busy...as usual

well, here we are almost at the end of May and the weather is finally feeling like Spring! As much as I love the warmer weather and seeing my crab apple tree in full bloom, it also means a lot of other things that need to be taken care of and projects to complete. Time is already of the essence with having 3 boys in activities all on the same nights of the week, working full time, Brian gone for 10 day (or more) stretches that it is difficult to get everything done in a day let alone tackle the yard...weeding, watering and decorating! We still have high hopes though of getting that cobble stone path way done before our July 1st barbeque. We at least have the mold for it so that's a step in the right direction! I highly doubt my garden gate will get done though by then but that's ok. How are you all doing with your yards? Plants coming along...any big projects you have in mind? So much to do and so little time to do it seems to be the deal around here...when and how did our lives get so busy? Seems most people I talk to feel this way these days.
Speaking of busy, I have to go get ready for my 3.5 hours of volunteering for baseball today. I know this wasn't much of a blog post but thanks for reading and visiting anyway...lol!
ps...the ACTIVE game is a great workout...not that I have had as much time to use it as I would have liked so far but I do really enjoy it...making your own customized workouts is awesome!!

I love long weekends!

No school yesterday so got some scrapping in before taking kids for haircuts and then into the city shopping. Here are 2 recent layouts for challenges that were issued during 2 online crops...hooray...another Disney page completed based on a sketch...

and another challenge was to use a song from the 80's as a title..here's what I came up with...


After shopping with the boys for jeans and things (mostly lego) we did the Costco thing and then met Brian for supper at our favorite Chinese buffet. He brought the younger 2 boys home and I kept the other 2 and we headed to WM for some more camping gear and a few odds and ends. Came home with a CSI game for my pink Nintendo DS that I got for Mother's Day.
Decided that Zack needed to try driving on the highway so I pulled over on the 4 lane and told him to get behind the wheel. He is license eligible at the end of July and has hardly driven even around our small town. He is going to be taking drivers ed but still..he needs more practice with us. Any time I thought about letting him drive I was almost sick to my stomach with nerves and you know what...it was all for nothing. He did amazing...ended up driving onto the 2 lane and all the way home actually. He even parked perfectly out front. I was sooo proud of him and I have faith he will be a great driver with more hours behind the wheel.
Today has been spent doing yard work and planning for more yard work...is it ever really done? We are going to make a cobblestone pathway from our front gate to the back yard...from scratch! I found a mold and all it takes is some ready mix concrete and we'll be good to go. I promise to share some before and after pics. The yard is really starting to come along and it will be so nice to sit back and enjoy it more...next year...lol! I also have a really cool idea for a gate that I am hoping to get done this year too.
Reilly is writing Provincial Achievement Tests (do other provinces do this?) and he found out he got 93% on his math part A. Way to go Reilly...we are sooo proud of you. The principal also sent a letter home last week letting us know that Reilly has achieved honors in Science. I sure hope this continues for the rest of his schooling.
Carsyn just spent 3 days and 2 nights with the grade 4's in Drumheller on a fielsd trip. They have been learning about dinosaurs and finished it up with an excursion to the Royal Tyrell Museum, the Hoodoo's and stuff. He had a blast.
Gavin is loving soccer. When he wakes up on soccer days, it's the first thing out of his mouth...I have soccer today (with a big grin and wide eyes)!
Brian is home on days off this week so he is going to build my "flower bed" from my Grandma's antique bed frame and then I'll plant some flowers in it. Can't wait so see how it looks. He'll also be going into the city on Tuesday to get us a copy of this:

EA SPORTS Active

this is going to be so much fun to play...we can't wait!

Enjoy your long weekend!

the time has come

for me to spend more time outside than in and on the computer.
The weather, for the most part , the last couple of weeks has been so nice that I am spending any "spare"time outside. Either puttering in the yard with flowers/weeding, finishing some projects from last year and of course starting new ones, just enjoying coffee on the patio or playing with the kids...it's been awesome!! On the flip side of that though, it leaves less time for the computer and scrapbooking. We're also running to soccer and baseball with Gavin and Carsyn. Zack and Reilly are starting to write exams. Brian is working out of town pretty steadily so I really do have little time to myself these days.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to summer vacation!! Actually, I am almost as excited for the May long weekend....just some time with no where to go and to do how much or how little we choose.
That being said, I did manage to scrapbook a smidge here and there over the last couple of weeks...I just haven't had time to take pics of the layouts to share.
I've been pretty consistent with my workouts too...which feels soooo good! Not quite bathing suit ready but hey...these things take time...lol!
I'm trying to type and think so fast and get you all caught up on things...even if it's the coles notes version (I'm sure I am forgetting some of our more exciting stuff...lol)
Zack is going to be taking drivers ed soon as he is eligible for his license at the end of July.
We bought a huge family tent (and will pick up things like a screen house, stove etc) and are looking forward to a family reunion in July. We also have plans to camp with friends a few times this summer. If we like it, we might upgrade to a trailer next year...we'll see.
I am off to Winnipeg in June to visit with some fabulous people I know and meet some other online friends in real life..I can't wait!!
I know it might not seem like much to post about for as busy as I say we've been but really, we have been and are but most of it is just daily stuff that carries over to the next day and so on. I'm sure you know how it goes...not enough hours in a day!
I hope to make blog rounds soon and catch up on some emails.
I am not ignoring anyone...I promise!
love ya...take care,

To all the Mom's out there

Before I was a Mom
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.
Before I was a Mom
I slept as late as I wanted
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.
Before I was Mom
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies.
Before I was a Mom
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on
Pooped on
Spit on
Chewed on
Peed on
Or pinched by tiny fingers
Before I was a Mom
I had complete control of my mind
My thoughts
My body
And my mind.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child
So that doctors could do tests
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby
sleep.
Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
When I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
Could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my
body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry
baby.
I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
Could make me feel so important.
Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
Every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay
I had never known the warmth
The joy
The love
The heartache
The wonderfulment
Or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before
I was a Mom.

Happy Mother's Day to you all!