Sunday sharing

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.

update...

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!

some layouts to share

been awhile since I shared anything scrappy...these are a few recent pages. I am still going to upload the rest of the character pages from our trip so you can see them too!










I am hoping to do some more scrapping soon now that the patio is finally built! Brian will be gone for 10 days so I should have some time to be one with my stash and get a few layouts done or even other projects completed! If I don't get any done before he comes home for a week, I won't have time as we'll be tackling more house and yard jobs while he's home.
So the patio...I can't wait to show it to you..you have to wait till we get the dirt pile out of the way and I get some planters put around it and finish making it purty! We are in love with it...the pattern the bricks were laid in Brian designed and our friend (from now on I'll call him Superman...lol) had never seen before in his 11 years of working with paving stones. We'd just be finishing it I'm sure if we hadn't had the help we did! I seriously have a new found appreciation for what he does for a living...it's a talent there's no doubt about it! After we were done, we celebrated with a steak dinner on the patio...it's so nice to have a place now rather than the lawn! Next year...we'll do it all over again as we make a space for our hot tub! (just kidding...we're building a wood deck to go around that! We'll never do a project of this magnitude again!)
So, in some ways,we took a step or two back with the mess we made building the patio but it'll be totally worth it when it all comes together next year!

Not much else to share...we've been consumed by this backyard project we haven't done too much else since my last post.
The boys and I are thinking about heading to my Mom's for a few days while Brian is away and then meet back up with him on his next set of days off...not sure I want to travel for 8 hours...alone...with 4 kids and a dog! But we'll see.

So, I guess, that's it for now.
Over and out!

sheesh...over a week since my last post...that's not good!
I ended up with a cold and a touch of the flu that took me out for most of the last week, plus Brian was home for 4 days so we were busy with house and yard stuff!
Carsyn had 2 days of football last weekend, which was interesting to watch. He's loving it though, so that's good!
Brian celebrated his 41st birthday...we enjoyed a yummy DQ ice cream cake!!!
Carsyn is turning 9 tomorrow and this devilishly handsome young man will be 15 at the end of the month!




It's almost as bad as Christmas as far as spending goes around here for June...don't forget Father's Day falls in there too!!!

I was surprised that Zack let me take these pics actually but he did and they'll be appearing in a layout coming soon! It's harder to get pics of your kids as they get older..at least I am finding that anyway. I'm not around at the school events near as often and heaven forbid you bring out the camera when he's got guys over...lol!!

So, the yard is looking good...flowers are coming along nicely! Love having color in the yard! Our patio should hopefully be built and ready to enjoy for our Canada celebrations we're hosting. A few other details are being taken care of on Bri's next set of days off (if he gets them) and then I'll share some pics.
I'll also be sharing the layouts of the characters we met while on our holiday...mostly Disney but some from Universal Studios as well. I wanted to get them done before the school year ended cause the boys want to take the album for show and share...I think there are only 3 left to do!

I've been subbing at the school...a lot...and I love it!!
The boys are anxiously awaiting for the 27th when, and I quote, "Schools out for summer!!" However, they need to get through their exam schedule first. Zack and Reilly have a pretty intense week+ of tests to write. Gavin will be done on the 20th, after his graduation ceremony. His cap and gown photos came back..next post I'll scan and share that too.

We need to get ready to head off to a birthday party, so I gotta run!

Till next time....I'll be seeing ya!!

goodness to share...

well...we've had some good times and happenings since my last post, which is why it's been awhile since I've been here.

First of all, Carsyn has started Spring camp for football...he is SO excited!! I am so happy for him...finally he has something that is just his..his "thing" if you will. Last weekend, he got his equipment on Saturday and had his first day of camp on Sunday. He looks so cute in his gear...have a peek (ignore the messy kitchen in the background, I hadn't been home much...lol)
(this is just his practice gear...his actual uniform is really nice)





Sunday, it was drizzling and windy so I didn't get any pictures of him actually doing football drills. Our house is big on football and so this is perfect for him. One of the reasons I was looking forward to it, was because it would be warmer than a hockey rink....well not today that's for sure! Oh well...all part of being a Mom to a bunch of jocks...lol!!!

Next, I got a surprise phone call from my Grandpa the other day. He was 45 minutes away and wanted to stop by for a visit the next day. Now, this is a big deal because over the course of my life, we haven't been that close due to family circumstances. However, over the last few years, we've been making a connection and getting to know each other so I was over the moon that he was stopping in for a visit. I kept the boys home from school that morning, just in case he didn't stay the whole day (good thing cause he left shortly after lunch).
I took some pics of him with the boys, and Grandpas lady friend took some of the 4 boys and me with Grandpa however, I should have used the tripod cause her hands were a bit shaky and the pics are blurry. Shouldn't be too hard to fix with some editing.
My Grandpa is such a goof...he started making funny faces and the boys joined right in...



His visit won't soon be forgotten!

Next, I decided I needed (ok...wanted...lol) a shopping day...for something other than groceries! It's been awhile since I walked around, in and out of stores just cause.
So, while the boys were all in school, I headed off to the big city and had a FABULOUS me day!! Well, I didn't get too much for myself but I shopped in the stores I wanted to without anyone telling me they were bored or it was taking too long...that's a treat if you ask me!
I found some fun stuff for my yard at Rafters...man I love that store. There is more that I would like to get but I'll save that for another day. Here's a pic of the stuff I bought so far...love these stars and fake rocks! The sign is for Grandpa Bud (mom's husband)...he's a self proclaimed grouch so I thought this was perfect for the boys to give him...lol!! The little rock says, "all things grow with love"



and what would a me day be without a trip to the scrapbook store!
I am working really hard to get all the Disney character pages finished by the end of the school year cause the boys want to take the album for show 'n' share and I've been looking for a few specific things and thought I would have some luck at a bigger store in a bigger center than I've been shopping...I was right! Not only did I get most of the things I was looking for...look what else I found...



I am absolutely in love with the male/female symbols right now so I actually think I squealed out loud when I saw these tickets by Jenni Bowlin and then the acrylic stamps by Scenic Route. Now, to find a way to use them!!

I've got more to share but you'll have to wait till next time.
My coffee needs a refill and my scrap supplies are calling...and you absolutely cannot ignore the mojo when it's calling...right girls...lol!!

Have a great weekend all!!