 2016

Lizzy Lately

Your two months old Elizabeth and in your short time with us, you have filled our lives with so much beauty and love! We are still figuring you out, your kind of a mysterious little creature but I like that about you.

You love to snuggle and prefer to be held.

You like to watch TV with your brother.

You sleep well in the evening.

You are intelligent.

You eat a lot.

Your growing well.

You have the cry of a lioness demanding attention when its needed.

You have an amazing smile and share it with us often.

You give your dad a hard time sometimes, he is always working hard to get your snuggles.

You renewed my motherhood adventure adding a new level of excitement.

I love you my sweetie girl.

Xoxo
Mom

Photos by Shannon Turner Photography

Sarnia Festival Of Lights | Vlogmas 2016

I'm Starting To Feel Like Me

Sunday I took both kids to church alone and as I clambered into the sanctuary late with a fussing baby and wound up toddler, I wondered if I was awesome or crazy.

I sat in the warm atmosphere and nursed Lizzy while I followed Luke with my eyes and relied on the kindness of strangers to be patient with me. Corunna United Church is very welcoming to young families and I don't ever really feel like I am an inconvenience but I still want my children to behave well.

Last week I was thinking so much about how having children changes you no matter how much you resist it, your still you but different. I didn't want to be different.

When I was pregnant with Luke I resisted the thought that I would become any of the motherhood cliches that I had heard. I had no interest in changing anything about myself. I thought I would be different, exempt from the realities of motherhood.

I was not exempt from the marks my children will and are leaving on my body mind and soul and after experiencing motherhood, I am eternally grateful for the transformations. This being said, I still want to feel like just me once in awhile. Last week I also had my first outing without any children in 7 weeks and the next day I was so refreshed, energized, and excited to spend time with my children. Balance requires effort but being me, makes me a better mother too. The night after my time out of the house, I popped Lizzy in the stroller and went for a jog. I was slow and my run was short but as I breathed in the winter air, I gained even more of myself back. Slowly I am beginning to feel more and more like myself. I will never be exactly who I was before children but I will always make time to spend with myself, connecting with the person I have become, accepting the transformations that are to come and allowing myself to just be me.

Christmas Makeup | Vlogmas Day 5

Meeting Chris Hadfield | Vlogmas Day 4

We had the pleasure of having our copy of the Darkest Dark signed by Chris Hadfield on Saturday December 3rd at Degroot's Nurseries in Sarnia, Ontario. The event was a hit, organized by the Sarnia Bookkeeper with roughly 1,000 books sold. Chris was scheduled to sign books from 1-3 but was signing books well into the evening. It was a proud day for Lambton County having such an awesome show of support and enthusiasm for one of our hometown heroes.

You can get your copy of the Darkest Dark - http://www.sarniabookkeeper.com/

Puppy Chow Recipe - http://momcrieff.com/puppy-chow-a-chocolate-peanut-buttery-sweet-treat/

It's The Holiday Season

This past weekend was filled with fun festive activities with family and friends and I loved every minute of it!

As we drove to our fourth event in two days, Ty was feeling a little tired and overwhelmed and while I can empathize with this feeling, I have a different perspective. As a child growing up we didn't have family really close to us so we only got together with our family for one big Christmas celebration. This celebration was always a great time but sometimes I wished we had more little parties leading up to Christmas day.

Now that I am married to Tyler and he has lots of extended family that lives close by, our family gets to enjoy lots of festivities leading up to Christmas day. I have also been fortunate enough to have a great group of girlfriends and we have started our own traditions getting our kids together for holiday activities  prior to Christmas day. Even though the holiday season can feel very busy I feel very fortunate to have so many wonderful people to spend time with during this time of year.  I would much rather be tired from spending too much time with loved ones then to feel lonely this time of year. This is also made me think about some people that may not be able to get out as easily and encourages me to reach out to those people and spend more time with them.

I'm going to try very hard not to let the holiday season tire me and simply enjoy all the moments that I have with the special people in my life .  This past weekend was a blast and I hope the rest of December is filled with many more special moments like the ones I was lucky enough to experience this weekend.

 XOXO
Audrey

Breakfast With Santa | Vlogmas Day 3

Elf On The Shelf | Vlogmas Day 1

Christmas Decor & 5 Min Face Vlog

I plan on taking part in vlogmas this year so please subscribe to my channel so you dont miss a thing.

Aromic Facial Oil - http://www.aromic.ca/

My Arbonne Website - http://HeatherLapier.arbonne.com/

Lets Connect 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heatheraudreyl/?hl=en

Twitter - https://twitter.com/HeatherAudreyL

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/H.A.L.MakeupArtistrySarnia/?fref=ts

Website - http://www.heatheraudreylapier.com

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpoEX01N7t9JZ-Tf74ABO5g

SnapChat - heatheraudreyl

Google+ - https://plus.google.com/+HeatherAudreyLapier/posts

Email - heatherlapier@gmail.com

Shop Local Sarnia

Photo by Shannon Turner
T-shirts by Sweet Tea Apparel

We are about a month from Christmas and gift giving is definitely on my mind. I don't have a ton of gifts that I need to buy as my family has started to draw names and as we add more littles to the picture, holidays become more about them. This all being said I love the process of brainstorming the perfect gift for a loved one, something that is a perfect surprise and treat that they may not purchase for themselves.

As you brainstorm your gifts this year please think carefully about the unique local vendors that surround you. Our local shops in Sarnia work very hard to bring us unique items to make gift giving easy. The owners and employees of these businesses are also excited to help you shop and choose the perfect gift for the special person on your list.

Ever since I started to work for myself I began to become more aware of the amazing variety of home based businesses we have in Lambton County, either people who make unique items in their home or are representatives for Network Marketing companies, the ways you can support local business owners with your holiday shopping dollars are endless.

When you head out on your Christmas shopping adventures this year, take the time to consider who you could shop from and support as you plan your gift giving. I promise you, the local businesses and your family and friends will thank you.

Here are some of my favourite vendors:

These t shirts for the whole family are rad - Sweet Tea Apparel

A gift card for a family photo shoot or the photos themselves are great gifts - Shannon Turner Photography

Lenox has some really fresh styles for guys, I always find it challenging to find very on trend clothes for Ty but they currently have it going on - Lenox Athletix

I love shopping One Tooth for quality and stylish fitness apparel - One Tooth

You guys know my favourite skincare and makeup is Arbonne, there are so many gift options for the  beauty lover on your list - my Arbonne store

Another hot beauty item this season are nail wraps, these are awesome for a quick fashionable manicure from home, perfect for a busy mom - Jamberry

For the kids on my list, I love to shop for books and special toys from Sarnia Bookkeeper

I hope this list of awesome local businesses helps you with your Christmas shopping this year. Please comment below with your favourite Lambton County businesses and the links to their websites so we can all learn more about our local vendors.

Merry Christmas
Audrey

Luke Lately

Your an amazing big brother you have stepped into this role without a falter.

You like to hide things under things example, balls under the couch.

Your not that great at eating dinner right now, we currently have to feed you on the floor and pretend your a bear or let you run around the house between bites.

You call knives sharp, "I have sharp?" you ask.

I love how your fair cheeks get super rosy in the crisp winter air.

"I do it!" is one of your favourite phrases right now, you are growing in independence.

Your dad and I love how excited you are about Christmas, your bringing back the magic for us!

I love the way you always require hugs with your kisses and vice versa.

You love your fuzzy winter pjs which is good because we have been having lots of pj days lately.

You love books and can memorize one in about two weeks. One of your current favourite books is the Darkest Dark.

You had your first hair cut this month.

You and I are still enjoying some one on one time while Lizzy naps and I have to say I am so grateful for those moments.

Love you to the moon and back
Momma

My Breastfeeding Story

Why Is Obedience So Hard?

I have been living in baby land for a few weeks now and while the second time around keeps me on my toes even more working to balance my attention for two children, there are still many moments of slowness and quietness. In the middle of the night while feeding a newborn can sometimes feel a little lonely so I pray. I talk to God and tell Him me fears and desires and prayers for friends and family and in my experience in my neediest moments is when God really talks to me.

I find when I come home from the hospital with a newborn all of my emotions are intense and close to the surface which makes them hard to ignore, this includes anxiety and fears and in this time I really rely on God.

For the most part God gives me a lot of comfort and encouragement through His word and the various bible teachers I follow but every once in awhile I will receive guidance and correction for an area I am not ready to hand over yet. I have experienced God's awesome blessings that follow my obedience to His guidance in my life, so why is obedience so difficult for me at times.

I would describe myself as someone who is independent and would prefer to rely only on myself. When God asks me to hand something over to Him, so He can work out the best solution for me, I sometimes meet the request with my excuses and hesitations.

Trust, hope and belief that things will work out for the best is just plain hard sometimes, especially if they don't align with my own plans. So I am wrestling with a few things right now and trying to give them over to God so He can use them for His glory. In these times of uncertainty I also search Gods word even more, I want to know more details, the full plan and how everything is going to pan out and even as I write this post, I want to offer a conclusion that ties this story in a nice little bow but I also know, its not my job to have all the answers, which is a bummer.

So there is no bow and perfect ending, this is just something I am going through right now. Have you experienced anything similar, if so what did you learn during that time?

xoxo
Audrey

Glowy Nude Look

Lizzy Lately

Elizabeth Lillian Lapier
Born Oct 19 at 8:30pm weighing 8lbs
Her friends call her Lizzy

We are officially a family of four! The last week and a bit has been awesome, sure I have had my sleep deprived tearful moments but for the most part this life I am living is pretty darn sweet. My birth experience the second time around, was a night and day difference from the first, Luke was a c section and Lizzy was a v back. I am so grateful that both my children entered our world healthy but especially that I got to experience labour this time around. While labour was challenging and kinda like the most intense workout ever, it was also the coolest thing I have ever experienced!

I missed Luke while we were in the hospital but knew he was in good hands. Tyler and I enjoyed our slow pace in the little room getting to know our daughter.

Since being home Luke blows me away daily with his big bro skills, which makes me cry at least twice a day.

Our family and friends have supported us once again through another life transition with clothes, food and visits. It truly takes a village to raise a child and my village is so rad!

If you guys read my anniversary post you know that with every new big moment Ty and I experience together, I value him even more and this experience is no different. He has been super dad with Luke making sure "the boys" have tons of fun so Lizzy and mom can work on breastfeeding.

I think the biggest challenge in my motherhood journey will always be learning to adjust my pace to the current needs of my family and accepting the fact that there will be items on my to do list that just won't get done sometimes for awhile. Once I accept this fact, it makes it so much easier to relish in the current phases of my children's lives. I can only do so much but that is absolutely enough because God gave them to me for a reason, He designed me to meet their needs perfectly with His guidance, so by the grace of God I will always be enough.

The Lapier family adventures have opened a new chapter and I am so excited to see where our story continues with our little Lizzy.

xoxo
Mom