play...laugh...grow

Scrapbook Sunday

2012-01-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a looong time since I shared anything scrappy/crafty so I wanted to do that today...besides, I missed posting my Fab 5 Friday so this can take it's place this week...

A layout about taking the boys to see the Blue Man group while in Florida last Spring break...it was AWESOME!! Carsyn even got pulled from the audience to participate on stage...sooo cool! The boys loved the show...Brian and I knew they would as soon as he and I saw them in Vegas a couple years ago.

This layout was created with a challenge issued over at LiitD last summer during the members online summer long crop. Chelsea challenges us to use "I hope you never forget" in your title. I wanted to remind Zack of a few things as he prepared to leave home and move to University.

This was another title challenge from the online summer crop that another member had issued. The title on your layout needed to be "Happiness Is" Now there a lot of things that make me happy but these photos, and the feeling I had when I put these "fat" pants on still brings a huge smile to my face.

Now that I have my own scrap/craft room,(there was one good thing about Zack moving to University...lol) I plan to spend more time creating and will be able to share more often. My addiction to Pinterest is also helping with creative mojo. Do you Pin?

Motivational Monday Week 3

2012-01-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

Fab 5 Friday

2012-01-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

This week has been so crazy busy...I feel like I've been rushed/on the go everyday...looking forward to the weekend that's for sure!

making the bed before leaving the house...may seem like a no brainer to most but mornings fly by in this house so making time to get this done each day was a big deal for me

managing to make decent suppers for the family despite the hectic schedule we all had this week

the number of nights I actually managed to stay awake long enough to read before falling asleep

the number of times I worked out...need to up this next week...easing myself back into it is over

making the right food choices each day to keep me within or under my calorie allotment as indicated @ myfitnesspal

Weekend plans include pizza and movie night with the family, some shopping, laundry/housework and for sure some creating!
How about you?

Motivational Monday Week 2

2012-01-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

Fab 5 Friday

2012-01-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

Losing 5 pounds this week after getting back on track with healthier eating, loggin into myfitnesspal, drinking lots of water every day and starting workouts again!!

Staying on top of the Organize and Declutter challenge I found at My Simpler Life

only working 3 days this week topped the highlight list for sure

two nights in a row I was able to get into my scrap room to create...that was fabulous! I don't normally have time to create during the week...hoping this continues for 2012!

I feel great...physically and mentally!!

I hope your new year too has gotten off on the right foot!
Have a great weekend!!

Motivational Monday

2012-01-02T11:53:00.000-08:00

sooo true...I've said this to myself many times

Just a little reminder and motivator

In an effort to keep myself on track, I altered a dollar store composition book into a weight loss journal...
this is the front cover

the back cover

the first page created yesterday...on the first day of my journey

Will be adding to it daily...can't wait to look back on it a year from now to see how far I've come!

I hereby declare

2012-01-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

As a lot of people do at the beginning of a new year, I too, am making a commitment to live a healthier lifestyle...again!
Started out many times before, only to get caught up in life and putting other peoples needs ahead of my own.
That changed for more than half of 2011 (when I started a healthier lifestyle last January) and I am pleased with the results I achieved in the time I was committed. However, it's time to finish what I started and I am determined to make my last year in my 30's the year that this weight comes off and stays off once and for all! I will be 40 and fabulous...LOL!!
Any goals or resolutions for you?
Wishing you all the best of health, happiness and many great memories in 2012!

Change is inevitable

2011-12-29T15:31:00.000-08:00

2011 was a year filled with changes for our house!
I knew there would be many and knowing that I don't deal with change well, is the reason I chose the word, change, to be my one little word for the year.
The changes started off almost right at the beginning of the year. On the 3rd of January, Brian left for a job up North that would keep him there for 3 solid months. Now, I've been husbandless off and on for the past several years and survived...sometimes barely, but none the less, managed to do what needed to be done all be it as a single parent! However, 3 months is a very long time to work a full time job, raise 4 sons and somehow maintain a level of sanity! I'm not going to lie, some days were much easier than others and I discovered that workouts were a great stress reliever!!
I began a healthier lifestyle the day Brian left: eating better and exercising and am pleased with the results that I achieved in the time he was gone. More impressive was the fact that he noticed!!
February saw Zack and Reilly in full swing with club volleyball...between the 2 of the, we had 5 volleyball free weekends from the beginning of Feb till the end of May! Thanks goodness for Nintendo DS's and ipods that helped keep the younger 2 from becoming too bored while we sat in stinky gyms for hours on end!
In March, Reilly turned 14...old enough to get his learners permit...how did that happen!! The countdown also began to the day that Brian would be coming home. Just as exciting as his arrival, ok...maybe even more so, was the fact that he and I had secretly booked a family trip to Florida! Specifically, Disney World and Universal Studios. It was soooo exciting to be planning behind the boys backs. I was worried I wouldn't be able to sleep the night before...I was right! I woke them up by singing "Zipitdeedoodah, zipitdeeay, my oh my, what a wonderful day" Zack was the hardest to get outta bed...as a 17yr old on Spring break, the last thing he wanted was to be up and out of bed around 8am...lol! He kept telling me to get lost and leave him a lone...it was hilarious but only for me and only cause I knew what was waiting for him upstairs. I had secretly made Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes one day and served them up on Disney paper plates with matching cups and napkins...it was all waiting on the table for them when they finally got to the kitchen. Brian had the video camera ready...

At first the boys thought we were going back to Disneyland and were not disappointed at all to here we were flying to Florida that morning...they had 2hrs to eat and pack so we could leave for the airport. I had made them packing lists to help with the rush and excitement. It was a wonderful trip...exactly what the 6 of us needed!!

April was busy with volleyball still and grad preparations were in full swing. I had the unfortunate pleasure of being on the decorating committee with a couple of moms who thought it was there way or not at all...I won't ever volunteer to do that again!! Zack picked out a fabulous looking tux...although tall skinny kids don't wear them well...lol! He was still a handsome and proud guy though!
May was the month in which the ceremony took place for high school grad. To my surprise, I was only teary eyed once during the ceremony! I was thrilled to have my mom and my grandma here for the weekend to witness the graduation of their first (great) grandson! It was a bittersweet day for sure!

Something else was also in the works for Zack this month. A deeper connection was made between he and his grad escort and they began dating. She is so awesome and I LOVE having another female in the house!!
In June, I was happy (and somewhat relieved) to be kept on at the school. Thrilled to hear that I was staying with the student I had worked with in grade one and moving with him to second grade! Another bitter sweet moment for me...Zack turned 18!

We celebrated by taking him and his GF to Red Lobster. He didn't even want a drink. He didn't want to make the GF uncomfortable...so he says...she is not yet drinking age and doesn't come from a drinking kinda house...the real reason I'm sure has something to do with his over indulgence in alcohol at his grad party. His "famous last words" of "I'm never doing that again" appear to be true...thus far! Lesson learned?
For most of July, it was just the 14yr old and I. Brian was working, Zack had gone up North to live/work with my brother and my mom had wanted to take the youngest two. Reilly spent parts of every day working at his new job, leaving me alone to rediscover my love of reading...I've read more books this last 5 or 6 months than I have in the last 10years that didn't star Franklin, Clifford or Dr. Seuss!!
(this is a small sampling of the books that have graced my beside table)

The month of August was busy. Enjoyed a day trip with the neighbour and her 2 sons to Calaway Park once Zack returned. Had a couple of days home with my 2 eldest sons and then we packed up our camping stuff and made the trip to my moms in SK. I couldn't wait to see the youngest 2...it had been almost a month. They squealed with delight when I walked through the door...only to be fighting with each other moments after...typical right...lol! Spent a few days relaxing there, and then made a little further drive to my grandpas cabin. It's been 20yrs since my last visit. Consequently, my sons had never been. It was awesome!! So peaceful and relaxing. Can't wait to return next summer...hopefully with Brian along with us!

Attended another wacky family reunion then made the long trip home to prepare for back to school. When we left home for a couple weeks was when I left behind my healthy eating and exercising :(
September brought about yet another big change for us. We moved Zack to his University residence. It was going to be a huge adjustment, not just for me, but for his younger brothers as well. Having him come home every weekend helped make the transition easier. The rest of us were also busy with the routine of being back in school, homework and extra curricular activities.
October and November were filled with lots of school volleyball. I was lucky enough to have 2 sons on the same team...for the first time ever!! Simplified things a little...which was nice! Once the school season was over, Reilly tried out and made the team for the Winter games. Now , we drive 2.5hrs one way for a practice once a week for that. Halloween was fun...too bad Brian wasn't home for his favorite holiday.

He also missed out on the "Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour by Cirque de Soleil" we had tickets for over a year for. It was phenomenal!!! (we have plans someday to see it in Vegas)
December was the usual hustle and bustle of Gavin's birthday and Christmas preparations. School is so busy at this time of year also. Add in tryouts for club volleyball and you have a very tired me! It all worked itself out, as it always does though. Reilly is happy with the club team he's on, Gavin had a pretty good birthday and Christmas was wonderful!

This last week of the month and year, has given me a chance to look back with a feeling of contentment. 2011 has , as with most years, been filled with ups and downs, good and bad but ya take it in stride and deal with it.

I'm pleased with the way I've learned to handle changes in my life..."If nothing changed, there'd be no butterflies"-Walt Disney

no time like the PRESENT

2011-12-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

to get back into blogging!
Love is in the Details is featuring a creative project I worked on for the students in my grade 2 class. Pop on over and have a peek. It's my first time ever being "featured" somewhere and I was actually kinda nervous about it...not sure why but I was.

I've been attempting to get back here for what seems like ever....have had several thoughts of things that would make good blog topics...just didn't get them here :(
That is changing as of today...I will be back to regularly scheduled blogging...I had no idea I would miss it as much as I have.
There will be lots to catch up on but lets focus on the now...how are you all doing with your Christmas preparations?
A couple weeks ago, I was in a bit of a panic thinking there is no way I would get everything done...seems I have that feeling pretty much every Christmas and as in years past, it somehow takes care of itself. Even if that means several long hours shopping and baking. As of yesterday, the shopping is complete. After 7hrs in the kitchen, the baking is done as well.

Tried to write a new Christmas carole based on my baking:
5 dozen sugarplums
4 dozen pb cup cookies
3 dozen pretzel rods
2 dozen gingersnap balls
and a pumpkin cheesecake
Alos made a regular and a dessert cheese ball but wasn't sure how to work them into the lyrics...lol
(the home made Oreo's in the big jar were made last weekend...surprised they are still there actually...lol)
By the end of today, the gifts will be wrapped and home made Christmas crackers will be made. Then it's time to enjoy my family. I am thrilled to have my brother, SIL and 2yr old niece coming to spend a few days with us. We'll also be sharing the holidays with eldest sons girlfriend. They have been dating for about 7 months and it's actually been easier than I thought it would be to "share" my son. I LOVE having another female in the house that's for sure!!
Would love to hear how you are spending the holidays!
And in case I don't get back here before then, may you all take some time to enjoy the many little things that make this time of year so special. Merry Christmas!!

True Patriot Love

2011-07-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

Started our July 1st celebrations with a red and white breakfast...

*please click pictures to see full size and greater details*

I used the Maple Leaf pancake mold to "emboss" the pancakes this year...it takes waaaay too long to make enough pancakes in the mold itself for a family of 6!

cover them with pureed strawberries and cool whip...yummo!

After breakfast, we headed off to the parade on main street...no pics this year as I just wanted to sit and watch (besides, it's pretty much the same from year to year here)
Came home to put the finishing touches on the food and decorations for the gathering we were hosting (it's our turn once every 3 years as we rotate with 2 other families)
These are home made marshmallows...no, I am not kidding...I made them from scratch! Did you know you could do that? I had no idea till last year. The lady of the house we were at only had rock hard ones to make s'mores with and commented that she had seen/read you could make them from scratch. I came home that night, googled and found a recipe..been saving it for a whole year so I could make them. They are soooo good! They don't taste anything like a store bought one...which according to all who ate them...that's a good thing!

These cute cupcakes were dessert...found this recipe on the Canadian Living website

I adapted mine a little as I couldn't find everything they listed. I still think they turned out pretty cute...and delicious!

Just some snap shots of the back yard...

this little guy is supposed to hold a picture but I thought he made a great napkin weight. Had a moose one on top of the beverage dispenser holding a "Raspberry Lemonade" sign so people knew what they were drinking

changed out the flowers on the table once it started getting dark for these...glow in the dark flags

and of course...no Canada Day is complete without fireworks...

How'd you celebrate being Canadian?

and another month goes by

2011-04-17T13:45:00.001-07:00

without a blog post...lol!
How do you guys do it? Blog regularly?
I think about it a lot...but then something or someone seems to get in the way of my having the time and freedom to sit at the computer for anything longer than to check emails or facebook. Perhaps now that Brian is home for a bit and we are no longer planning a Spring break surprise trip things will slow down a bit for me.
In fact, they already have in a way.
With Brian not home, it's constant go go go for me but having him here allows myself to operate at a slightly slower pace...which isn't necessarily a good thing either...lol! He is taking care of the house work and laundry during the day so after a day at work, I just need to worry about supper really. He's even been doing a lot of the driving to volleyball so I can stay home in the evenings.
You'd think that with my new found freedom, I'd have all the time in the world to scrapbook, work on home reno's, workout, and blogging....but I don't! So, what am I doing instead? Some days, I'm not sure the answer to that question....seems I am busy doing a whole lot of nothing...lol! I'm sure some (or all) of you know what I mean by that.
I've got a mix of Spring fever (sure wish Mother Nature would get that feeling and end Winter already) blended with a sense of urgency to get some major projects outta the way with grad less than a month away. So any "spare" time I have in the next few weeks will be spent tying up those "to do's"
I will share pics of them when they are done.
I'll also share photos from our surprise family vacation to Disney World!
In an effort to get a few more things highlighted off the list, I'm outta here!

hellooooooooo...helloooooo....hellooooo

2011-03-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

Whoa...perhaps I should give up this blogging thing...does anyone even still read it? It's been an awfully looong time since I posted anything.
Truth be told...I came to several times..thought I had some good topics to blog about but just can't seem to make the time to sit at the computer and get anything written.
Life is incredibly busy at our house...as I'm sure it is for you too...seems to be the way for most. Brian has been gone since the 3rd of January! This leaves me to juggle the boys' schedules, the running of the house and my full time job...which is why I just can't seem to make the time to sit here long enough to get anything written. I haven't scrapped too much in the last couple of months either.
I am thrilled to share that in amongst all the busy, I have made myself more of a priority since the beginning of the year...eating healthier and working out has helped me to lose almost 15lbs so far. People are starting to notice which makes me want to keep at. I sure hope Brian notices as I've lost it all since he left.
The 2 older boy's club volleyball seasons have been in full swing for some time now. Between the 2 of them, we have 9 tournaments freeing up only 3 weekends from the end of January till after the May long!! See why I have no spare time...lol! As if that wasn't enough, I signed the 3rd son up for a weekly volleyball program with the hope he'll learn enough to make the Jr. High team in the fall. I guess maybe when the all leave home, I'll have time to scrap and blog! I did make time on a Monday we had no school to go to the spa with a friend and finally use the gift cards I got for Christmas in 2008 and 2009!
All of a sudden, graduation is just a couple of months away...and with hosting a houseful, any spare time I have had has been spent trying to finish up odds and ends of projects around here. The biggest right now is the kitchen cupboards.
Sometimes, I wonder why I start such projects...lol! Guess I should take my son to get a suit too! I'll leave my outfit shopping until closer to the event in order to buy something another size or 2 smaller ;)
I hope you are well...staying safe and warm with this long cold winter we've been experienced (which by the way...I am so over..as are you I'm sure...lol)

can it be?

2011-01-22T12:18:00.000-08:00

I have had some time to get reacquainted with my creative side and boy did it feel good! Like therapy...maybe not cheaper but way more fun!
this layout was for a "think inside the box" challenge

these were some street performers we saw on our 2nd trip to Vegas

a shot of some houses in "the Hills"...pic taken from Universal Studios

one of our fave hot spots on the Vegas strip...more so mine than Brian's as he's not into country music but he sure does enjoy his "Toadsuck Pond" and "deep fried snickers"

this was what I came up with for a "gift card holder" challenge...it's for out librarian at school who is also a great friend

this one is pretty special to me...we were at our family reunion last summer and the family members that organized it, had balloons, pencils/paper strips and helium for us to write a note to those loved ones no longer with us. Those of that wanted to sent our letters off towards heaven...

transitions

2011-01-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

So far our 2011 has had a few...
The boys and I are transitioning into a new routine without Brian home on a regular basis. He is sub contracting waaaay up North and we likely will not see him til mid March at the earliest. There's still hope he can come home for a few days over the family day weekend. The boys and I have a day or two extra off from school then so the timing would be great. So far, the boys and I are adjusting well. However, the club volleyball season is just getting started and that will impact the routine we have gotten into!!
Personally, I've been making the transition to a new healthier way of living and it's gone better than I expected it might. Since the 3rd of January, I have only missed one day of exercise and have had one really bad day as far as staying withing my daily caloric intake. How do I know this, cause I joined a site called myfitnesspal.com. (I stumbled across while googling the calorie contents of something I had eaten and wanted to enter into this "lose it" app I had for my phone.) Turns out this website is pretty intensive and full of info...and they have an app too!! I also recently discovered that my friend Vanessa is a member and it has helped her to be very successful. :)
Looking forward to some successes of my own!
Another transition, directly related to the one above, is going from plus size clothes to regular sized clothes? I have no idea how to do this...I've googled size charts and that has given me some info but not enough to feel comfortable. The reason this is important and bugging me all at the same time is, I want to buy a really nice pair of jeans...goal jeans...in a few sizes smaller (as incentive) but don't want to buy them and have them still be too small after I've lost 30-40 pounds...kwim? I would feel sooo bad about myself if they didn't fit. I've heard people say: 10 pounds between sizes but doesn't the size you wear depend on bone structure too? And if you are toning/building muscles? Awe man...I am so confused...lol!
My role at work has changed slightly for the next month and it has not been the easiest transition. It's added some extra stress in my day...good thing I have my workouts I can use as stress release!
My year will have a few more "major" transitions whether I like it or not. I'll worry about those as the time comes!

Looking back

2011-01-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

2010 would be comparable to what I would imagine being on a roller coaster would feel like...full of ups and downs, twists and turns... feeling like you are twisting into a knot...
bright spots for us included:
* a second trip to Vegas for Brian and I
* being asked to continue on at my job (after being let go)
* more camping...including a great time at the family reunion
* attending a cousins wedding
* getting some landscaping done
* lots of time just hanging with the boys
* everyone stayed quite healthy
* Zack getting his drivers lisence
* celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary
* watching the Olympics
dull moments included:
* Brian being forced to change jobs
* Reilly having 12 baby teeth pulled at once
* Zack getting his drivers license (LOL)
* being told there was no money in the budget to keep me on staff
* not getting as much done around the house/yard as I would have liked
* the boys being boys...they can be sooo mean to one another
* not enough scrappy/crafty time for me
All in all 2010 was decent...could have been way worse I guess!

I was kinda sorta successful with my 2010 one little word: Organize. Will be a constant work in progress I think! My word for 2011 is Change...I need to change the way I deal with change as this year is going to be full of them. Some totally out of my control so I better figure out how I am going to cope! A few are of my own doing...healthier lifestyle changes being at the top of the list!

I would love to hear what some of your highlights were last year and what you look forward too in 2011!

2010-12-31T23:35:00.000-08:00

Blog much?

2010-12-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

Obviously not since it's been 2 months since the last post!!
Wish that meant I had lots of exciting things to blog about now though...sadly, most of what's been keeping me busy is...well..life! It's busy but good!! I do complain now and then about it all but the truth of the matter is, I really do love it, so I guess I need to close my mouth and carry on...lol!
So,what is it exactly that we've been busy with? Volleyball mostly...both Zack and Reilly played for their school teams this fall with Zack helping to coach Reilly's team. That kept us busy at least 4 days a week plus tournaments on weekends...sometimes they both played so it meant running back and forth to both...if possible. Thankfully, Brian was home most weekends so we would divide and conquer. Both boys finished in the top two of their school leagues, which meant they went on the Regionals and Zones respectively. Each of them brought home bronze medals...the best thing about that was there was no way one cold bug the other as they finished their seasons on an even keel. Once the school season ended, club tryouts began. Zack wants to play on a club team so bad this year as it's his last year so rather than putting all his eggs in one basket and maybe not making the team he payed for last year, he wanted to try out for 3 different teams!! This was a lot of driving to the 3 different cities and some late nights but that's ok...it's what moms do right. He has a spot on his team from last year and has one last tryout for the team he really wants to play on...fingers crossed!! Reilly is trying out too but the age group is U16. He is really only U14 but since they have no team at the age, he is giving it a shot. He can hold his own on the court but we'll see if he makes it. He's happy just to have gone to the tryout for the experience.
Carsyn is waiting till January to start a weekly volleyball skills program in the hopes of making the junior boys team next year. Gavin would love too also but is a bit too young still.
Halloween was awesome this year...as you may know, it's Brian's favorite holiday. We found a new store called Spirit Halloween...it had the most amazing costumes and decorations! I was actually really surprised how many Halloween stores opened up this year. Here are some pics....

the older 2 stayed home to hand out candy and scare kids...lol

In school news, graduation prep has started for Zack...I am sure I was just at Kindergarten orientation...how is is possible he is graduating? Having a bit of a hard time with that. Last week, he brought home a book full of grad rings...he has designed one that suits him to a tee. He has also changed his thoughts on taking a year off of school to work. He wants to go straight to college and pursue a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in either Bio or Chem. It's very exciting and sad all at the same time...definitely bittersweet!! The other boys are all doing well academically as well. My job is going great...any reservations I had at the start of the year regarding my assignment quickly vanished once we got going. I will be very sad if they don't ask me to continue with him though grade 2, 3 and 4.
Brian had switched jobs this summer to one that had him home more...loved that! However, he was not enjoying the work at all. So, we've gone back into business for ourselves. He is much happier and although it means he's gone again, I would rather have him come home happy on his days off. Besides, we've lived like this for a long time so it's not been that much of an adjustment.

In other exciting news (I think...lol), Zack passed his road test and is now a licensed driver!

Christmas is fast approaching and I am hosting this year...lots to get done between now and then. Thank goodness we have some time off the week before cause I am going to need a few full days!! Might not have been too bad but I started redoing the kitchen cupboards a couple of weeks ago and have had no time to get them finished...they look better than they did but primer white wasn't what I had in mine...lol! Need to get that done on top of all the usual holiday stuff.

No time like the present, so I guess I'll go and tackle something.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-10-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

Today, I am celebrating all the wonderful things I am thankful for...
* my 4 healthy sons
* my loving, supportive husband who has the best sense of humor ever
* my family and friends...I truly am grateful for the part each and every one of you plays in my life
* my health and what I've been doing to improve on it
* our home
* my job
* living in Canada
It's days like today that I need to have more often in my life...need to remember these things on the days when things aren't going so well and I feel like having a pity party. I have a lot to be thankful for each and every day...we all do!!

don't knock it till you try it

2010-08-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

I'm talking about camping!
Up until the last year, camping was one of those things I did with my parents a few times and it was alright but I was also at an age where I wanted to be at home with friends on weekends and not packed into the back seat of the truck, with my brothers, heading off to who knows where just so I could camp. Once I was able to stay home for the weekend alone instead of going camping...I did!!
It was never really anything Brian and I discussed either as our lives blended together. Until last year that is...
You may or may not remember that I blogged about attending a family reunion last year and how it was a camping thing etc. Overall, it wasn't the greatest outdoor experience as the mosquitoes were really bad, the noise from the Trans Canada highway and those dam "Darth Vader" bugs. However, there was something about it that made me want to do it again (Brian not so much lol).
Fast forward to this summer...Zack was going to go stay with my brother for most of the summer and said brother had just bought a trailer so he suggests we meet part way and camp for the weekend. Sounds good...so we load up and go camping for the weekend. It was great fun...sitting by the fire, poker night in the screen house, just hanging with my family away from all the distractions of doing things around the house/yard and the techno world. I come home and start talking and looking at trailers...lol I enjoyed it so much! Brian decides he'd like camping more if we had a boat...I know the boys would love that so I'm good with the tenting and getting a boat instead.
Recently, the boys and I took a 6 day camping trip with my friend and her 2 kids...it was awesome! We went to this campground a couple hours from home...small, clean and quiet. There is a lake there and the boys spent hours floating in inner tubes, building sand castles and playing beach volleyball. We sat and played full card yahtzee while watching the kids play, had picnic lunches and laughed...A LOT!! It was incredibly relaxing and almost therapeutic for me. My boys had a blast too and now...we are hooked! I came home, started looking at trailers again as it would be nice to have a space always set up...especially the kitchen area. And having a place to go when the weather takes a turn for the worse is an added bonus. Brian's big reason for not liking camping is the poor sleep he gets on the air mattress so having a bed for him might get him to come along. Either way, the boys and I will be camping a whole lot more...with or without a trailer or my husband!

leaving Las Vegas

2010-08-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

Vegas day 6 (sort of)
We had a late flight back so it was kinda like an extra day...
We went for breakfast, back to the room to check out, left our bags at the hotel and then walked around doing some last minute things and some things one last time. Gambled a bit at Bills, walked over to the Bellagio and splurged on these...

it was a tough choice but finally we settled on Key Lime Pie for Brian and Carrot Cake for me

seriously, I have never tasted anything sooooo delicious in all my life!
Took the Tram to the Monte Carlo where Brian played some blackjack and I hit a few slots. Once our luck (and our money...lol) was running low we walked back to catch the Bellagio Fountain show one more time...

Wandered our way back towards Margaritaville late in the afternoon for one last plate of nachos...these are the yummiest nachos on the planet I swear...

It was time to walk back to Bally's, get our luggage and grab a cab to the airport..both of us a little sad but also feeling that it was time to go.
We arrived way early, not sure what to expect as far as line ups at security etc...turns out they aren't near as thorough when you leave their country as they are letting you in. Needless to say, we had lots of time to kill...I pulled out my ipod touch taking advantage of the free WiFi and hit facebook, blogs and forums while Brian put the last of his cash here...

In looking back, I see our last day (and a fair bit of our trip this time was bout food and drinks...thankfully I only gained 5 pounds!)
In discussion on the ride home, we realized we should have done 5 days the first trip and 3 this time. We jammed so much into last years time there that there were times this year we weren't sure what to do. We could have spread out all we did last year over a longer period of time. Oh well...ya know what they say about hindsight...lol
Not sure if we'll make it back next Spring break as we would like to take a family holiday before Zack graduates and maybe leaves home next June...we'll see!

a good time was had by us

2010-07-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Vegas day 5
A bit of a sleep in for me, early morning blackjack with coffee and Bailey's for Brian is a great way to start the day where we had nothing set in stone!
Enjoyed some breakfast then a walk across the street to the Bellagio to catch the Tram on our way to Mandalay Bay (had to get off and back on at Monte Carlo and Excalibur but still saved walking all the way). Stopped and snapped some pics of the Botanical Gardens inside the Bellagio first...

Our actual destination was here...

since we didn't make it to get our pic taken here on last years trip, it was a must for us this time. It wasn't that far of a walk either (which is somewhat deceiving when looking at things on the strip...lol)
We head back on the Tram (which is free to ride by the way...in case you plan a trip...too bad we didn't learn about it last year)
Stopped in at the Miracle Mile shops in Planet Hollywood and purchased an aqua colored Vittorio leather purse I had eyed up earlier in the week...I love it!
Saw some street performers as we were making our way back to the room...

Had a snack of gourmet M&M's while we freshened up them headed back out to grab the bus for Freemont Street...soooo happy they changed the bus system back as we were there in no time. Went for a bite to eat at the El Cortez, which is a local casino that Brian had read good things about. It sure is no Vegas strip casino that's for sure but the food was good and cheap (compared to the strip restaurants). Gambled a bit here then headed off to the Golden Nugget...tried my hand at the exact same Happy Days machine I won on last year...it wasn't as good to me this time around. Went and hung out at Mermaids for awhile...Brian wanted to try the deep fried Oreo's this trip

While he was waiting in line and dining on his treat, I played some slots...won a bit so we ended up staying there for awhile. Watched the light show then crossed the street and went into Fitzgeralds...Brian knew they had cheap blackjack there and wanted to play. I sat at an old style nickel machine, plunked in about 60 cents and ended up sitting there for bout an hour and a half...was doing pretty good making some money, chatting it up with the 2 guys on either side of me and had the waitress bringing me Malibu and sprites quite regularly...it was sooo much fun! Brian didn't have as much luck with the blackjack so he came and sat with me for a bit...was bored so he took off to play some slots too...came back a few times with winnings, then was off to play some more. It might have been the most fun for the fewest dollars gambling we've had in Vegas! Caught the light show again a little later then headed back to the strip to catch the Volcano show at Mirage (it was being repaired on last years trip so we wanted to catch it this time).

When that was done we went inside the Mirage to BLT Burger and had milkshakes with liquor in them...I had a Malibu Barbie and Brian had The Knight Rider...who knew alcoholic milkshakes would be so yummy! Took our time wondering back to Bally's, checking things out and dodging the crowds...Vegas sure was busier this time around! Not sure what time we called it a day but it was a good one!

all dressed up

2010-07-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

Vegas day 4
I for one was definitely looking forward to today...we were hitting the outlet mall as soon as we finished breakfast...couldn't wait to get my hands on some good deals!! however, the nightmare of it all began when we tried to catch the bus...at the beginning of the week they changed the bus routes a bit thinking it would be an easier, faster, more convenient system (it ended up being the exact opposite and they changed it back to the way it was last year). So anyway, it takes us about an hour or so to get to the mall on a jam packed bus...barely even standing room only. I, am in heaven...shoes and clothes stores galore! Brian on the other hand is not such a happy camper...he thought there would be other stores more up his alley there (computers/electronics)...how he came to that conclusion I have no idea as he was even online printing off coupons to some of the stores listed in the mall directory and they were all shoes and clothes! So, after only 3 hours of shopping, Brian was so done that we grabbed a cab and headed back to the hotel. Now that I know how to ride the bus there, I'll leave him to gamble and I'll go by myself on the next trip.
Back at the hotel, we grab a bite to eat, change into our dress clothes and head off to the Venetian where we have tickets to see......

This show is indescribable...I have yet, after 3 months been able to find the words that would give it justice. If you EVER get the chance to see it...DO IT!!
Played a few slot machines at the Venetian after then headed back to our room to call it a day.

been there...done that (for the most part)

2010-07-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

Vegas 2010 day 3

I wanted to sleep in sooo bad today after coming back from the Grand Canyon exhausted. However, Brian was up and raring to go at 7:30....this is where our compromising skills come in...he went to play blackjack for a couple hours leaving me to sleep in. Upon his return, I was enjoying that big in floor soaker tub!
So, we head off to brunch and then roam the strip for a bit...checking out some things we saw last year and really liked. Stopped in at Toby Keith's for a drink...mmmm...love the Georgia Peach!! Ended up on Freemont street for a bit. We were kinda bored *gasp* I know...how can you be bored in Vegas? So, we watched the light show, checked out a couple casino's we didn't go in last year then headed back to the strip. Had some supper and were off to see 'Jubilee'

Now, I had no idea what to expect...all I knew was the show was a topless, old style Vegas show. This was something Brian wanted to see (obviously...lol) and being it's held at our hotel and we got 2 for 1 I thought what the heck. The performance in general was actually pretty good and the costumes were really cool. However, I could have done without the boobies. Brian said after awhile he hardly noticed (ya right!) Gambled a bit at the Paris then called it a night.

a Grand Adventure

2010-05-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

Vegas 2010 day 2

On about 5 hours of sleep we get up and get ready ...we are going to spend the day at the Grand Canyon!!! In reality we spent only about 4 hours there out of the 15 we were gone from the hotel as it's quite a drive from Vegas. We made a few stops along the way....snapped some pics of Lake Mead (which I didn't upload cause they weren't that good) and some other random places along the way there.

One of the other highlights of our tour, was a stop at Hoover Dam. We didn't tour it (which you can do actually) just snapped some photos of the dam and the scenery around it...

After what feels like half the day, we finally arrive...

I think I took at least 300 pics of the Canyon hoping for one good one I could enlarge and frame to hang above the tv...I think this might be the one...

Our tour guide was great...he shared lots of info and interesting facts along the way and especially of the Canyon itself (just don't ask us any of them cause it was a lot to take in and remember...lol). He was really good at making sure us Canadians had the distances he was talking about in meters and kilometers too.

After arriving back at the hotel, tired and hungry, we stumbled upon JJ's Boulangerie in the Paris and ate the yummiest sandwiches. Made our way back to the room and crashed for the night!

ready for take off...

2010-04-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

Vegas 2010- day 1

suitcases packed...Zack and Reilly off to my brothers...Carsyn and Gavin ready for Grandmas...passports and plane tickets...American money...dog to the kennel...everything checked and double checked...good to go...right?

Wrong...we board the plane (but not till after we were both felt up by the kind folks at security), get all buckled in, go through the procedure of the emergency row responsibility with the flight attendant (this is where we like to sit so Brian has lots of leg room) and are thinking that in a few short moments, we'll be up and on our way. A few minutes pass and the flight attendant comes on to tell us that maintenance is just checking on something and we'll be on our way shortly. About 10 minutes later, the pilot comes on..."Ladies and Gentleman, this is your Captain speaking...this plane is broken!" WTF? Seriously? So, we all deplane and are told that they will have a new plane here in about 15 minutes from the hangar and we'll re-board and get on our way. That 15 minutes turned into 2 hours...meanwhile it's supper time and all the food places once you pass security are closed so there is nowhere for us to grab a bite to eat... I am a nervous flier as it is...add in some light headedness from needing to eat and I was just asking for trouble. So, we sat and waited...what else were we to do right. Finally, we get to board the new plane...go through the emergency exit row procedures again and this time we taxi to the run way and are up and away!!
The flight was pretty uneventful...unless you count me barely making it to the bathroom to throw up...lol! I am grateful though that if you are ever going to hear those words come out of your pilots mouth, that they are while you are still grounded!! (turns out that one of the cargo doors wouldn't close)

We were a tad disappointed that the plane landed on a different runway than last years trip...we landed right next to the Strip last year and were hoping for that again as we flew in at night this time and wanted to see it all lit up. Oh well....we're here...safe and sound!!

Grab our bags, a cab and off to Bally's we go. Didn't take too long to get there, which made me happy cause we were already 2 hours later than we were supposed to be...tired and hungry.

Upon checking in, Brian tried something he had read about on the net...slipping the clerk a $20 bill and asking for complimentary upgrades...totally worked. She upgraded us to a Junior Suite!!

The room decor is a tad outdated but whatever...we weren't entertaining guests in our suite...lol! I made good use of that soaker tub though!

As tired as we were from a full day of travel and knowing we had to get up at 5 AM the next day to prepare for our Grand Canyon tour, we still headed to Margaritaville for nachos!! They were just as good as we remembered them to be. Finally, at 12:30 AM we hit the hay...exhausted and oh so happy to be there!!

living in Sin (City)

2010-03-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

We leave tomorrow for our 5 day fun filled trip to Sin City!!!
What happens in Vegas....will be posted on the blog when we return!

tick tock

2010-03-11T06:01:00.001-08:00

wow...time is sure flying by...haven't posted here in over a month...that's kinda embarrassing actually. The truth is though, I just haven't had a lot of free time since the new year began.
Zack making the club volleyball team keeps us very busy, hockey 4 days a week and music lessons twice each week makes me think we should install a revolving door and set up the kitchen with those warmer trays you see at buffets...would make it easier with all the coming and going around here. Things *should* start to slow a little now that hockey is finished...well at least until the younger two start soccer!
I had such a great start to the year with my 2010 word "organize" and that too has faded off. This is a must for me to get re focused on as I do not want to spend my summer vacation doing tings around here this year. Hoping that with this first weekend free coming up to tackle a good chunk of the garage and getting Casryn's room repainted. Would love to find time to scrapbook too as the Wednesday night thing has kinda fallen to the side as well. Watching 2 straight weeks of the Olympics at night sure didn't help anything around here either. I couldn't help myself....we watched more of these Olympics than any others...must be partly cause they were on home soil! Was hard not to feel all that Canadian pride hey!!
In just over a week, Reilly officially hits the teens! He seems pretty excited about being a teenager. I guess I'll take some comfort in that too and blame his hormones for the changes in his behavior...lol!
Lastly, it's all of a sudden only 17 more days till Brian and I leave for Vegas!!
I'd say we are just as excited this time as we were last year. We have tickets to see Phantom and booked a tour of the Grand Canyon. Hoping to see the Beatles Love by Cirque de Solei as well. Will hit a few of our favs from last year aaaannnnd, I get to go shopping at the outlets this time!!!
Now I gotta run or I'll be late for work.
Miss you all, take care!

once in a blue moon

2010-01-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

it seems is how often I have time to update my blog!
I am embarrassed that it's been almost a month but at the same time can't believe it's been that long! Where does the time go?
Well, 2010 has gotten off to a pretty good start for us...I love having Brian home everyday and even more so that he cleans the house and does laundry so after I get home from work I can relax...even scrapbook! He even does most of the running around with the boys to music lessons and sports. It'll be really hard when he goes back to work but for now I am going to enjoy every minute of it!
With so much help from him, I have been scrapbooking at least once a week. We have nothing Wednesday nights so that's usually a scrappy night and the last couple of Saturday's have been scrappy days too. Here is some of what I've created lately...
this was for a no photo challenge..played with Maya Mist for the first time...

this was a sketch...so happy to have the camera handy that day....lol...

still working on the trip to Vegas...

(the teal-ish scallopy thing is packaging from some Prima flowers)

a little hockey inspiration from Wayne Gretzky for Reilly...

(my new camera takes the most amazing pics...I am in love!)

had to get proof of Reilly being the one to come out on top..at least once...lol

There are a few more but I'll save them for another post.

For those of you that haven't heard, I found out last week I am getting glasses. I ordered them on Monday and will have them by the end of the week at the latest. I'll share a pic or two when I have them. Just in time to try them out for night driving as Zack and I head off to a volleyball tournament for his club team. It's in our old neck of the woods so we both plan to visit with friends in between all the games he'll play. Wonder how said friends feel about coming to us at the gym?

I have one other bit of news I am so excited to share...does anyone remember where Brian and I spent last Spring break?

Hope you all are well...take care

2009 Year in Review

2009-12-31T12:18:00.000-08:00

I'm sure we're all thinking the same thing...where did it go? It sure flew by fast...another year has come and gone and with that it allows for some reflection on what was and some anticipation for what lies ahead.

2009 holds some great memories for us...our first family camping trip was a highlight. The excitement of purchasing supplies and packing up...the fun we had along the way...even more so once we got there. It really was an awesome time!!
I look forward to more of those kinds of adventures in 2010.

A major highlight for Brian and I was our trip to Vegas...it really can't be summed up into words. It was not only jammed packed with things to see and do, but it was like the honeymoon we never had...it was great for our relationship..just us...away from it all at home. We are extremely grateful that my Mom took the time to come stay with the boys and is willing to consider it during Spring break so we can go again.

Once hockey and school sports ended, baseball for Carsyn and soccer for Gavin started. This kept us busy right till the end of school.

I had a great weekend in Winnipeg meeting up with friends to scrapbook and just hang out in June...seems this has become an annual event for me. One I look forward to more than the girls know.

We spent a lot of time hanging out in the backyard pool during our summer vacation...I am not sure I have ever looked more forward to those 2 months off than I did in '09. I love my job at the school but after being a stay at home mom for so long, returning to the work force full time/working with the kids I did...it was a much needed break. It allowed me to be more prepared for going back in September.

The boys are growing up so fast...Zack started shaving this fall! He has also completed his drivers ed course but has not quite gotten around to booking his road test...not sure if that's teenage laziness or nerves. A definite highlight for him was being selected for a club volleyball team he tried out for in the city. It gets stared in January and runs till May. Reilly is still playing hockey and becoming quite the player. he also made the Jr. boys volleyball team with the school. He had his first crush and fell pretty hard when that ended. He's such a shy quiet "nice" guy that I am almost certain this is the first of many heart breaks for him. Carsyn had a rough start to 5th grade...maybe adjusting to the "big' school wasn't as easy for him as he thought. Good news is, he seems to be settling in finally. He also started with electric guitar lessons this fall and is loving that...me not so much when he's practicing at home...lol! Mix that in with Gavin's drum lessons and the noise level in this house increases substantially! Gavin is experiencing great success in 2nd grade and is loving not having me work in his class this year!

Brian is still sub contracting and away from home a lot. It's getting harder on all of us instead of easier and is going to hopefully change this a bit when he renews his contract at the beginning of the new year.

All in all, '09 was good to us and we look forward to what 2010 holds.

May the New Year be everything you want it to be and more!!

t'was the night before Christmas

2009-12-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

and I wanted to wish you all the happiest of holidays with those you hold close to your heart. May you share many memorable moments filled with love and laughter.

2009-12-04T16:19:00.000-08:00

Would I blame you if you all bail on me...not one bit!
I can't say how sorry I am that I have not been around much...sheesh...I just don't know where the days go. Well, I do but I won't bore you with those details.

So, it's December...anyone completely ready for Christmas...shopping, baking...cards...the whole works all done? I've started the shopping...barely but I do have a good idea of what I need to buy it's just a matter of finding the time to get to the city to pick it all up. Good thing we get out of school on the 18th...it might be the 19th that I get it all done...lol. Gotta get through Gavin's birthday tomorrow and then we can shift gears and out up the tree and other decorations. I have been listening to some Christmas music though and it sure has me in the mood to celebrate the holidays. We're doing secret Santa's at school too...this is going to be so much fun...better get my thinking cap on and come up with some clever ideas to reveal myself.

Some of you may have heard that we have a new pink baby in our family...my niece Deklyn was born on November 4th...I am sooo excited to shop for her!! She is too cute!! Can ya tell I am a proud Auntie...lol

Well, have to keep it short and sweet...things to do...the most important of which is to stay warm...man the weather sure changed quick...brrr!!

Take care everyone...I miss you!!

Boo from our Crew '09

2009-11-06T19:26:00.000-08:00

Hope your Halloween was filled with lots of treats and few tricks...we had a great one this year. The weather was warmer than it's been in years so the kids were out in full force around town. It was awesome...I love seeing them all dressed up. Here are a few snapshots of how we celebrated this year

Things are well here with all of us...knock on wood, we've all been pretty healthy...hoping to keep it that way!
Carsyn's guitar lessons are going well and Gavin started drum lessons today. I sat in on the first lesson just so i was in the know about the things we should be practicing at home and how to go about it...the sparkle in his eyes while he was playing and after the lesson was over melted my heart! Guess Brian better get on finishing insulating and drywalling the garage so it can be used as a music/rec room cause if we have to buy a drum set in the near future (right now he practices on rhythm pads) I do not want that noise in the house...lol!
Reilly and Zack's volleyball season's are coming to an end soon. However, basketball starts right after...no resting in between. Hockey is in full swing so that keeps us busy 4 days a week without anything else going on. I am so looking forward to Brian being home for the winter so he can help out with transporting the boys too and from.
Anyway, I have been a horrible blog friend and for that I apologize. I hope to have some time this weekend to visit them all and catch up.
I hope you are well and staying healthy...hugs!!

a Cornucopia of things

2009-10-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

sheesh...time flies! Not sure where the last threes went since I had the chance to post on the blog. Oh ya...I've been running between volleyball for 2 boys and hockey for one of those same kids..dealing with a son who hasn't been making the best of choices, working full time and attempting to keep the house some what clean. Seriously, people who tell me I'll miss this when their gone have got to be pulling my leg right?
I tried to take a day to scrapbook and managed to get a few layouts done for an online crop...felt sooo good to connect with my creative side and get a little me time (one might even say a sanity break...lol)
forgot to add the journaling when I took this pic but have sinice done so...it was about Brian playing craps the very first time in Vegas. It was something he wanted to do sooo bad...too bad he wasn't comfortable enough to try it until the last day...lol

this was for a challenge where you had to scrap down the middle of the page only...it's the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney (yes I am still scrapping our trip to California)

I really wanted to get a clse up of Reilly's freckles (which I love) and he didn't want his pic taken but I got then anyway (gotta love a zoom lens)

lastly, this is M&M World in Vegas...no journaling required really but I am happy with how it turned out...

We are currently trying to decide what everyone is going to be for Halloween...do you have costumes for you and/or your kids? I only have 2 kids that need costumes and Gavin is thinking he might just wear Carsyn's old karate uniform and go as a black belt (which I would have to make but that's easy). Carsyn wants to be something creepy/scary so we'll see what we can find that would be appropriate for school. I really wanted to be Smurfette but am having a hard time finding what I need so instead I Might dress up as either Mario or Luigi (already bought a self adhesive mustache from the dollar store just in case...lol)
Also need to get the fall yard work done but with the friggin cold weather and snow we've had this week it might all have to wait till Spring!
Brian and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary on the 7th and are going out for dinner and to a movie *gasp* this weekend...looking so forward to that.
We also have hockey and volleyball but plan to make some time to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner...just the 6 of us and be grateful for the good stuff in our lives. I hope you can do the same with those you love!

back in the saddle

2009-09-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Wow...2+ weeks have just flown by!
The boys and I are all settled back into the routine of getting up and going to school...things are running pretty smoothly I must say. The boys are happy to be back into sports and seeing their friends...the school work I'm sure they'd be happy without. I have a busy schedule again this year although it's not as insane as last year. I pretty much spend my mornings in grade 1 and my afternoons in grade 4...it's quite the difference from the one to the other!
Sure am glad I spent some time at the start of the summer to get this house and stuff a bit more organized. Also picked up a 7qt crockpot and have started putting it to good use too. One thing that suffered a bit with me going to work full time all of a suddenlast year was suppers so I am hoping that the new (and much bigger) crockpot will help us eat a little better with not a whole lot more effort.
I am happy to report that the speed bumps we hit are a distant memory so that is an added bonus for a little less stress in my life! Although, hockey starts on Wednesday and that's always full of drama so ya never know....lol!
I've had a chance to do a smidge of scrapping but I'll wait till the next post to share...I know you are all wanting to see my new bathroom. So, without further adieu...here it is!
this is the new chocolate brown "damask" shower curtain shown with the sun shining through the window to show it off

this is just a shot of the mirror (which will change at a later date, along with the vanity) The picture needs to be hing back on the wall above the toilet and I bought a glass shelf to hang above the pic to put some little details things on...

this is the shower curtain with the light on (not sure it looks any different though...lol)

this is the new fixture...

It's hard to see the color on the walls...it's called "alpine mist"...it's a very soft greeny blue...think spa-ish. I bought all new towels in this color as well as a free standing toilet paper holder (cause the one in the wall was drywalled over...lol), a free standing hand towel rack that sits on the counter and the set also came with an over the door towel holder...all in chrome to match the light. We are looking for some new flooring too.
I just realized, I didn't show you what it looked like before..and those pics aren't on the computer (I didn't take any before the reno started but I have some from when we first did the bathroom after moving in 4 years ago). Whoops!
The kitchen has been at a stand still for a bit...need to paint the back splash still and put new hardware on the cupboards. Still not sold on the color but it is growing on me each day.
So,with that, I need to go get the boys' agendas and paper work that needs to go back to school tomorrow ready as well as some pre lunch packing done. I think we have 2 boys with volleyball practice tomorrow, volleyball Tuesday and Friday, hockey Wednesday and cross country on Thursday. Hockey Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well...so glad Brian is home this week!

life is a highway

2009-09-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

and we've hit some speed bumps!
hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I'm still kicking around.
We have lots of stuff going on in our lives right now...some good...some not so good. None of it is terminal or anything like that we've just had some life stuff come up out of nowhere and are trying to deal with them...some days it's easier than others.
For those of you that have made friend requests on facebook, you wouldn't know that a couple of weeks ago, I posted that I wouldn't be continuing with facebook. It just wasn't my thing I guess. Plus, I am having a hard enough time posting on the blog while I try to keep my head above water.
I'll be back soon with a summer review, the bathroom and kitchen pics some of you are waiting *patiently* for and a start to our school year.
I hope you are all well and settling back into the grove of school, work, activities...ya know...life.
Miss ya all sooo much!!

2009-08-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

never fear...I'm still here...lol!
Just been busy doing a bathroom reno...that is sooo close to be doing finished.
It's so pretty and calming...the soaker tub is sooo awesome! Even though the bathroom isn't 100% complete, Brian did encourage me to try out the new tub and I gotta say...I'm in heaven! I for see a lot of down time in my future!
I am so excited to report that I scrapbooked...first page since mid June. It felt so good to get in touch with my creative side even for just an afternoon.
It's hard to believe that we are going back to school in 3 weeks. I haven't bought any school supplies or clothes and from what I saw at the stores today...I'm wishing I would have bought them all as soon as school was out in June...it was nuts!
We'll be busy with eye appointments, shopping, finishing the bathroom and working on the kitchen (finally picked a paint color for the cupboards) that the rest of our summer is going to fly by.
Hope you are all enjoying your summer and making some great memories!

2009-07-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

well...some scrapbooker I am! Would you believe I didn't take one single picture of our site set up? I was browsing through the almost 200 pics I took and not a single one of our tent and screenhouse set up...sheesh! Luckily, I mentioned this to my mom and she went around and took a snapshot or 2 of everybody's set up so I need to wait for here to either email it to me or bring her camera with her when she comes for the long weekend.
I can share with you (although it's probably in my best interest not too) the pics Brian tried to take of me making breakfast our first morning of camping...

He had to have one of these toasters thingies that go over the camp stove (cause his parents had when he camped as a boy...lol) so I had to take a pic of him making toast...

On Thursday night it was only us, my Mom and Bud as well as Bud's son and family so it was kinda quiet and a fairly early night I think.
Friday, more family started to arrive and I was thrilled to hear my cousin Kevin was going to be coming along with his youngest 2 kids who I hadn't met yet. Seems that when Kevin makes it home, I don't and vice versa. My early evening, a lot of the sites were full and a good time was had by the campfire. Everyone really enjoyed the belated Christmas gift we gave Mom and Bud too...Ladder Golf...it it so much fun and great for people of all ages.

Carsyn too an interest in playing crib so after half a day of lessons, he was ready to take on some of the more experienced players in the family. It was great that so many of them taught him too as they went along. It's now one of his favs.
Saturday, we took the boys to the man made swimming hole they have at this campground and the boys and Brian had a ball. I didn't take my camera the first time and man...it's too bad I didn't. Zack asked the boys to bury him in the sand...done. Then, while he was stuck there, they built what was supposed to be 2 boobs on either side of his head and then tried to build him some boy parts...OMG...I am not sure I have ever laughed so hard in my life!!!
I did get a lot of great shots of the boys splashing and goofing around with their Dad but I think it's only fair to have Brian's permission before posting his bathing body on the net...lol!
Being the Saskatchewan Roughrider fans that almost all of us are, we had to support our team (even though it was a lost cause that day) so we set up near the truck radio to listen to the game...

Also, Saturday, was the big family reunion supper. Lots of locals just came out for a visit and supper...it was really nice to see them.
This was also the day that every friggin mosquito in Canada decided to converge on us...I kid you not, there were millions. I guess it had been really hot and hatched them all and nothing we did or put on made them stop. We tried several different types of Off and we still got eaten alive. The boys looked like they had chicken pox when we came home they had so many bites. On top of that, they had these bugs that I called Darth Vader bugs cause they were big and black and sounded like a light saber when they came flying past your head...they were horrible. Only at night and obviously attracted to the fire cause that's where they were the worst. They were totally creepy and at one point on Sunday night, I had my hoody on...tied up tight around my head and a badminton racket in my hand swatting the dam things. Brian, being the ever so funny man he thinks he is, threw one at me...I thought my cousin, her boyfriend and my Aunt were going to pee their pants laughing. Not long after, he went to catch one and missed and in the process, it hit me in the cheek...needless to say, he was a tad chilly when we went to bed cause I was not about to snuggle after that.
Monday, we packed up, said our goodbyes...see ya next years and headed home.
All in all, it was a great trip. Lots of great family time as the 6 of us and with my extended family too. The family average for the first time camping was 7.5 and we will do it at least one more time this summer but not right beside the Trans Canada highway and hopefully with out as many mosquitoes and no Darth Vader Bugs (which turned out to be Spruce Beetles by the way).
Oh, and how could I forget...Zack had his first beer courtesy of my 18 year old cousin and his Dad (my Uncle that used to pull for me before I was 18)!!

I have mixed feelings about this occurrence by the way.

I guess if you look at the pic where we are listening to the football game, you can see our tent on the left and screen house on the right to kinda get the idea.

So, that's the camping trip in a nutshell.
Sorry you had to wait so long but it's late now and I gotta get to bed. Swimming lessons early in the morning for Carsyn and Gavin and a late night tomorrow with Zack's final drivers ed class.
On the upside, it is the August long so enjoy some summer fun with those you love! We'll be renovating our bathroom...can't wait!

ponder this...

2009-07-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Question of the day:
If a pair is 2 then why are jeans and undies called a pair?
This is what the boys were discussing at the lunch table yesterday...lol
camping report coming later today...just haven't had the time to sit here long enough to type it out...pics are on the computer now so that's a step in the right direction...lol!

hi-ho-hi-ho...a camping we will go

2009-07-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

The 6 of us are heading out this weekend to a family reunion (for my side) in SK and we are sooo excited to be camping for the first time as a family. Some may look at us like we are off our rockers cause we are roughin' it in a tent but we can't wait. We've had a practice run setting it up and taking it down...same with the screen house we bought for eating and hanging out in if the weather sucks. I've spent quite a bit of time on the net and found some great tips & tricks as well as a campers checklist which helped in the purchasing of stuff that is needed and useful without getting all caught up in buying everything but the kitchen sink. I did cross the line perhaps when I discovered that the dollar store had tea towels/dishcloths etc in colors that matched the tent..same with the plates/bowls/cups. If nothing else, our site will look pretty. I'll share some snapshots when we get back. It's going to be so much fun.
This will be the highlight of our summer so far as the weather has been kinda off and on so we haven't enjoyed as much time in the pool as we usually do in July. Speaking of pools, Carsyn and Gavin start swimming lessons next week when we get back.
Zack is also starting drivers ed...15 hours of in class instruction followed by a test he has to get at least 80% on and then he moves onto the actual driving part of the course. Holy cow expensive but worth it in the end....we think!
I've been busy this last 10 days getting things purged and organized around in here in the hopes of going back to work full time at the end of August easier...it's been a lot of work but very much worth it. Where does all this crap come from anyway cause I am sure I did this about 6 months ago!
I wish I had something far more exciting to share but I don't.
Thanks for stopping by though.

true patriot love

2009-07-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

We had such an awesome Canada Day celebration.
It started with these...maple leaf shaped pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream...delicious! They were very time consuming though so we only each had one shaped one and the rest were round.

After breakfast, we headed off to the parade. These are a few of my favorite shots...

then it was off to the neighbors for lunch, games an visiting. Spent the whole afternoon there. The Dad's took the boys around town to see some of the displays that were set up etc. I came home to cut the watermelon into maple leafs, after my neighbor used the cookie cutter to make these sugar cookies.

Enjoyed a bbq supper...waaay too much food was enjoyed by everyone. The kids played in the pool and enjoyed some ladder golf while I mixed up some virgin strawberry daquiri's for them (followed by adult pina coladas and margaritas) in our margarita machine. Everyone stayed up and enjoyed the fireworks...

It was relaxing and fun filled family time...loved every minute of it!
How did you celebrate our great country?

16 years ago...

2009-06-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

on this day, I became a Mom for the very first time.
I snuck downstairs, into Zack's room this morning and gave him a kiss on the forehead(he was sleeping and I had to go to work)...much like the one I gave him the very first time I saw him. It's hard to believe that he was once about as long as from the top of his head to his shoulder and now, he is 6'1"!!
If I could slow time down, I would...just a little but since that is not possible, I plan to enjoy every minute I have left with him under our roof because if the last 16 years could go by this fast, the next 2 will be here and gone before I know it.

Happy Canada Day too everyone. I hope you can enjoy some celebrations with people you love tomorrow.

I'm so excited

2009-06-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

but I kinda have to hide it!
I was asked yesterday if I would like to work again at the school next year...of course I said yes!!! (not all EA's have found out yet if they will be working next year or not...hence the hide it part)
I'll be in one room, primarily with 2 students instead of 5 rooms and a number of students. Plus, I have more than 24 hours notice to get things in order knowing I'll be working full time. Now to make the most of my summer off!!

What happens in the Peg

2009-06-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

and Miami (MB) stays there!!
Well...most of it anyway!
It all started with a great flight on Friday morning and ended with a kinda bumpy ride home where at times I thought I was leaving my heart up there when the plane dropped!! In between, I laughed a lot and chatted up a storm. Met some new friends for the first time and chatted with others from last year like no time had passed. Enjoyed a lovely brunch with a group of gals I think are pretty special and met some new members of the group too ;) I even managed to get some scrapbooking done....most of it for the school but that was the goal of the weekend. Came home tired and not looking forward to our incredibly busy week ahead but...the end is in sight...school is almost over and then I'll have some down time. At least a week anyway...lol! The end of the school year is always a busy time but it seems more so when you work at the school...I had no idea how much goes into all that some teachers do for year end.
Nothing else too exciting to share really...sorry for the short sweet post but I need to go water plants, dry a load of laundry and get to bed. the day started extra early with a field trip we had to leave for at 7:30am.
Hope you are all well and having a chance to enjoy some hot sunshine!

goin' to Winnipeg

2009-06-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

and not because I got on the wrong flight and was really supposed to be going to Hawaii...lol (think Fountain Tire commercial)
Although, with the crappy weather we've been having here (and I hear it's more of the same in the Peg) Hawaii is sounding pretty good. Although, my best scrappin' friends aren't in Hawaii.
I am sooo excited to beading East and meeting up with some pretty cool gals for the weekend. Lots I met just last year for the very first time IRL and some will be newbies this year. There have been friendships made, babies born, new vehicles bought and trips taken...sooo much to catch up on. It's going to be a fabulous weekend!!
Brian will be home with the boys for some guy time and they are pretty excited about that too.
Time is of the essence with the end of the school year very quickly approaching. I am making memory books for Gavin's teacher...one for each kid in the class and she wants them done by next Friday!! In all, there will be 16 pages in the book but some are photo copies of their writing or whatever but still...at least 10 of them need to be scrapped...I'm starting to stress a little!! Needless to say, I haven't had much time for my own scrapbooking as of late so I have nothing scrappy to share :(
Soccer and ball are done next week too so that will allow a bit more free time in my life although I am trying to help Zack and Reilly study for finals and more Provincial Achievement Tests...if it's not one thing it's another hey!
I really need to pack some scrapping stuff...it's so hard to figure out what to take when you are traveling that far. Need to go shopping for some clothes and the guys would like some food while I'm gone too. That takes care of tomorrow night...plus it's Carsyn's birthday...he's hitting double digits!
Before I know it, it'll be Friday and I'll be miles from home not thinking about any of it...can't wait!

busy...as usual

2009-05-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-16T11:38:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

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!

Last day in Vegas

2009-04-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

well everyone, here it is...our last day in Vegas.
After getting to sleep so late Wednesday night, we had decided to sleep in and take things a bit slower paced today. Until we both woke up earlier than we thought and decided to get ready, pack up and head to the Bellagio for brunch. My Paris margarita was still partly frozen so what the heck...has some while getting ready...when in Vegas right...lol. Managed to check out and leave our bags with the porters and scooted off to brunch. It took forever to find the restaurant inside this place and when we did finally get there, the line up was sooo long. We were actually worried we might not get in to eat before brunch ended. Turns out we did and it wouldn't have mattered cause as we were eating our breakfast, they were starting to put out the lunch buffet. If a person was hungry enough and timed it right, you could go for breakfast and lunch buffet.
Here are some pics from the Bellagio...
this was a light in the lobby...it's soo pretty (and it's actually really big too I just zoomed in to show the details)

these are all from the Bellagio Gardens...so beautiful

love these watering can fountains

and this snail made with different kinds of flowers

this last pic I took just for my Mom who loves butterflies. They have a butterfly habitat there actually and I took more pics than this for her.

It was after this that my camera batteries died and I don't have a lot of pics to share from the rest of our day. We didn't do too much that we hadn't already done in the previous 3 days.
I managed to turn the camera on and snapped a quick pic of this 27 foot tall chocolate fountain...

and this is a shot of the store where it is...I was so upset I couldn't get the camera to stay on long enough to get a picture of the desserts they make here..it would blow you away

never mind...we figured out how to add a video of them. I will make some stills to include in our scrapbook.

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After we wiped the drool off our chins, we went back to Bill's where Brian finally tried his hand at craps.

This is something he had wanted to do since we booked the trip back in January but was too nervous to try up until now. Mostly because the tables were usually pretty full and with people playing with more money than he was willing to risk.
That and the fact he had never played before!
We popped back into the Paris for one last look around and then headed back to Caesar's Palace to play the exact same Village People slot machine Brian got lucky on day 2. After getting lucky yet again, we made our way slowly back to TI to get our bags. The porter got our bags and snagged us a cab and that was it...we were off to the airport. Had some extra time after security so we had dinner, picked up some last minute souvenirs for friends and the kids.
After boarding the plane, it hit me like a brick wall how tired I was. After taxiing to the runway and sitting there for 20 minutes waiting our turn to take off (they mus line the planes up nose to tail I tell ya), we were on our way home. Thrilled and exhausted!
I slept most of the way home on the plane while Brian watched a movie.
After landing, gathering our bags, clearing customs and heading back to park 'n' jet, we were in the truck. Stopped at the nearest Timmie's, grabbed a coffee and hit the road. Again, I slept most of the 3 hour drive home. Finally pulled in the driveway at 3:45am Friday. Crawled into bed at 4.

I'll post some odds and ends that may have been missed in this 4 day trip report as well as everyday happenings and goings on.
Till then,

Vegas Day 3

2009-04-19T13:18:00.001-07:00

We started our day by heading to the Venetian for a breakfast buffet at the Grande Luxe Cafe...it was very good. After we ate, we went back to the Blueman Theatre and took a few snapshots of the outside as we did not have the camera with us when we were there for the show.
After this, we took the Deuce (a double decker bus that runs up and down "The Strip") to the far South end, getting off at Mandalay Bay. We spent the majority of the day walking in and out of hotels and casinos....just checking everything out, seeing what there was to see in each one. From Mandalay Bay we went into the Luxor. Then it was into the Excalibur...nothing too special here but we did go on a Spongebob Squarepants 4D ride..we each posed with a giant Spongebob...lol! Here are a few snapshots of other hotels from outside the Excalibur...
*you can click on any of the images to see them in a larger format*

Next stop was New York New York.
Brian had read that 'BLT Burger' had amazing milkshakes so we figured we'd better try one. We chose a "Twinkie" flavored one and holy cow...it was awesome!!
We noticed after we ordered that they had some pretty yummy sounding ones with alcohol...seriously, you can get liquor in anything here...lol!
While wondering around, came across this...loved this movie.

it wasn't open but that's ok...I didn't really need to see some girls dancing and singing on the bar.
From New York New York, we crossed the street to the MGM Grand. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and a look around. Secretly I was hoping to bump into some country music celebs as the awards were being held here on Saturday. Even though it was only Wednesday, it could happen right? We did manage to see their lion exhibit...isn't he cute...

outside the MGM I was able to get some better shots of the New York New York skyline...

Next stop of the day was here...

you really can't imagine the kinds of things we saw with M&M's on them. Here are a few snapshots:

and right next door to the chocolately goodness was this:

some sights to see as we continue walking towards Planet Hollywood...

had to take these shots for Reilly...he has a Harley infatuation.
We gambled a bit inside Planet Hollywood and walked around checking out the Miracle Mile shops.
Took this pic of the Paris from across the street...

this is Big Elvis...

Brian had read some good reviews about his show and we have to agree. He was fabulous! He's been performing at Bills GAmblin' Hall & Saloon for 7 years. We found out that he actually used to be bigger. In the last 3.5 years, he has lost 550 pounds!! Can you imagine? (I kinda wanted to ask him what the secret was cause I'm having a helluva time losing 50) Watching him perform for an hour or so was a great opportunity to rest cause we had done a lot of walking so far today. When he was done, we played some slots here and had a .99 margarita on the way out.
Next stop was the Paris. I think this was my favorite hotel. It was so pretty inside.
the legs for the Eiffel Tower outside go right through the building

this is the ladies bathroom. I had to take pictures because it was sooo pretty

Brian said the men's was really nice too but wouldn't take the camera in for some snapshots...lol
We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower to get a good spot to watch the fountain show across the street at the Bellagio. From here, I was able to snap these pics...

I also snapped this pic, which I love...

I actually took it before we went to the top of the tower...I just think it's so pretty.
It was also at the Paris that I paid $15 for a strawberry margarita in a glass that looks like the Eiffel Tower. This thing probably had 2 or 3 inches of tequila in the bottom. Plus it was really heavy. Brian took a pic of me holding it but it didn't turn out very well.
I have no more pictures from day 3 as after the Paris we booked it back to TI where we went to Cirque de Solei 'Mystere'. It was pretty incredible. (I think next time we are going to see the Beatles Love one if it's still there.)
When the performance was over, we realized we were pretty hungry as we hadn't eaten since lunch way back at the Rainforest Cafe. We also left the camera and video camera at the hotel and just went out to enjoy ourselves. And that is exactly what we did. We wondered hand in hand along the Strip just really taking it all in. As we approached Margaritaville, we could here this really great music. Turns out is was coming from a band playing inside. We were quite surprised to get a table actually. We ordered a drink and a platter of nachos. Holy cow...this huge restaurant sized plate came heaping with nachos and all the fixins about 5 inches tall. We both agreed these were the best nachos ever...I'm not usually a fan of guacamole but theirs was amazing. Brian and I had a few more drinks while we polished off the majority of the nachos (we couldn't believe we almost ate them all...lol). It was awesome just to sit and talk and really enjoy the atmosphere. Finally, at about 2 am, we decided we should make our way back to TI. By 3 were were off to sleep. I loved day 3!!
ps: I am going to try to figure out how to add video and will share the fountain show with you if I can.

Vegas day 2

2009-04-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

So, it's Tuesday morning and we leave TI and start to make our way to Magaritaville for breakfast. Stopped to take some pics and video along the way...I love how pretty this hotel front is...

the erupting volcano at the Mirage was under repairs when we were there so we didn't get to see it at night.
This is Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville (and for the record, neither Brian or I thought their breakfast was all that wow)

I do love this bar though...

and the chairs...thinking we should get some and paint them for the backyard!

from here we went into the Flamingo (they are attached). The casino is PINK! Carpets, neon lighting...crazy pink!
We checked out the courtyard area...of course they have flamingos

and these cute turtles

this is in the courtyard area too...so pretty

We then crossed the street and went into Ceasar's Palace. Man, this place is sooo big and it's gorgeous inside.
this is a dance floor/club

a wall mural/sculpture

the entrance into one of the restaurants

and the lobby

No expense was spared in the building of this hotel I tell ya...the detailing is unreal.
We played some slots here...Brian got lucky on the "Village People Party" machine...it was pretty fun actually. There are a lot of high end stores in the Forum Shoppes...Tiffany&Co, Gucci, Cartier, Louis Vuitton...places I only took pictures of cause let's be clear...I cannot afford to shop there!!
check out this fountain...

seriously, unlike anything I have ever seen.
kinda like all this gelato...I had to take a pic cause it was so incredible (they were giving out free samples and I tried the reese PB cup...drool!)

After Ceasars, we went to check out Harrah's. It wasn't anything special but we went to the Mac King Comedy and Magic Show...it was great fun and gave us a chance to sit and rest our feet from all the walking. After that, we went to Toby Keith's "I love this Bar&Grill" for a drink and an appetizer (it's also located in Harrah's) I loved this place, just walking through the front door put a big smile on my face!

this belt and buckle is above the dance floor

just a fun neon light

we had the most delicious drinks here. Brian had one called "Toadsuck Pond" and mine was called "Georgia Peach"...the list what's in them on the website so we are going to get the stuff and figure out the ratios (by taste testing of course..lol) of each liquor so we can make them at home.
From here, we made our way to the Venetian. Another extremely beautiful hotel.

You can take a gondola ride either outside or in on their canals and you are sung to as you paddle around...this is on our list for next time. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is also here but we did not have time to go (also on the list for next time)
They have living statues here though...they were very cool.

Time is ticking so we head back to TI and get ready to go out to dinner. We were told to eat at Maggiano's in the Fashion Show Mall. We went there for supper and OMGosh...sooo good! The portions were so big, Brian couldn't even eat the brick of lasagna he ordered. I kid you not, this piece of lasagna was about 4 inches square and 3 inches tall...it was massive!
So, after dinner, we head back to the Venetian for...the Blueman Group!!! I was sooooo excited I could hardly wait. Brian was along cause I wanted to see them so badly. Turns out, he loved it just as much as I did. We were obviously not allowed to take pictures or video (which I am kinda glad about cause it was nice just to enjoy it all. If we had been busy with pics and vid, we may not have had as much fun). If any of you ever have a chance to see them in Vegas...DO IT!! It was worth every penny. We sat 6th row almost center...it will blow you away! (no matter where you sit) I think this was the highlight of the trip for me!
After the show, it was early still so we went to Harrah's to see the dueling piano show. Couldn't get a seat but stood and watched for a bit. Had a hard time deciding what to do after that. Can you imagine...in Vegas and not knowing what to do? We both think it had something to do with being entertained at the Mac king show and Blueman (plus we were pretty pumped after their performance) that we were hoping someone/thing would entertain us. Decided to head back to TI and managed to catch the "Sirens" show they put on their nightly. I will not be sharing any pics of that though as it was pretty riske. Spent a little time playing slots before calling it a night around midnight.
There is day 2 in a nutshell!

did you know?

2009-04-12T19:23:00.001-07:00

* that one year ago on April 10th, we made our return flight home from the happiest place on Earth? Wow...time flies!
* that Zack is home safe and sound from his trip to Montreal and Quebec City...he had a great time and I will share some of his pics when I get them off his camera. He totally has the travel bug now and wants to go so many places...I hope he does!
* Brian headed back to work today...will be gone for the week. Seems like he has been home for so long (I guess he kinda has been...lol) and now we return to him being gone more than he's home.
* today, was the first day in at least a month my hands touched dishwater...lol. Seriously, between Brian and the boys, I haven't washed a dish in a loooong time.
* the Vegas trip is offically underway in the scrapbook department (2 pages completed this weekend)
* we bought a tent on the weekend...we're going camping this summer...can't wait!
* I still haven't filed my taxes
* I wore flip flops and capri pants today...it was that nice out... hooray!!
* I do not like the dirty look of Spring and can't wait to add some color to my yard
* I am so lucky to have the friends that I do ;-)
* even when they drive me crazy...I love all the men in my life!

k..that's enough of a random babble. I know you are all waiting for Vegas day 2 and it's coming...I promise! Hopefully after I take the boys to the city tomorrow for some new cloths and a new cell phone for Zack.

Vegas day 1

2009-04-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

alrighty...here we go.
Not sure what you guys want to see or hear about...and some of it you won't cause some of what happens in Vegas must stay in Vegas (or at least not be posted publicly...lol)

So, we get up and head to the airport Monday morning (had to be there for 7am) at which time I find out from Brian he hadn't slept since about 2am cause he was so excited..OMG...lol!
The guy at security was kind of an a$$ but whatever, we get through. Flight was awesome. Normally, I don't do well with landing but didn't even notice this time...I even looked out the window as we hit the runway cause we were on the side of the plane that looked at the strip. You land literally right beside it...was way cool. Brian put the landing and the view on video. Was surprised (don't know why) that they have slot machines as soon as you get off the plane!!
Grab a cab and head to our hotel...took less than 20 mins. Our room was ready so we checked in and then headed to the Fashion Show Mall for lunch. Walked around a bit there and then headed off toward the Stratosphere. Stopped in at a few hotels/casino's along the way taking some pics of the interiors and lobbies etc. I had a thing for the different lights...they were so...i dunno...out there in some places.
We popped in to Circus Circus...didn't stay long though. Got to the Stratosphere...checked out the casino. Spent a few bucks and then headed to the top. Here's the view from inside the viewing tower:

this is the view from outside on the observation deck (a little bit higher still)

and this is the view Brian got when he went on the "Insanity" ride
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it hangs you out over the edge and spins around and around and your seat eventually is overlooking the strip at a 45' angle!! I watched while taking pics and making a video.

After this we hopped on the Deuce and went to Freemont Street. We had soo much fun in downtown Vegas. Spent some money at the Golden Nugget...

this is me...playing the slots for the very first time ever

this is me cashing out my $18.60 after putting in 2 bucks...I'm such a gambler...lol

After supper here, we checked out the hotel a bit...they have a waterslide that goes through a shark tank (that part is completely covered in obviously) but it would be kinda cool to go through.
We took in 2 or 3 of the Freemont Experience shows that they play on this dome like thing over the street all set to music. If I knew how to add video to my bog I would show you. It was sooo very cool (I'll see if I can figure it out and post it with day 2).
Brian had been wanting to go to 'Mermaids' sooo badly so we headed across the street and on the way in, he asked the ladies outside, who were passing out Mardi Gras beads, if they would pose for a picture with him. While they were posing, Brian let out a "woohoo"..I was thinking he was just excited to be here. Turns out, the one on the right, grabbed his ass so hard and held onto it for the duration of the photo!

I was sooo happy too cause they still have here, the older slot machines you put coins in and can pull the handle...Brian took a pic of me pulling the one arm bandit...

and this might be the highlight of the trip for Brian..a $0.99 deep fried twinkie
(also enjoyed at Mermaids)

With him being awake half the night and traveling, we called it a night pretty early. We took the Deuce back to Circus Circus and walked the rest of the way back to Treasure Island. Here are a few more snapshots:

I think we were in bed by 10:30...pretty sad for Vegas we know...lol!

Day 2 coming soon.

we're baaaaaack

2009-04-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

and exhausted but had a blast!
Will be back soon to post pics and details...need to have a nap first...lol!

2009-03-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

long time no blog

2009-03-26T18:25:00.001-07:00

what a whirlwind we've been having around here lately. These last 2 weeks have flown by...some good...some bad!
Reilly is finished his hockey season (this is a good) and he went out with a bang. He was in a tournament last weekend and played his best games of the year...he was body checking, scoring game winning goals, named the Heart and Hustle recipient and was all over the ice both offensively and defensively...it was great to see.
He also turned 12 on the 20th and we celebrated with Tim Horton's doughnuts for him and a fellow teammate who's bday was the 21st and then with carrot cake on Sunday when the tournament was over. He is going shopping with his cash tomorrow.
I am taking him as I need to get some last minute things so we can pack and get ready to leave for Vegas...we are less than 3 days away and we haven't put a single thing in a suitcase...lol! I'm not worried though...we'll be ready! Mom is coming on Saturday or Sunday to stay with the boys. They will be keeping busy while we're gone so that's good. Gives me one less thing to worry about.
I am so ready for a vacation. Work these last 2 weeks have been mentally exhausting. These boys I work with have been very difficult to handle and it's taking it's toll. Been falling asleep on the couch by 9:30 lately! Can't wait to get away from it all and spend some adult time with Brian before he gets super busy with work and is gone all the time.
I have only done a bit of scrapbooking however, I don't have any pics of the layouts to share. After this trip, I'll have a ton more!!
Zack is excited about his upcoming trip to Montreal and Quebec City. He is gone for 5 days and will have some awesome experiences. Good thing we bought him a digital camera for Christmas. He's already asked me to make him a scrapbook.
Gavin is trying patiently to wait for soccer to start and Carsyn wants to try baseball. Looks like we'll have about a month of downtime before those 2 are into stuff. Good thing is neither sport here involves weekends....woohoo!
I need to apologize to all of you for not staying up to date with your blogs. I feel horrible..I just don't feel like I have had time to sit and get to them all. It's my goal to touch base with you all before I leave. Might even need to send an email or too. I am embarrassed too cause I owe some of you some happy mail. I am trying to get it together and in the mail also before I go back to work after Spring break and am too busy to take care of the simple things in my life.
How's the weather where you are? I was certain we were officially into Spring but mother nature seems a bit confused around here.
Anyone doing anything for Spring break?
I doubt I'll be back to post anything until after we get back next week.
I'm sure I'll have many more exciting things to share then...and pics too!

Play safe and have fun everybody,

struggling

2009-03-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

with the fact that Gavin is accomplishing so many things these days. Even though I am soooo incredibly happy for him and proud of these accomplishments, it makes me a tad sad that there are a few less things he needs me for. For example, today (and apparently for some time), he logged himself onto Webkinz....spelling his username and password all on his own. Now this may seem silly to others but for me, it just kinda struck a funny chord.
Struggling with parenting in a different way. How do you get your child to be themselves and do the things they are good at without the fear of being ridiculed for being different? Not just from the kids at school...mostly his siblings?
Here's a little background info...Zack and Reilly are both pretty good at their respective sports. They have somehow convinced Carsyn that he isn't good at sports and they also mock the more creative artsy things he is interested in. Sports wise we don't have a lot of options right in the town we live in. Anything other than hockey, soccer or baseball has to be driven to at least 45 minutes away. There are no options other than dance on the creative side. So, I was thrilled to find a children's theatre in a city about an hour and twenty minutes away from here (one way) that is offering a summer drama camp for 2 weeks that Carsyn could take part in. He seemed all gung ho, I registered and paid today after school, only to have him come to me in tears 10 minutes later saying he didn't want to do it cause the boys were going to tease him (the last day ends with a performance I told him we'd all come watch). Dam near broke my heart and frustrated me all at the same time. I really don't know how to handle this? I don't want to force him to do something he doesn't really want to but I want him to know that it's more than ok to be who he wants to be. I feel horrible for him! I'm sure this will keep me up for a night or two!
Struggling with being a working mom too a little bit. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that Brian is the one at home and it's not me. The silly thing is, I am not missing out on any time with the kids as they are gone at the same time I am...it's kinda weird. Although, being awarded the "stretching yourself giraffe" at our staff meeting the other day helped reaffirm a little that I am in the right place. I guess working with these high needs kids is catching up with me!
Struggling with this upcoming trip too if you can believe it! As excited as I am, I am nervous about getting on a plane and leaving my kids behind...is that silly? I know they will be in great hands with my Mom and once we get to Vegas I'll be too busy to miss them but still...please tell me I am not alone?
Struggling with weight loss issues. This is nuts, I know but I am frustrated it's not coming off faster. I didn't even try to lose the first bit but now that I am...I seem to be stuck! A plateau I guess and it's normal I know but grrrrr!!! I had high hopes of losing 10 more the month of March(before our trip) and there is no way that's going too happen! I guess I should just celebrate the fact that I have dropped 2 pants sizes since November.

Thanks for reading/listening. I really needed to share...get this off my shoulders.

time flies

2009-03-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

when you're having fun!
We had a four day weekend last week and spent some time with friends at their acreage quadding and sledding. Check out these pics...

the boys had a blast being pulled on the sled behind the quads. It was too much fun for all of us to spend time out there.
Then it got seriously stinking cold here...no buses ran so the boys stayed home while I went to work. We maybe had 30 kids in the building.
Today, it was +10 so after school we spent some time outside making these...

If you look really closely you can see that Reilly and his friend made a snow puppy...he's pretty cute! We came in soaking wet but had a blast so it was all worth it. It's crazy that from Tuesday to Friday, it warmed up 50 degrees!!
During our 4 day weekend, I spent one day with my friend scrapbooking. We started at 10:30 am and she left at 9:30pm. Her daughter and my boys played so awesome all day. Her DH came over and we ordered pizza for supper. The Dad's hung out, the kids played some more and we kept at it. Here are a few of the pages I did...
Zack thought he was tough enough to take his Dad on...not yet young lad...lol

I will use this page as a "title" page if you will in our Disney album and include the pics from the parade in different styled photo pages (ya know the ones that hold 4 or so photos that you would put in an album)

and another Disney age.
This one was for a Seussism challenge I issued at LITTD.

I have plans to scrapbook some more tomorrow. I am losing hope that our California album will be done by the time our one year anniversary rolls around. April 10th is fast approaching plus we are taking another trip before then.
Brian and I are down to 17 sleeps until we leave for Vegas.
We spent a day last weekend in the city trying to get some stuff that we'll need. He had to go away for work so we wanted to do some before it all became last minute. I still need to do a shopping trip but don't need Brian home for that. I think this next week we'll pull out the suitcases and start putting some things in. We are both VERY excited!!
The boys are quite excited too to have their Grandma here staying with them for the week. She asked them to think of a couple of fun things to go do while she is here. They miss having her so close and being able to see her all the time.
I've also been watching a lot of curling these last couple of weeks. It's weird..I don't have a clue how to play this game but I am addicted to watching the Scotties and the Brier. Hurry haaaard!!
Oh and we are 1 week away from being finished with hockey...can't tell you how happy that makes me!
Hope you are well. I am going to make the blog rounds this weekend to see what you've all been up too.

Until next time,
play safe and have fun!

I am too old for junior high!!!

2009-03-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

why is it that at my age, people still have the ability to make me feel like I am in junior high? Seriously, I am 37 and do not have the time or energy for the drama that some people seem to thrive on.
There is this woman who lives in our community and even though I have only lived here for 3.5 years and don't really know her, I know her well enough to know she is a bitch! Plain and simple. She thinks her and her kids shit don't stink and that anytime something happens involving her kids that it's the other person's fault and they owe her or her kids an apology. And, I allowed myself to get all worked up over it when she called to confront me about an incident at hockey practice involving Reilly and her eldest son. Of course, it was the one practice I did not stay for and the picture she painted put my kid in a pretty bad position. Now I am not saying Reilly is innocent but the story she was telling didn't match my kids story or character at all. So I talked to the coach and yep, the story was different alright. Can you imagine, I lost sleep over this on Saturday night? I was worried about seeing her at hockey on Sunday and what I would say to her or how she would treat me. She's the type to that has a "posse" and they all do what she says or base their thoughts and feelings on her. It's sick really. Anyway, Reilly and I apologized to her son and he just stood there. Not saying sorry to Reilly for his part in what transpired at the rink...cause of course he was innocent! Brian is furious and will let her know what he thinks at the first opportunity but that's besides the point.
Does this kinda crap ever stop? Will I ever be too old to be involved in junior high girl behavior? I think I am a pretty confident woman. I know who I am am and what I want out of life. Please tell me I am not alone!!

On a much happier note, we are 28 sleeps away from our trip to Las Vegas!
We even have a back up plan should the weather not cooperate and my Mom can't make it. We are also looking forward to our 3 day school week this week. It'll be nice to hang out all together for a day and I am scrapping for one of them too!

Hockey is winding down for Reilly.
Zack is almost done with basketball.
I think we are putting Gavin in soccer and Carsyn is going to play roller hockey in the city. Should be a busy Spring/Summer!

I have some layouts to share but that will have to wait as I need to head off to bed.

Take care everyone,

time to share

2009-02-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

phewf...we have been so busy that the blog has been a tad neglected.
Every day life has been keeping us on pour toes and then when you toss in some extras the days just fly by.
However, in all that we've had going on...nothing too much to report.
I attended an Educational Assistance conference a week and a half ago back in my old stompin' grounds. Gave me an opportunity to visit some special friends too so that was awesome. The conference wasn't too bad either.
Kids are good...for the most part. Carsyn seems to have been bit by the flu bug today. Was complaining of a headache and not too long after that, he was very ill. Hoping no one else gets it as Brian is leaving tomorrow for 10 days and I have to work. I'll take the time off if I have to but would prefer not to of course. But when your kids are sick, whatcha gonna a do.
Since it's been awhile since I have shared anything creative, I have a few recently created scrapbook layouts to share, as well, what I have done with the space above my couch (you may have seen the "family" frames before but I added these cool wall sconces that I found....

if you can't read them, they say "Sing as if no one can hear you", "Dance as if no one is watching", "Love as if you have never been hurt" and "Live as if heaven were on earth"... found them at my favorite store, Rafters of course.
this page was for a "scene it" challenge posted by my friend Julie at LIITD.
and a few layouts...

this one was for a challenge posted during the LIITD online crop this past weekend. You had to use at least 3 hearts. This was the last 5 generation picture we were lucky enough to get.

another from the crop...we were to scrap a page about ourselves. I chose to use the picture taken of me to hang on the wall at the school with the rest of the staff and journal about the adjustment of being called "Mrs. Mylastname"

this was the January inspiration challenge over at LIITD

and with that, I gotta go. We have hockey soon...game 2 of the first round of playoffs.
Have a great week.
I'll be blog surfin' later to visit you all.

just a quickie

2009-02-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

not sure what I can tell ya that is as fun and exciting as Vegas...lol!

Things are great around here.
I am really finding a nice balance in my life. It sure is making everyday more enjoyable and less stressful. I can't tell you what that does for me....and my family!
The boys are doing great.
Brian...he's a tad bored...lol!
Poor guy is darn near wishing he could go back to work. I on the other hand am rather enjoying having a house husband. He's cleaning, doing laundry and running errands. If only I could get him to cook! Soon, though, he'll be so busy and gone from home that he'll be wishing to be here...lol!

Thanks again for being so excited for us about our trip. We are under 2 months now. Soon, the official countdown will be on.

Have a great week!

VIVA LAS VEGAS

2009-01-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

sorry to keep you waiting so long...it wasn't on purpose I promise. I just haven't had time to sit here to let you know that yes...we are going to Sin City!!

We are leaving on Monday, March 30 in the morning and get back late on Thursday night, April 2nd.
We have already bought our tickets to Blueman Group and are in the process of deciding which Cirque show to see. We will also make sure we see the fountain show at Bellagio, the Pirate show at Treasure Island, we will go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Brian is working on his craps strategy, we'll hit the nickel slots, hit M&M world as well as the World of Coke a Cola stores. We will walk hand in hand along the strip, in and out of hotels and casinos taking it all in.
Brian is trying to convince me that we should ride the roller coaster at the top of the Stratosphere...ain't happenin'!!!
Brian has been spending hours (this is not a joke) on the internet checking things out. We are sooooo excited. It's going to be a blast...just the two of us...cannot wait!! Our first just the two of getaway (not counting the overnight trips we used to make once in a blue moon to a hotel in the city without the kids). I am a bit nervous about getting on a plane with out the kids. I'm sure once I'm there though...it'll be kids...what kids...lol!!

Thanks for being so excited for us. You guys are awesome!

guess what?

2009-01-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

you guys are good

2009-01-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

Nicole, as much as I would love to be able to scrap and hang with you girls, we are not moving to Winnipeg.
Vanessa, I WISH we were going back to Disney...especially after seeing one of the dvd's Brian made yesterday...all set to music and everything.
Joce, it has nothing to do with school or me going back.
Julie, nothing is changing with Brian's work nor mine.
Jocie, it's not scrap related either.

you guys have some pretty good guesses without me even giving you anything to go on!

I am working on just how I will share...clues, a game...hoping to post tomorrow evening.
It may not even be that exciting to you guys but we can't wait!!

i see...

2009-01-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

my last post peeked some curiosity...lol!

patience grasshoppas...it won't be long.
Perhaps I'll make a little game out of it and whoever guesses first will win a little something from me...how does that sound?

have a great day

life is good

2009-01-18T19:12:00.001-08:00

things are going pretty smooth around here these days (knock on wood) and because I know that's not always the case, I plan to enjoy it as much as possible.
Everyone seems to be in such good moods...could be that we are getting a fabulous break from winter with temps above 10 degrees!! It's been melting here since Friday...things are pretty messy. So much for our backyard rink.
Life is simpler with having the menu plan in place. Having Brian at home during the day too to pick up the slack with me being at work. It's freeing up a lot of time for me to spend with the boys, Brian and by myself.
Brian had to go out of town for a couple of days this past week and I was lost...I had to clean up after breakfast...before I went to work..instead of leaving it for him after we all left. I think I have become pretty accustomed to that. Will miss that when he goes back to work.
I'll miss him when he goes back to work. Especially if he and his contractor get the bid for a job in Kuwait!!! ya, that's right...he could end up over there this year for work. They are working on the bid this week and I'll be sure to keep ya posted!
We had a hockey free day yesterday so I did some scrapbooking. It was a struggle to get my mojo going but once I did, I was pretty happy with the results.
I did not however, play with either of my new toys. I'll save that for an evening this week.
I too am celebrating a minor success...I have dropped a pants size and two shirt sizes since starting work full time. Who knew work could have so many benefits...lol!
We also have one other thing that is bringing a smile to our face but I want to wait a bit to share it. I know, I know...it's not fair but I have to leave you wanting to come back...lol! and NO I am not pregnant!!
Until then...I'll be seein' ya!

2009-01-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

I am way to excited to start playing with my two new scrapbooking tools...check these out...

the Sizzix Big shot
this machine has endless possibilities and potential

and the Bind it all
I'll be making my own mini albums and a ton of other projects as this things punches through chipboard, acrylic and other materials

I love them...even if they are pink ;)

We have no hockey this Saturday either and I am hoping to make that my play day.

2009-01-11T20:27:00.001-08:00

I am not surprised it's been a week since my last post...there is just no time during the week. Perhaps this will become my Sunday evening ritual! Hey, these days, if I don't plan most things in advance, the don't happen...lol!

All is well here. Everyone survived the first week back to school. It was pretty tough getting out of bed at 6:30am but once I was at school with the staff and kids it was great! Even though my own boys grumbled about having to go back, they were all pretty happy to see their friends.
Brian was the only one who had the luxury of staying home and hanging out. He is off for a bit so now I am telling everyone I have a house husband...how great is that?!! He has been working on his course and doing housework so that when I get home at the end of the day, I can help the boys with homework, make supper and relax. It's kind of a nice treat but one I will try to not get used to as he won't be home indefinitely. He is also busy making the boys a backyard rink.
Oh and looking for a deal on a trip for just the 2 of us during Spring break!

Haven't been scrapbooking too much but plan to change that this week (fingers crossed) and weekend for sure as we have no hockey. I'll be busy playing with my new Sizzix BigShot and Bind-it-all that I just got for my birthday.

I was going to share some Christmas pics but it's so far past that I won't bother...besides, the boys don't want pics of them in their jammies on the internet.

I will share a couple of pics of our new living room furniture...love it!

It was time to invest in some new stuff...the fabric set had worn right out so we bought this. Hoping it's more durable and lasts longer.

I'll keep ya posted on the trip planning and anything else that comes up.

Have a great week everyone.

good to be back

2009-01-05T17:20:00.000-08:00

As hard as it was to get up when the alarm clock rang this morning at 6:30, I have to admit, it is nice to be back into a routine...a little structure is nice for everyone.
It was great to see the staff and kids at school this morning. The boys were happy to see their friends too. Especially with the weather as cold as it was over the break, they couldn't get out much to burn off energy.
In an effort to find more balance (my one little word for 2009) between the roles I play in my life, I have gotten back to menu planning. Something I had neglected once I started working full time. It sure was nice to get home from work and not have to think about what I was going to make for dinner. One less thing to worry about!
I also achieved a huge personal goal over the break...I finally got the storage room organized which means Brian can move the wall to make it smaller and consequently the family room bigger...hooray! (it's only something we've been wanting to do since we moved here!)
We also revamped our chore chart and have assigned the boys more household responsibilities. They are not too crazy about it but that's too bad. They are old enough to help out more...especially with me working full time after all these years. Carsyn asked if they were going to get paid and I told him every time he eats, has clean clothes to wear and a warm house to come home to...(he was not impressed at first...lol)
I'll share some pics of our holiday season soon...gotta get them off the camera first!
All in all, 2009 is off to a good start with the promise of good things to come.

the last post

2008-12-31T09:41:00.000-08:00

of 2008...seriously...that is hard to believe!

We have had a remarkable year as a family and as individuals here at our house.
Two thousand and eight will always be a year that we look back on with a big smile and a ton of fabulous memories.

In 2009, I want to wish you all;

Troubles that last only seconds...
Giggles that last minutes...
Chuckles that last hours...
Laughs that last days...
Smiles that last weeks...
Happiness that last months...
Friendships that last years...
But most of all
LOVE that lasts a lifetime!
-author unknown
(yes I posted that on my blog last year but I love it)

twas the night before Christmas

2008-12-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

The presents are wrapped, the oreos and coke are ready for Santa, our sleigh ride is at 6pm, our bedtime story book is waiting on the coffee table and I can enjoy this special time with my family. I hope you are all doing the same.

phewf...

2008-12-21T08:41:00.000-08:00

I am tired! Thankfully I am on 2 weeks of vacation....not that there'll be a lot of down time but that's ok...I can putter around here in my pj's and I don't have to get up at 6:30am.
I just have to say that now that I have been both a parent and a staff member at school, I have a new found appreciation for what goes on and how many hours of behind the scenes work goes into education and extra curricular activities the school offers!
I am soooo close to being done shopping. Brian and I spent 7 hours yesterday traveling to and from the city shopping. I think I know 4 boys who are not going to know what hit them this year. Not that we went overboard but we just got them some cool stuff...some off their lists and some not! I love knowing how excited they'll be when they see it...it's such a good secret!!
I am doing some wrapping today...have to...running out of room to stash stuff and it'll get spotted if I don't. I am making our home made oreos today...and some sugarplums. We are also cleaning this house from top to bottom.
Christmas tunes are already blasting from the surround sound. The boys are in a pretty good mood, so am I so it should be a good day! Let today be the first day of getting this house in order for when I go back to work next year! That's the plan for the next 2 weeks. As well as getting in some quality family time that we have been lacking since I started working full time. Brian will be home the entire time so that helps too. That really is what it's all about...especially at this time of the year.
In case I don't get a chance to do another blog post before Christmas, I want to wish you and yours a Happy Holidays filled with lots of love and laughter.

busy

2008-12-12T19:43:00.000-08:00

Busy working. Busy with the kids. Busy getting ready for the holidays (which are approaching way to fast for my liking these days).
But even though we are extra busy at this time of year, I am not stressing about it. It is what it is and I am ok with that. I am going to enjoy the Christmas season whether I get everything done on my list or not. It's not really about all of the gifts and the baking anyway right? It's about family and being with those you really care about. And traditions. Brian and I are big on traditions around here (our sundaes on Sunday, pizza Friday, family game night etc). Even more so during this time of year. I am thrilled to announce that we are renewing one of our favorites...a sleighride on Christmas Eve. We did this for 5 years before moving and didn't know of a place around here where we could do such a thing but we have found one and we are thrilled. We have some special friends coming with us, we'll sing carols and read a story. Followed by a gathering at our house for appetizers and drinks...I can hardly wait.
Another fave with the kids is our gingerbread house that hopefully we'll get to this weekend (in between all the hockey we have). I'll share pics of the process!
I still have some baking to do so the kids can leave Santa homemade oreos (and coke) but they don't take too long so it shouldn't be an issue. Oh and I will whip up a batch of sugar plums. Anything other than that is a bonus (and not really a necessity...lol).
I haven't really scrapped since starting work full time but I do plan to over the break. I also plan to make as many trips to Ikea as necessary to get this house in order!!
I need to run, we have to be at the rink in an hour for Reilly's next game of the tournament. Have a good weekend everyone...stay warm and travel safe!

boy #4

2008-12-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

is 7 today!!!
I cannot believe it...we all say that as our kids get older I guess but it just doesn't seem like Gavin should be that big already...perhaps it's cause he's the baby and I would like to keep him that way a little longer.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAVIN

we love you!!

sharing the love

2008-11-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my fabulous friend Julie, I have been given this award...

Here are the rules

1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.

2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.

3. Nominate 5 blogs.

4. Provide links to their blogs.

5. Leave a message for your nominees

I proudly pass it on to these lovely ladies and friends.
Sherri for always putting a positive spin on things and who's outlook on life I hope to adopt a little of.
To Mona for her ability to find joy in the simple things in life and take things one day at a time. To Jocie cause she is a sweetie and designs awesome scrapbook pages. For Joce who keeps on plugging away no matter what life throws at her and has pretty cool blog templates! Last but not least, I pass this award to Stacy who is definitely a scrappy mom. She designs some pretty cool stuff!

I feel honored to have all of my fellow bloggers part of my life in one way or another. Whether we have met live and in person or not, I treasure our friendships.

An update soon to follow as I have to go. Our dishwasher installer is coming over soon and I need to do some things before he shuts off the water and electricity.

adjusting

2008-11-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

to working full time! Yep...that's right...I ended up getting on full time at the elementary school and I LOVE IT!! The principal called last Sunday and left a message asking me to prepare for a full day on Monday and when we spoke, he asked if I would like to work there more and of course the answer was yes! It's very busy though as I am in 6 classrooms throughout my day so it goes by very quickly. With that, comes adjusting to getting up at 6:30am to pretty much get myself ready before the boys start getting up at 7:30.Adjusting to packing a lunch mylef and being out of the house all day. Adjusting to wearing "good" clothes. Adjusting to finding a new schedule for cleaning. Adjusting to not being able to go to the city shopping on a whim after work. Even Higgins has to adjust to being home alone now during the day (although I think Zack is going to start coming home for lunches so he can let the dog out and feed him too).
Soon, we'll be adjusting to having a built in dishwasher....woohoo!! I ordered it and came home to a message today that it's ready for pick up!
Lot's of adjusting for everyone but so far so good. I know it's only been a week but the boys have really responded well to me working. And let's be honest, the hours are great and I get the same holidays they do so it's pretty good!
Perhaps this a better way to look at my fear of change...adjusting doesn't seem as scary to me for some reason.
I have to say it feels pretty darn good to have the school ask me to take this on. I feel like I have a purpose...that I am doing something. I am not minimizing my role as a Mom and perhaps it's hard to explain or for you to understand but I was feeling like something was missing or that there had to be something more for me. Does that make sense? I am proud of what I do and I know I am good at it and it's nice to know the school sees that too.

Alright, I am done blowing my own horn.
Hope things are well with everyone.

battle of the colas

2008-11-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

there has been an ongoing battle at my favorite hangout LIITD and I just want it to be clear where my loyalties lie...

even this guy that works for Pepsi knows the difference...

and I thought I would post this link to snopes dot com cokelore so you can read the truths for yourself about

Have a great weekend everyone!!

all treats....no tricks

2008-11-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

Halloween is over and done with but the boys will be eating candy for the next several months!!
A lot of it was last minute but we managed to get all 6 pumpkins carved, decorations out, candy ready and costumes on and were able to enjoy a fun time with the boys and some of their friends.
I had to work that morning but dressing up didn't take place till the afternoon so I got out of that!! I did go back to help Carsyn and Gavin get their costumes on and while I was doing that Brian was at home carving his pumpkin and decorating the yard. After the Halloween parade, I came home and carved mine and he put out the yard stuff. The boys came home from school pumped up on treats they had at their parties. Reilly brought 3 boys home and we fed them all pizza before getting them ready to go out. Zack went to a friends acreage and not doing the "Halloween thing" (although his pumpkin is pretty cool). My friend came over with her daughter and Brian took her out with Carsyn and Gavin while we stayed home to pass out candy (and indulge in a few coolers...lol). When all was said and done, the kids weighed their bags and averaged about 5.5 pounds of candy each!
Here are a few pics of our October 31st....
here's Brian working on his masterpiece
Reilly wanted to paint his to look like the WM smiley face guy
Zack and Carsyn cleaning out their pupmkins

Gavin doesn't like to clean the pumpkins out so when I saw this fun foam sticker kit, I knew it would be perfect for him...

Carsyn all ready to go trick or treating
Gavin looks like he's ready to take on any one who tries to get in his way

this is Zack's Vancouver Canucks logo carving

this is Carsyn's peace symbol that looks like it's made with bones

this was the "piece de resistance"...everyone oogled over Brian's Mario

and this was mine...

We have still been pretty busy and me working 3 full days this week hasn't helped! I am looking so forward to having next Monday and Tuesday off to recoop and get stuff done around here. The good news is, I am losing some weight with all the busy-ness so that's a bonus!!

Gotta go...baking to come out of the oven and laundry to fold!

sick and tired

2008-10-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

well...we've lost the fight against the cold and flu that has been going around.
I've had three sick boys since last Thursday...I'm sure Zack is next! Not to mention the incredible sore throat I have. I'm no doctor but I have had strep enough in my life to think that I have it again. Figures! We have been ridiculously busy the entire month of October plus I am at school every day now with all those kids and their germs. Not to mention all the places we've been traveling for various sporting events! Wouldn't you know it...this time of the year the doctors office is booking into next week instead of the usual day or two max. Off to the drugstore I go to find something to make myself a little more comfortable.
I have had no time to be creative...had great intentions of doing all sorts of things this month and haven't done any. I seriously have had no free time. Good thing the PVR has a huge memory cause there are a wack of shows waiting to be watched...someday!
The hockey season has been crazy, volleyball is outta control and Brian has been working like mad trying to get things wrapped up before winter. I have developed such an understanding of what my Mom went through with us. I have no idea how she did it...three kids, 2 hockey players, a figure skater, a full time job, housework, school functions...ya know how the list goes on and on. I can't even imagine what my life will be like in another couple of years when Carsyn and Gavin are in things. Zack is going to have to help with the driving...if he has time then with graduating and all. I know that is still a few years away but it feels like it's going so fast.
I know you all have busy lives too...how do you balance it all? I feel like it's more hectic than busy...make sense? Like we are all just running from one thing to the next. However, we are still managing to have family dinners most of the week...even if they aren't as elaborate as they used to be...lol!
In all the running, I have been able to pick up some Christmas gifts...which is nice to feel like I have a bit of a grip on that.
We do have to get through Halloween though...pumpkins are almost done...had to do them is shifts as we all do one so it takes time. Will share pics next post...of the boys in costume too.
Gavin is being The Dark Knight Batman, Carsyn is being the Pilsbary Doughboy, Reilly wants to be a ghost and Zack is not dressing up. In fact, he isn't even planning on being home...made plans to go to a friends instead. Brian comes home tomorrow just in time for his favorite holiday!
I better go...today's to do list is pretty long but it does include a nap so that's good ;)
Take care everyone, hope you are all well and I am going to do my nest to make blog rounds to those of you I have been neglecting...I am soooo very sorry. I still love ya though!

change

2008-10-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

is not something I normally deal well with but when it comes to my blog...change is good!
I'll be playing around with my photshop to see if I can figure out how to make a new banner and I would like to figure out how to do sketches too. If anyone wants to leave me some tips or tricks...that would be super! If not, I'll just play around...sometimes that's the most fun way to learn.
I'll be back soon to update what we've been up to and happenings around here.

lucky #13

2008-10-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

I Swear - All 4 1

i swear by the the moon
and the stars in the sky
and i swear like the
shadow that's by your side
i see the questions in your eyes
i know what's waiting on your mind
you can be sure i know my part
'cause i stand beside you through the years
you'll only cry those happy tears
and though i make mistakes
i'll never break your heart
and i swear by the moon
and the stars in the sky i'll be there
i swear like the shadow that's by your side
i'll be there for better or worse
till death do us part
i'll love you with every beat of my heart
and i swear

i'll give you every thing i can
i'll build your dreams with these two hands
we'll hang some memories on the wall
and when (and when) just the two of us are there
you won't have to ask if i still care
'cause as the time changes the page
my love won't ever age at all

and i swear (i swear) by the moon
and the stars in the sky i'll be there (i'll be there)
i swear (and i swear) like the shadow that's by your side
i'll be there (i'll be there) for better or worse
till death do us part i'll love you
with every single beat of my heart and i swear

and i swear (i swear) by the moon
and the stars in the sky i'll be there (i'll be there)
i swear (and i swear) like the shadow that's by your side
i'll be there (i'll be there)
for better or worse (better or worse)
till death do us part i'll love you
with every single beat of my heart
i swear i swear i swear

heeeelllllllooooo there

2008-10-04T21:30:00.001-07:00

I am soooo sorry it's been awhile since an update.
Our days have become a whole lot busier with the kids and their activities.
Add extra trips to the city after a couple of hours at work and the days just fly by.

September is over...wow! The kids thought it went by fast too and hope the next 9 months continue to go that fast...lol!
Everyone seem to have adjusted well to being back at school...including me! I love my job!!
Gavin loves having homework...the other boys do not...lol! It sure makes it interesting when they all do though.
Team tryouts are almost over for Reilly...tomorrow is the last day. They have had conditioning camp and then drills. Today was an inner squad game and there is an exhibition game tomorrow that certain players were asked to play in...Reilly was one of them so we'll see how that goes.

Zack was asked by the coach to play Sr. high volleyball...and the coach is pretty intense about it too! They practice twice a week for 2 hours, games on Wednesday's and he has them in a tournament almost every weekend...it is crazy!

We went to the cornmaze last weekend with our neighbors...it was soooo much fun! Afterwards, we all went out for dinner. Zack ditched us to go to a friends house...so it begins!

Wow...what else...it's been so long, I can't remember what I blogged about!

I've done some scrapbooking...Brian has a new contract for work...I have started Christmas shopping...I just found out today I am going to be an Auntie again (in June) oh and that apparently my Mom and my brother have planned to have Thanksgiving dinner at our house next weekend...yep...looks like I am going to have a houseful! The good news is, I am getting a dishwasher and hopefully it will be installed before I have to cook and feed them all!!

I want to apologize to all of my fellow bloggers for not visiting lately. It's been a hectic week and a half...I hardly have time to sit and check emails or chat in my favorite forum as often as I was used too but things should slow down a bit this week... I hope! I'll make blog rounds in the next day or so...I feel so out of touch with everyone.
I hope you are all well.

Take care everyone

gimme 5

2008-09-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

since I have been tagged by 3 people to do this one...here it goes

The Five TAG:

10 years ago I:
1. was in my mid 20's
2. only had 2 kids
3. weighed 50 pounds less than I do now
4. started scrapbooking
5. hardly used the internet

5 Things on "today's to-do list":
1. volunteer at the school
2. finish wedding invitations for a friend
3. update blog
4. get the boys where they need to go
5. go to bed early

5 Snacks I enjoy:
1. popcorn
2. chips and dip
3. nibs
4. nachos
5. cheese and crackers

5 Things I would do if I was a Millionnaire:
1. travel
2. help some of my family
3. start my own business
4. be able to send the boys to post secondary school without a worry
5. donate money to charity

5 Place I have lived:
1. Gull Lake, SK
2. Lethbridge, AB
3. Brooks, AB
4. Coronation, AB
5. Red Deer, AB

5 Jobs I have had:
1. waitress
2. Educational Assistant
3. preschool teacher
4. daycare worker
5. preschool director at a YMCA

Tag 5 Friends:
1. Julie
2. Carole
3. Joce
4. Jocie
5. Lisa

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

I'm the happiest girl today

2008-09-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

alrighty...so the online crop wasn't as productive as I had hoped bowever, the deadline for uploading layouts isn't until this Saturday coming so I am hoping to do more this week. Here are the 2 pages I did manage to accomplish...

(click image if you want to see a larger version)

The weekend was just too busy with hockey and 3 of the 4 boys ended up with plans Saturday evening so I was driving them here and there. This week is actually pretty busy too but Brian is on days off so he's here to help.

I was offered a job today at my youngest sons' elementary school...and I am ecstatic!! I was there volunteering in Gavin's grade 1 class when the VP asked if she could speak to me. She has requested more hours for support staff and so far they have given her 2 hours a day and she offered it to me. It could turn into more or not but either way, I am thrilled to have my foot a little further in the door. It's a great balance for me at this time in our life...work a little and still be here with the kids and keep up with the house and extra curricular things with the boys.

Here's to a fabulous week!!

Happy Friday!

2008-09-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about Fridays that I love so much!
I mean, it's not like my work week is coming to an end or that Brian is guaranteed to be here to give me some help or a break...I just love Fridays!
This Friday in particular, I'll be participating in an online crop...sooo excited about that! Got some new pictures printed, picked up a few supplies and of course cropping snacks yesterday so I think I am good to go.
Reilly does have hockey tomorrow afternoon for an hour but I can work with that...other wise the boys are on their own till Brian gets home...I will feed them of course but only cause I have too...lol!!

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

what to blog about?

2008-09-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

First of all...Reilly was given a clean bill of health by the Opthamologist last Thursday and has returned to the life he knew before taking a crabapple to the eye...and it's such a good feeling. He is beyond happy to have been given the ok to start hockey tomorrow and to run around the neighborhood with his brothers!
No more weekly visits to the city for doctor appointments...woohoo!!
Thanks to all of you who had well wishes for him!

Things certainly haven't slowed down with the return of school and the routine I was hoping for. And now with hockey starting this week, it's going to get worse.
Zack has been asked by the Senior High Volleyball coach to play on the team and he's already had a tournament last weekend and another this coming weekend. He has had practices every weeknight for 2 hours and the team is hoping to participate in an exchange with another team from Eastern Canada in April so the boys have been busy with fund raising to help make it a reality.

I've been called a few times to sub at the school so that's been a nice balance with the days I'm home alone. I've been getting some scrapbooking done....I love that!! And I am just about done the "message in a bottle" wedding invitations I have been working on for my friend and will share them soon.

I went shopping with a friend to one of the LSS's last Tuesday...it was her daughters first day of Kindergarten and she didn't want to be at home pouting...wanna know how sad I am...this is all I bought...

one teeny tiny brown paper lunch bag with three thing in it!! Either I have too much stuff already or I've been to that store one too many times...I'm going with the second option as I possibly can't have too much scrappy stuff!!

Anyway, it's time to get on with the bedtime routine so these boys can get too sleep!

more firsts at our house

2008-09-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

Gavin lost his first tooth...

he was sooo excited. He called to tell my Mom and went across the street to tell the neighbors...it was kinda cute. Until they told him that they thought the toothfairy gives $10 for the first lost tooth....not at this house she doesn't...lol!! He was very excited she left him a toonie!!

for the very first time...all 4 of the boys had homework...talk about a busy time of the day!! We may have to break it up so that the younger 2 go first and then the older 2 cause it was really hard to help the three that needed it...Zack had a couple of questions too but seriously...algebra...go ask the teacher...lol!!!

Gavin loved having homework...he kept saying so and the boys kept looking at him like he head three heads and Brian was in the living room calling him a nerd. What a Daddy hey...lol! He was just teasing and for those of you that don't know Brian...he's like that...a lot!!

and...a few of my layouts are being shared on Scrap the Teenz

I am experiencing my first full day as a SAHM with kids who are in school all day and no hubby here to bug me either...have no idea what I'm going to do but I will try to enjoy it before they all come home and the chaos ensues...lol!

Have a great day everyone.

Sunday sharing

2008-09-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Reilly is going back to school on Monday!!! The opthamologist said he can return but is not allowed to participate in gym class or do anything outside at recess but get some fresh air. He's been outside a few times over the weekend, just hanging with the boys and neighbors. He says he's not happy about going to school but I think he'll be happy to have something to do and friends to see.
We do have to go back on Thursday for another appointment and we'll go from there.

We spent Saturday packing up the pool, pulling out dead plants and moving the last of our dirt pile from when the patio was built...the yard looks better already and will be even better when we either get some grass seed or throw some sod down around the patio. Can't wait till next Spring/Summer when it's all purty!

Guess what? I made my very own, all by myself, first ever batch of homemade crabapple jelly and...it worked! After several calls to my Grandma and my Mom, I gave it a whirl. It didn't set the first time but I recooked it and voila...! Last summer, the boys picked 5 ice cream pails of apples to take to my Grandmas and her and my Mom showed me how... I took pics of all the steps cause I was going to make a mini album/recipe book...guess I should and then I won't have to call her so much next year. We weren't able to go visit this summer so I had to try on my own. Funny story about the recipe...growing up, I always thought it was a "family recipe"...ya know the kind that is passed on from generation to generation...ya...not so much...lol! When I called my Grandma a couple of years ago (after we moved here and had a crabapple tree in the yard I was thinking woohoo...now I can have the family recipe)...are you ready for this...she told me it was in the box of Certo!!! Yep, that's right, our family recipe for crabapple jelly is everyone's family recipe...I was devastated and then I laughed. I don't know why I thought it was "ours" all these years, I just did.

So, my friend Carole has issued a blog challenge...she wants us to share one of our first ever scrapbook pages and then one that is more recent. YIKES...I cannot believe I am about to share this but here it goes...

and here are a few recent pages...

So, the rest of the day is going to be filled with some outdoor activity, some scrapbooking, a football game or two and a big family dinner followed by sundaes on Sunday! Enjoy your day everyone.

back 2 school

2008-09-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

the boys headed back to class yesterday...well all but Reilly!
Things went pretty smoothly...I even got up early to make them French toast for breakfast. I decided if I was going to be home and kidless, I would be "that" Mom this year. They really enjoyed it and asked if we could have egg mcmuffins the next time. I'm thinking twice a week I'll make them a hot breakfast to start their day...unless things change int he next week and I am working...I'll keep ya posted on that situation!
Here they are, by the front door...something we've been doing on the first day of school since Zack started Kindergarten all those years ago!

and here are the youngest 2 in their desks...

he looks so cute and grown up sitting in that desk. I can't believe he is going to be gone all day every day!

So, I hung out at the school for a bit visiting with some Mom's and then came home to be with Reilly. He says he's happy to not being going to school yet but he was pretty bored with his brothers gone.
I was a little lost too...there are lots of things I could and should have done but I just didn't feel like doing them. I spent most of the day catching up with friends via the phone and hanging out with Reilly. Also had to have the radio on...couldn't handle the quiet! All that complaining in the last post about not being able to wait till they went back and then I'm lonely and miss the noise they make when they aren't here...just proves you should be careful what you wish for hey!!
I am going to try and be more productive today...it's kind of a yucky day here so I think I'll bake and scrapbook. Oh and help Reilly with the homework I picked up for him when I went to talk to his teacher yesterday about his return to school...which we'll get the wordon tomorrow after we see the opthamologist for a check up.
I'll leave you with a few more pages from our California Adventure album...

update...

2008-08-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

so Reilly saw the opthamologist on Thursday...he's healing nicely and we go back for another checkup next Thursday. He wants Reilly on bed rest till then...that means he won't be starting school on Tuesday with everyone else but that's ok...we'd rather he heels completely before getting back into action.
Poor guy is officially bored though...has been for a couple of days!
Yesterday, I sat and played go fish with him and then the boys joined in and we played a few rounds of Old Maid. I think some Yahtzee is on the agenda for today and of course we'll all be watching the Roughriders vs. Bluebombers game this afternoon so that'll keep him occupied for a few hours.

Other than that, we are ready for back to school and I am soooooo excited for the boys to go back. This last couple of weeks they've done nothing but fight and argue with each other. I was thinking about the year round school that some places offer and ya know...they are on to something! Seriously, I'd rather have the boys home for longer at Christmas, Easter and a fall break and only one month in the summer...2 months at home is too long...lol!! Perhaps it'll be different next year when Brian takes holidays and we go camping and stuff with them. We're all getting golf clubs too so we can do that as a family (better get me some lessons cause it's not quite the same as mini golf...lol).

I spent the day yesterday scrapbooking (did 4 pages) and making some samples of wedding invitations for a friend getting married in the Dominican next March...will share them after she decides which one she goes with. She had some great ideas for "something different".

Not much else going on...with Reilly's injury we haven't done too much else in the last week. I did clean and purge the laundry/storage room so we can knock out a wall in the family room, making the laundry room smaller and the family room bigger. Won't do too much else till Brian is home for a few months this winter. Working on ideas for the garage still. I really want to make it into a scrap studio but Brian and the kids want a rec room with pinball machine, video game system, mini fridge/microwave etc....a place for the guys to hang out. Somehow, I have a feeling I am going to lose this battle as I am seriously out numbered!!

Enjoy the rest of the long weekend and Happy back to school for those of you with kids...I know I'm going to enjoy it...maybe too much...lol!

accidents happen

2008-08-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

just wanted to let those of you who may not know that we had a bit of a scare yesterday with Reilly.
An innocent crab apple fight ended up with him getting one right in the eye causing his eye to fill with blood. I sped him to the hospital here in town and the doctor took one look at it and made arrangements to see a specialist in the city. He further decided we need to go there by ambulance.
On route to the hospital here, everything looked green to him out of his hurt eye. At the hospital, he said everything looked white. The doctor took one look at him and said we needed to go see this other doctor who would know if he needed surgery etc. Reilly started crying when we were alone and he told me he was afraid of surgery and being blind. It took everything I am made of not to cry too. While we were waiting for the doctor to get us in with the specialist, he could see a bluish white of his Dad's shirt. I held up a colored doctors glove and he could kinda make out the color of that too...he had no idea what it was but the color was at least there. On the way to the city, he was able to make out more colors and could even read the letters off of the big trucks...I was feeling pretty hopeful but we still had to see what the tests would show.
We bypassed emergency and went straight to the specialist where they ran several tests and after about an hour, we got the fabulous news that he will make a full recovery as long as he follows doctors orders for the next week. We have to be careful that there is no re-bleed as that could cause complications. He is to sleep sitting up at no less than a 30' incline, only allowed to get up to go to the bathroom and has drops he has to take. We go back to the specialist on Thursday for a follow up...hopefully the news is even better. His eye looks soooo much better...most of the blood has drained out of his eye and he can see as good as he could before so that's excellent.
I'll keep ya'll posted.
If anyone has any ideas on things I can do to keep an 11 year old still for 7 days, please share. The doctor said he could use the computer, watch tv and play video games as much as he wants for the week...that's a pretty good prescription for a boy his age I'd say! His spirits are good and he's not been too demanding...yet!

I am very grateful to the Doctor here who realized Reilly needed something they couldn't offer him and for the ambulance driver and attendants who got us there quickly and safely and for being soooo good with Reilly in the back.