Four-Part Harmony

School's Out!

2011-07-24T21:58:00.003-03:00

I am completely done with the courses I was taking. It is nice to have my evenings and weekends back, no more homework! I finished the courses with a 90%, 91% and 96% so it went well and I learned a lot. I had last week off work and we went back to NS last weekend to fill in at the church we were ministering at last. It was so nice to see everyone again, hard to believe it had been a year since we were last back.

The kitchen renovations are going well but slow. We now have all the cabinets installed but are still waiting for the door hinges and drawer slides so it is just open shelves right now. At least I can use the kitchen now! I bought a nice light fixture set off of Kijiji for $40! It was such a good deal, it came with a chandelier and two pendant lights and they will go perfect in the new kitchen.

Jim is still going through the paperwork to getting his business set up and we still haven't started the renovations on the barn (to turn it into a workshop) but some baby steps have been taken. Jim has his website up and going (though still under construction) and the business name chosen. The website is www.theoldbrooklynwoodshop.com if you are interested in taking a look. Another area we are adding to the business is furniture refinishing. Jim has refinished many antiques over the years and it is always neat to re-purpose furniture to be used for many more years. I'm excited about finding great finds that we can refinish, give new life and sell. We have already collected, for free, a set of chairs that will look so nice when they are done and then Jim can make a table to go with them. It is all so exciting and scary at the same time! So much to learn about running a business that it sometimes makes my head spin but it will be worth it in the end, I hope!

Back at work tomorrow until August where I have another week off planned. The boys love being home for the summer but they sure make quite the mess when they are home all day. They aren't so used to spending all day together but they seem to be now figuring it out, not driving each other crazy... as much.

So far a busy summer. Hoping to be able to make some time to go the the beach, we still haven't made it out this year yet. There are always so many projects and cleaning to be done but I'm going to have to make it a priority. There are only so many weekends left of summer. I'll have lots of time in the winter when the weather is too miserable to go outside! I hope you are enjoying your summer so far and are doing a better job of making time to do some fun things with your family while the weather is nice!

Time Flies When You Are Busy!

2011-06-28T22:08:00.007-03:00

Hello again! Wow, 9 months since my last post, crazy. Life has been so incredibly busy right now. I'm just finishing the courses I had to take for my job. I have one paper left and a few small assignments but have written my final exam already and will be so happy to be done with it all! The boys have finished school for the summer and graduated from grades 7, 3 and 2. Jim also graduated from his woodworking/cabinet making program. He did very well and even won first place in the PEI Skills Competition in his category. Now comes the hard part. He is trying to start his own business building custom cabinets, furniture and even wooden toys. This is not an easy task and there is much to learn about starting up and owning a small business so this is quite the adventure for us!

He is starting by doing our kitchen which once looked like this:

And at this point, looks like this:

And here is a sneak peak at some of the new cabinets starting to be installed:

I can't wait until it is all done. My sink still isn't hooked up but I can use the dishwasher. We took down a wall, closed in a doorway and replaced two windows, so it is quite a mess! After it is done I will show some before and after pictures and you won't believe the difference!

Here's a example of Jim's woodworking skills, a beautiful table he made me:

It is solid wood (VERY heavy) and gorgeous. I just love it, thanks honey!

Well, I guess that pretty much says it all, oh, except one more thing. The lease on our car was up so we took home this shiny new addition:

Ya, that's my new baby!

Well, here's to hoping a few more posts make their way here in the next couple weeks. Definitely expect more renovation pictures and new business adventures as we fumble our way through both!

The Busy Life

2010-09-25T20:06:00.003-03:00

Life has been so busy as of late. I started a job that required me to work 2 twelve hour day shifts and then 2 twelve hour night shifts back to back and then four days off. I just barely made it through the two day shifts and realized it was a bit too much for me. I quit and they didn't make me finish off my week with the night shifts, whew! That was a Tuesday and by Friday I had a new job, one that is perfect for me! God's timing is amazing. I now work in a daycare with the infants. I have evenings and weekends free and I get to play with the cutest babies. Sounds great to me. I've always wanted to work with children so this is a great opportunity. I have to do some online training for certification so in November, the whole family will be in some form of school! Life is about to get busier.

We've also had a lot of sickness in the house lately. I think between all three boys they've already missed 7 days of school and they haven't finished the first month yet. Now it's my turn, I'm fighting a head cold. It was only a matter of time, all the babies at the daycare are sick and seem to always direct their coughing and sneezing right at my face! My baby turned 7 on the 23rd. It feels like forever ago he was a baby and yet it has gone so fast. We had to postpone his birthday party until next week because of me being sick and him throwing up this morning. Like I said, lots of sickness!

We are having a new septic system installed. We've been waiting for months but they have finally started the work so hopefully in a few days we'll have it done. I won't miss the open hole full of sewer water in our back yard, yes it's true. We haven't had time to do anymore renovations except to install a dishwasher. That was the best renovation yet!

That is all that has been happening this month and keeping me away from this blog. I hope this week is finding you all happy and much healthier than us! I'm off to take some nighttime cold pills and go to bed, night all!

More Pictures…For Now

2010-09-04T18:43:00.001-03:00

It has been busy around here, getting ready for school and interviewing for jobs. A new post is in the works but until then, here are a few pictures…for now. I’m loving the flowers a friend started for me and I planted here. I’ve been harvesting green beans out of the garden and now the tomatoes and potatoes are getting ready to be harvested next! There are so many bright green moths (or butterflies? I’m not sure) and I managed to catch a couple but this one was the most compliant for photographing!

Now That I Live In PEI, I Had To Try Making It!

2010-08-18T20:18:00.001-03:00

A Few Of My Favourite Pictures From Today:

2010-08-07T22:06:00.003-03:00

Someone make them stop growing.......please?

Yummmmmm….

2010-07-30T13:34:00.001-03:00

I spent the morning at the raspberry u-pick. The biting black flies got to pick too, as much blood as they wanted. My arms look like pin cushions but it was so worth it. Aren’t they mouth watering?

Now to figure out what to do with them. Make them into jam, do some baking or eat them as is. Maybe a bit of all three!!

A Diamond In The Rough

2010-07-23T21:01:00.011-03:00

There is so much work that goes into fixing up a century home. When I look around and think about it, it is almost overwhelming. But there are so many neat things about owning a century home. Here are a few that we have found in our place:

Neat old wood floors that look like this:

But can be turned into this:

And even this:
From neat old door knobs (which are all over the house and use those cool old keys):

To pretty antique light fixtures:

We were lucky enough to acquire some antique furniture with the house (along with a lot of not-so-wanted items, more on that later). There are several antique stores around and it is fun to look and find things that fit with our old home.

We saw this and just knew it had to be ours (this used to be a pig farm):

Isn't it cute? It's a little worse for wear with a fair amount of rust but I just love it and think it fits right in here!

There are so many gems to be found, I look forward to sharing more, as I find them!

The Renovatons Begin!

2010-07-21T21:21:00.003-03:00

Currently, my days are filled with this:

Lots more stripping of wallpaper to go but above is one section that is re-papered. That had to be done to install the heat pump that also provides AC in the summer, much needed AC! No lazy summer days here although we did manage to spend one day at the beach. More house pictures to come!

I know it is time for an update but....

2010-07-21T16:54:00.002-03:00

I'm going to be redesigning this space first. It will be going through some changes and will have some kinks to be worked out (kind of like me these days). Just ignore all the craziness for the next few days and hopefully soon this blog will be ready to go again! Let the fun begin!

Big Changes!!

2010-06-16T11:33:00.002-03:00

There are some big changes going on in my life at the moment. My husband has resigned as pastor and I am finishing my last week at work. We are moving to PEI to start a new chapter in our lives. My husband will be going to school for a year as a cabinet maker. This also means big changes to this blog! I would like to get back to blogging more regularly and will have lots of blog fodder coming I'm sure! We are moving into an old house that we are renovating that has over 3 acres of land. I plan to have a big garden and maybe even some animals at some point and all my adventures or misadventures, as most likely will be the case, will be recorded here! I'll soon be posting some pics of the house and what we've done so far. This house will be beautiful but I'm telling you there will be a lot of sore muscles in my future as it needs a lot of work!! I think this blog needs a makeover!

Just Checking In

2010-03-03T12:59:00.006-04:00

*I'm sitting here trying to think of what to write. I don't have anything interesting to say or I don't think what I have to say is very interesting, one or the other!

*We are looking forward to spring break in a couple weeks. We are heading over to PEI to visit friends and family and the boys are counting down the days.

*We've had such an amazing winter over here that it already feels like spring is on it's way.

*Things are busy with me working full time. I've started with Sunday school again and still lead worship. My husband has been preaching some challenging sermons and once and while I'm lucky enough to catch one!

*The boys are growing like weeds. They are now 11, 8 and 6, where does the time go? Our kitten is now 11 months old and getting quite the round tummy (not a surprise since she eats more than the 6yr old cat).

*We've barely been sick this winter which is amazing. Everyone is well and seems happy! Not much else to report but like they say, sometimes no news is good news.

*We are thankful to God for our many blessings and look forward to all He is going to do in this new year!

The Guide for Every Pastor's Wife by Lisa McKay

2010-01-21T11:06:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited to read this book, I have entered for a free copy and you can too. It would make a great gift for your Pastor's wife!

Into the Sunset

2010-01-19T11:28:00.006-04:00

I was posting some pics for The Pioneer Woman's photography assigment and thought I'd share them here too. Doesn't everyone love a sunset? I sure do and I have about a million of them stored on my computer. Enjoy!

What I Wish...

2010-01-02T18:03:00.005-04:00

1. ....is that you all had a great Christmas with friends and family and made a ton of warm memories to take into the new year (I sure did).

2. ....is that you have a lot of hope and excitement as you look ahead into 2010 (I sure do).

3. ....that I could be a stay at home mom again, so we could have more days with this:

Homemade soup, homemade biscuits and cookies!

Notice a theme with this pictures? Everything is HOMEMADE! Working full time just doesn't give me the time to cook like this as much as I'd like to, although I try. The consensus was that it was all good!

Well mostly...

Just so you know, those cookies (Mexican wedding cakes or Russian tea cakes, whatever you call them) cook a lot faster if you don't turn the oven off after making the biscuits but think you left it on, and after 15-20 mins think your oven is broken only to finally realize you turned the oven off. Just sayin'

I also got to lay on the bed with the boys and watch a movie (Santa Buddies). I enjoyed this time at home I've had this past week (next holiday isn't until Easter? Really?). I realize how much I'm missing being at work but I do know how valuable my time at home is and my resolution is to make the most of that time, along with the usual ones (lose weight, eat better, exercise...you get the idea!)

Do you have a resolution for 2010?

It had to come sometime!

2009-12-11T11:10:00.004-04:00

Winter that is!

We did have one fluke warm day with rain that melted some snow but now it is back to cold and windy. I miss the carefree days where the boys just needed to grab a coat and their bag for school. Now it is a 12 minute production, trying to get all the snow gear on!

Even a winter hater like me has to admit, the first snow can be so beautiful!

Everything is bright and snow white clean and isn't that the reason for the season? The baby Jesus being born so that he could later pay the price that makes us clean again?

We got our tree up early this year because we won't be home for Christmas. As you can see, my 8 month old kitten has had a ball with the string of beads. I've given up, they are half hanging off now!

I hope you all have a great Christmas with lots of love and laughter and maybe even a little something special under the tree!

A Thanksgiving DYI Project

2009-10-14T13:07:00.010-03:00

While out shopping a couple of weeks ago, I saw this cute fall/Thanksgiving decoration. It was a set of blocks, different sizes and colours that spelled out the words: Give Thanks. I thought it was cute and was going to buy it but then decided it was something I could make (and I knew I had everything I needed already at home). Of course my version isn't as cute but I thought it came out nice enough. I'd like to make some for Christmas and make them look nicer, I have some ideas! Here is a pictorial run through of what I did:

I used Rub On letters, figured it was the easiest option

My husband cut the blocks for me and I sanded them down. I made sure to sand all the ends and corners to round them off, looks nicer.

I painted them various fall colours and let them dry (my boys insisted that purple and blue were not fall colours, but I'm sure there are fall flowers of those colours!)

Fuzzy picture I know! Next step was to apply the rub-ons. I learned with one letter how important it is to make they are completely dry!

And Ta-Da! This is the end result! I'm going to spray a finish on them to give them a bit of gloss and protect them. I'm going to get more creative with my next try for Christmas but this was fun and costed me $0! Hope all my fellow Canadians had a great Thanksgiving!

Grocery Spending Challenge

2009-09-22T11:26:00.002-03:00

Well, this challenge hasn't gone too well for me! I was doing well the first two weeks but in my defense, my in-laws are visiting. It is my youngest son's 6th birthday tomorrow and so my husband's parents are visiting this week to visit and celebrate with the birthday boy. That means I have spent more than the allotted amount this week! Although I haven't been successful with this challenge, I have found it to be very helpful. I know where my money has gone this month, before, not so much! I plan to keep trying to save wherever I can and to use more of Mary's tips from her book, which has the best recipes I might add! The best thing is... there is always a new month to try again.

Grocery Spending Challenge, Week 2

2009-09-10T16:49:00.002-03:00

Okay, week two for the grocery spending challenge. This week the grocery bill came to $81.30. A little higher but still not bad. We have eaten out twice in the last two weeks. We usually end up eating out once a week but I would like to cut that back to once every two weeks. I'll will include the cost of that at the end. My goal this week is to not eat out once. Lets hope I get over this cold fast then! So far, not so bad but lots of room for improvement!

Lovely Long Weekend

2009-09-08T10:51:00.005-03:00

I love paid holidays! Yesterday was Labour Day (do we spell it Labour or Labor here in Canada?) and I got paid to stay home, oh yah! We went on a nice hike to see some falls about an hour away form here. Here are a few pictures:

Okay, more than a few pictures! It was lots of fun and beautiful, we will definitely be going back! Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!

Five Things Thursday....

2009-09-03T15:28:00.008-03:00

I'm going to follow Peanut's lead and try to look on the bright side, so here we go:

5 Things I Like About Being Stuck At Work All Day! (What? I said I'd try!)

1. Well, if I must work, the hours are good. I work from Monday to Friday, 9-5. I am home for supper every night and get to spend the weekends with my family!

2. Scrambling to think of things for my lunch and ending up eating PB&J 5 days straight.
(I know, this is a stretch! Guess what I ate today?)

3. I get to interact with other adults.

4. Hmm, I'm trying to think of something.......oh....when it isn't busy, I can go online and chat on Facebook or blog! Good one!

5. The paycheck at the end of the week of course!

Hop on over to Peanut, Peanut-lover and the Weenuts to see more 5 Things I Love Thursday. Maybe you have something you need to look on the bright side about and want to play along!

*Blogger insists on mixing my font size, not sure why!

Grocery Spending Challenge

2009-09-02T13:02:00.002-03:00

I've decided to take part in this challenge being hosted by Mary over at OwlHaven. I recently purchased her book: Family Feasts for $75 a week. I love it, there are some great tips for saving money on groceries and many awesome recipes! I've made a couple of them so far and they've all been big hits! So, my goal is to spend $75 to $100 a week on groceries for the five of us (plus two cats). Of course, the closer to $75 the better! I shopped last night (and will count that towards our first week) and spent $77. Not bad so far but I know there are still one or two things I need. It will be interesting to see how this goes, I'm kind of excited! Wish me luck!

My Sweetie!

2009-08-12T11:21:00.004-03:00

I was talking to my middle son on the phone last night (as I posted yesterday, they are visiting with their grandparents right now) and I was asking him about something grandma had told me. She said he was a bit homesick and sat in a room by himself for awhile. I was thinking "oh how sweet, my baby actually misses me, awww." I was wrong but the reason he was crying was still just as sweet. He had been watching "Fox and the Hound", remember that one?

I guess he found it just too sad to watch so he had to leave and cry a bit (hey, I cry watching that one too!) but didn't want grandma to know the real reason so he pretended he was homesick. I guess crying because you are homesick is more acceptable to a 7yr. old then crying from a sad movie! I just love his tender heart! He is my little sweetie!

Blog? What blog?

2009-08-11T15:23:00.004-03:00

Oh yes, this blog!

I haven't forgotten that I have a blog, I've just been too busy living life and enjoying summer! I have been enjoying summer but at the same time, not doing anything special, just taking it easy!

Right now my kids are all gone to visit Grandma and Papa, my in laws who just moved closer to us (can I get an AMEN! No kids for 10 days!) so I have a bit more time on my hands! Actually, I'm finding it quite boring with them gone. Of course, the week they are gone, nothing but rain! It is supposed to be nice this weekend so I imagine we'll be hitting the beach.

Tomorrow evening I'm going to be enjoying a girls night with a friend and I get to buy the school supplies this week. I am happy about it because the boys won't be there begging for what they want, it should be quick and easy!

We will join the boys next week and get a visit in and celebrate our 12th anniversary and my (*cough*30th*cough*) birthday. We are going away for the night on our anniversary and I'm so excited. We've not done anything on our anniversary for years because we always have the boys with us so this will be nice. I'll have some pictures to share of the Hotel, it is beautiful. It is a renovated mansion from the 1800's and is done up so nice with lots of antiques! I hope you all (the 1 or 2 of you that read this blog!) are having a great summer!

(My crazy boys that I miss!)

Random, but at least it's a post!

2009-06-15T11:53:00.004-03:00

So far, our new Kitten is fitting in nicely. She is pretty cute and the boys are quite taken with her. She has her moments, she can be pretty wild and likes to bite and scratch, but she has now directed that to Sammy. Sammy (that cat that previously ruled the house) is finally playing with her, instead of hissing at her. He can get a bit carried away and is so much bigger than her so I like to keep an eye on them when playing! But he keeps her busy!

The weather is slowly warming up! Actually, it was quite hot yesterday, a promise of what is to come I hope!

Lots of big things happening this month. My dad and his wife and their adopted son are coming to visit for two weeks. They arrive tomorrow, It has been two years since I've seen my dad and I look forward to meeting my new brother. My mother, father and brother in law are moving to our side of the country and I'm so excited. We go years (I'm talking 3 to 4) in between visits and I'm happy that we'll be able to see them more and meet our one year old nephew.

I haven't been taking many pictures of the kids. I'm not sure why but I'm vowing to get back at it! I'm going to have that camera attached to me all summer and hope to share some of our memories with you. This poor blog has been pretty neglected and I can't promise it will be any better now the nice weather has rolled in, but I will try to stop in from time to time!

I can't believe the boys are done school for another year! Next year they will be in grade 6, 2 and 1. Time sure flies. We are taking a break from sports this summer and plan to take time to be together as a family, no schedule, doing what we want! I'm looking forward to it!

I hope your family is healthy and enjoying summer!

Meet Ruby, our new baby!

2009-06-08T14:28:00.002-03:00

Armajello!

2009-06-02T12:31:00.001-03:00

It has been a crazy couple of weeks in our house! One after another, we've all taken a turn at being sick. Pink eye is the new thing in our house. Don't you wish you were me! Anyway, my MIL sent me these cartoons and I don't know about you but I could use a chuckle, so I thought I'd share them with you today! Hope you and your family are happy and healthy and enjoying Spring!

5 Things I Loved About Being A SAHM!

2009-05-14T12:08:00.004-03:00

My husband was gone for the last three days and I got to stay home (I had to be home for the kids to get home from school, I thought I'd let my fill in have the whole day instead of traveling 45mins just for a few hours) for two of the days. I was a stay at home mom up until 3yrs. ago and never got to enjoy the time at home while the kids were at school, the youngest two started school in the last two years. So, here are 5 of the things I enjoyed while being home. Keep in mind, I am normally not home so I took more leisure than most SAHM's probably usually get!

1. Going back to bed after sending the kids off to school! I had trouble falling asleep without Jim so I was pretty tired. After the kids went to school, I went back to bed for two hours! It was glorious!

2. Getting to make a nice lunch. I have to brown bag it most days for work (so tired of sandwiches, I now understand why the kids are tired of them too!).

3. Having lots of time to plan and get things ready for supper instead of having to know in the morning and then rush to get it made after work. I loved being able to think about it, once I was really awake and have time to take something out or do some prep.

4. I liked being mobile. I spend 40hrs. a week sitting in an office chair. At home I am going up and down stairs, walking all over the house and doing chores and it felt good to be moving all day.

5. The best thing I loved about being a SAHM the last few days was being home when the boys came home from school. I had a nice snack ready for them each day and they were so excited to see me (I suppose that novelty would wear off if I was home all the time!). Yesterday we walked down to the park after school. It was so nice to spend time with them instead of the usual: rushing to get dinner on, homework, baths and bed!

That is my list for this week, go visit Peanut to read more 5 Things I Love lists!

5 Things I Love About....Myself.

2009-05-07T12:11:00.004-03:00

5 Things I Love About Myself.

Wow, that really sounds vain! Really it isn't, if you saw how long it took me to come up with 5 things! I'm taking my cue from Peanut today. She wrote about 5 things she likes about her body. I couldn't quite go that far but I figured I could find 5 things about myself in general I liked, if I really really tried, couldn't I? Well, lets see!

1. I am pretty social. I love to spend time with family and friends and love to laugh. I don't get to do it as much as I'd like but if I could, I would everyday! I loved living at Bible College and having friends and their kids all in the same building. We had a great time there!

2. I'm very forgiving. I am quick to forgive and I get over things quickly. I have found that quality to serve me well, especially being a pastor's wife. I don't take things too personally and if I am hurt, I get over it fairly quickly.

3. I can be quite shy (until you get to know me!). That doesn't sound like a positive, and in many cases it isn't, but I am easy to talk to. I don't come on strong and it makes it easier to get to know others who are shy like me. God has really helped me to come out of my shell enough to do this and to reach out to others first, but it doesn't come easily.

4. I am fiercely loyal and protective of my friends and family. I may be shy but I will stand up for them when I'm needed, especially for my children. When I'm your friend, I'm your friend for life (there, you have your fair warning!)

5. Oh boy, one more, um.......I am a child of God! There, that's a good one! I am happy that I made the decision 15 years ago to follow Christ. It is the best thing I've ever done and I wouldn't have any of these qualities or this life without Him!

Whew! That wasn't so bad, I just managed to squeeze 5 things in there! Go visit Peanut to read her list and more 5 Things I Love posts and why not make your own list and join up?

*By the way, any suggestions on how to make my header inline with the columns? I've had this problem before but have always been able to fix it. This time I'm stumped!

The Post in Which I Magically Reappear!

2009-05-04T12:17:00.003-03:00

Two weeks? Wow, can you tell I've lost my blogging mojo? Hmm, that begs the question, did I every really have it or is it something I can still get somehow? There are so many computer viruses out there, why can't I catch that one, the blogging mojo virus! You'd think after two weeks, I'd have something to blog about (instead of wasting your time blogging about how I have nothing to blog about!) but you'd be wrong. Why aren't my kids crazy or weird or something? No one is giving me blog fodder and as you can tell, I'm NOT a writer at heart! I have, however, been reading blogs and so to finish this post with SOMETHING, I'm going to share some links with you. Here are some posts from the last two weeks that touched me, made me think or made me smile: (Just click on each blog to read the post)

Sarah @ Life in the Parsonage

Lisa @ The Preachers Wife

Peanut @ Peanut, Peanut-Lover and the Weenuts (Today is Peanut and Peanut-Lover's 7th anniversary so...Congrats!!)

Stefani @ Blue Yonder

Shannon @ Rocks in my Dryer

DeeDee @ Fiddledeedee

Make Me Laugh Monday

2009-04-20T13:45:00.003-03:00

Just a quick comic I found on facebook, though it was cute and applies to many of us!

Check out more for your Monday chuckle at Jenny on the Spot!

Make Me Laugh Monday

2009-04-06T09:29:00.003-03:00

I thought this one was cute, poor Grandpa!

This is totally how I feel!
To see more Make Me Laugh Mondays (if you are like me, you really need a laugh on Mondays) check out Jenny on the Spot, for guaranteed laughs!

Please Pray

2009-03-25T09:25:00.002-03:00

click on the picture above to read what is going on with Baby Stellan and when you are saying your prayers, can you take a moment to mention Stellan? I can't imagine what mom is going through but she really needs our prayers.

5 Things Thursday: Spring!

2009-03-19T09:00:00.001-03:00

5 Things I love (and look forward to) about Spring:

1. Daffodils. They are the first flowers to blossom in my yard and their sunshine yellow colour makes me happy.

2. All the green! I love it when the grass gets green and all the leaves come out on the trees. Ever look up at the trees and see how beautiful the leaves are against the blue sky? I just love love love it!

3. I mentioned the blue sky in the last one. I love the colour of the sky when it is that amazing, brilliant blue on a nice sunny day. That is my very favourite colour. Even on a cold day, that blue sky does wonders to this winter-weary girl!

4. Kids playing outside! Can I get an Amen? We are all tired of being cooped up, time for fresh air, running, swinging and sliding!

5. The thing my and my family love most and are looking forward to is going to the beach! No swimming in spring but lots of shell collecting! My boys love to collect shells and skip rocks in the water and I plan to spend a lot of my summer at the beach!

To check out more 5 Things Thursdays, go visit my good friend Peanut and maybe even link up yourself!

That much?

2009-03-13T12:08:00.003-03:00

Quote from Joseph:

"Mom? You know how God can do anything? ANYTHING?? Well, that is how much I love you!"

It doesn't completely make sense....except...it does.

Spring Fever!!

2009-03-10T09:56:00.006-03:00

Anyone else got spring fever yet?

I'm so tired of being housebound, it is driving me and the kids crazy! We had a beautiful, sunny Saturday. The snow and ice was melting, and then we got a few inches of snow on Sunday...sigh!

Signs of Spring will eventually show themselves, until then, God keeps reminding me. Winter is not forever. Spring will come and with it the bright colours and the beauty created by His hand. It is the same in our lives. It may feel like you are stuck in a long winter but that is just for a season, Spring is right around the corner, you know it, because it has happened time and again! I'm so thankful that we have a God to turn to in these tough "winters" of our lives and that he will guide us through to Spring, to renewal.

Thank you God for the promise of Spring and thanks for the beauty in the world that you have provided. I know all our needs are met in this world but thank you for the details, the pretty things in nature for us to enjoy. I know this winter won't last. You are amazing!

5 Things Thursday

2009-03-04T14:43:00.008-04:00

I'm doing something a little different this week. Instead of posting five things I love, I am posting 5 things that recap our recent adventure at the regional spelling bee.

5 Things to recap the spelling bee

1. Nathanael was getting nervous during the 2 hour (yikes) drive to the regional spelling bee so we practiced some words, including the word Metaphor, which he spelled right. (You'll see the importance of that later)

2. We arrived at the spelling bee location and found a friend from down the street had a daughter in the spelling bee too. Nathanael registered and received a bag of swag (Clipping of his picture in the newspaper, two microwave egg cookers from The Egg Farmers of Canada, a cool Canada Post Yo-yo that lights up, a lunch bag, and a water bottle, all in a university bag)

3. After orientation, practice and introductions, the spelling bee begins (there are 53 kids). Every time he goes up there, I get nervous for him and can barely watch. The age group ranges from 9 to 14yrs. olds. He is 10 and looks so small up there!

4. In the second round he is asked to spell "credible" and does but they ding him out, saying he misspelled it. Most of the audience is murmuring that they thought he said it right. So, we appeal (for only the second time ever in the competition). Lots of crowd support during the break, nice bunch, not too competitive. Nathanael struggles with pronouncing R's and the judges all thought he said an O instead of an R. They decide to reinstate him.

5. Lunch break is over and they announce his reinstatement, everyone gives a thunderous applause! He has made it to the third round. This round is tough and the numbers go from 24 to 6! Nathanael goes out this round by spelling... wait for it...Metaphor! Go figure! It was exciting and the girl from down the street won, we were so happy for her. Nathanael placed 21 out of our region (about 4000) and really is not bad when you consider that he barely studied! He didn't study at all to get there from his school spelling bee and then studied once or twice and home and of course in the car on the way. He actually quite enjoyed the experience and really seems interested in putting in his best effort for next year.

That was our exciting spelling bee experience. For more 5 Things Thursdays, hop on over to Peanut, Peanut-Lover and the Weenuts to see more or to link up yourself!

5 That I really Love!

2009-02-19T19:16:00.005-04:00

Here is an easy Five Things I Love Thursday! My Family!

1. I'll start first with Sammy. He is our lovable (and trouble-making) kitty. We have had him for about 5.5 years and he is almost 6yrs old. He is so affectionate and loves to always be wherever the action is. He snuggles close at night and is obsessed with eating. He is so patient with the boys and we can't imagine life without him.

2. Next is my first born, Nathanael. He is now *choke choke* 10 yrs old. I still have trouble saying that, he has grown so fast. He is sensitive, smart and very kind. He is participating in the CanSpell provincial spelling bee this weekend, I am beyond proud!

3. I love my middle guy, Andrew. He is so funny and very very caring. He is so creative and is always making something and making and giving gifts. He has such a tender heart and is always trying to make people happy and laugh! He is the biggest clown and it is always fun to have him around.

4. My baby, Joseph. He is my little snuggler. He can get mad at the drop of a hat and then turn around and hug you. He is moody, slow to wake up in the morning and well, so much like me! He is also creative and has so much patience with his art, not at all like me! I am having trouble accepting him as this amazing big boy that he has become, he is my youngest and I want to keep him as my baby forever!

5. Last but certainly not least, my husband. This summer will mark 12 years of marriage. Where does the time go? I'm so lucky to have married my best friend. He is someone I love to spend time with, someone who always treats me as someone special (even if I don't feel it). He is very caring and really loves his family. I'm always inspired and encouraged by his messages sunday morning and love that he never misses those teachable opportunities with the boys, to help them to learn about God and their relationship with Him.

That's my family that I am so lucky to have. I love how, no matter how many enter our family, there is only more love, not less.

To read more great, 5 Things Thursdays, visit Peanut and read her great post. Hey, why not participate and link up yourself. It is nice to spend some time thinking of the things we love, the positives in our lives, in the big and small things.

Happy Thursday!

Make Me Laugh Monday

2009-02-16T16:51:00.002-04:00

Check out more Make Me Laugh Mondays by visiting Jenny on the Spot!

5 Things I love, um, well like!

2009-02-13T09:20:00.007-04:00

My best friend in the whole wide world, some may know her as Peanut, has started a new carnival. Basically you list 5 things that you love. I am so happy she started this because, well, I have nothing to blog about. I've been so sick the last two and a half weeks, which brings me to my topic. I'm going to write about the 5 things I love (hmm, love is such a strong word for this.....like?) about being sick. I'm trying to focus on the positive here people, after two weeks of solid complaining! Here goes!

5 Things I Like About Being Sick

1. Staying in bed. all. day. Being sick forced me to get some much needed rest!

2. Getting to stay home and watch Regis and Kelly. They always make me laugh.

3. Having my boys pop in every half hour saying "Sorry you are sick, I love you" and showering me with hugs and kisses. (Even though I'm trying, impossible I know, not to share my germs)

4. Not having to cook dinner!

5. Losing weight! I lost about 3 lbs because I wasn't feeling well enough to eat much, have to look for the silver lining folks!

There you go. Being sick really sucks but it is kind of nice (after the fact) to look for some of the positives!

Thanks Peanut for giving me something to blog about! To check out more 5 Things I Love, head on over and say hi and maybe even add your own list and link up!

* The button above is not her official button, she doesn't have one yet so I made one for my post. She can't get mad, she loves me too much! heehee

Make Me Laugh Monday

2009-02-02T09:00:00.002-04:00

I received this in an email last week, thought it was too cute not to share!

INNOCENCE IS PRICELESS

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side of it. The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, 'Good morning Alex.'

'Good morning Pastor,' he replied, still focused on the plaque. 'Pastor, what is this?'

The pastor said, 'Well son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.'

Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque.

Finally, little Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked, 'Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:45?

Check out Jenny on the Spot for more Make Me Laugh Monday entries.

Not all there.

2009-01-28T11:42:00.007-04:00

I was trying to think of something to post about today. My problem is the thinking part! I caught a cold from my boss (thanks for that bonus!) and I'm a bit doped up on cold pills!

My problem is I'm so sensitive to anything that might make me sleepy. It is so bad now that even the two daytime cold pills I took this morning are making me so sleepy, it feels like my head weighs 100lbs! I have to watch with allergy pills too. They have to be marked "driver friendly" or I'm out like a light! It has even got me in trouble at work today. I was supposed to send something by courier yesterday but I forgot and it is going out today, which causes a bit of a problem here. I just can't think straight, but if I don't take the medicine, I am aching so bad that I can't work either! I suppose the best thing to be doing is staying home and sleeping it off!

Is there any point to this post, none whatsoever! I'm just rambling in my drug-induced stupor!

Big thanks to hubby who has been taking care of the boys and meals because I've been going to bed as soon as I get home, as I plan to tonight!

How long is it until summer?

So Proud!

2009-01-23T10:16:00.004-04:00

I'm bursting-at-the-seams proud! My 10yr. old, in grade 5, just won his school's spelling bee and now gets to represent his school at provincials (he is sssooo nervous). It was funny how he let us know. He called home from school and said "you'd better call mom, I've never shaken so much in my life". As you can imagine, dad was thinking something was wrong until Nathanael announced his big news. When my husband did call me at work, he quoted him and I was very concerned he had some bad close call, with a car, or something. (I automatically started running all the scenarios in my head!) As you can imagine, I was very happy to hear the news!

His teacher is so excited and has called us twice on the phone. It is neat that he has so much support from her at school. I really appreciate the teachers that my boys have, not an easy job!

This is amazing news (especially since I didn't know it was coming up, so he didn't study at all) but it is mixed with just a touch of sadness. It is bittersweet because it also means.....my baby is growing up, and way too fast! I'm still adjusting to the idea of him being 10. I remember him as a baby and am trying to figure out how we got here so fast. He is off for a movie night and sleepover tonight and I'll tell you a secret. He wouldn't want you to know but....he gave me a kiss and said he'll miss me before he left. Those moments are getting fewer and far between so I am cherishing them, a picture taken in my mind and stored to be enjoyed as he continues this journey to manhood.

Congrats Sweetie...I mean my little man. I am so proud of you but feel free to slow it down a bit, would ya? Thanks!

A Few Pics

2009-01-20T11:24:00.003-04:00

I'm still pretty swamped but finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel so hopefully I'll back to posting more now... just not today! I thought I'd post a few pics that I stole of my friend's Facebook page ('cause I'm sneaky like that, but I figured it is okay, since the pics are of my family!). Actually, I have to thank her for posting them, I forgot my camera. Yes, we went to PEI for Christmas and I forgot my camera, smart! Anyway, you can see the boys in their new glasses in these pics too, although not too well. I am still working on getting a decent pic of them in their glasses but Nathanael keeps being a brat and making faces. I'll get it sometime!

Me and My boys

The whole family

Thanks G&J for a great Christmas! We had a blast and have very fond memories to hold on to!

Make Me Laugh

2009-01-14T09:11:00.005-04:00

Yes, it is Wednesday, so what? At least I finally posted! My MIL sent me this funny email and I thought it was too cute not to share. (you know you are a blogger when emails from family start off with "cute one for your blog!") You may want to share this with any friends who do not yet have kids, nothing like being prepared! It is quite long but worth the read!

Thinking of Having Kids?Do this 15 step program first!

Lesson 1. 1.Go to the grocery store. 2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office. 3. Go home. 4. Pick up the paper. 5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2. Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their... 1. Methods of discipline. 2. Lack of patience. 3. Appallingly low tolerance levels. 4. Allowing their children to run wild. 5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3. A really good way to discover how the nights might feel... 1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner) 2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep. 3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM. 4. Set the alarm for 3AM. 5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial. 6. Go to bed at 2:45AM. 7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off. 8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM. 9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4. Can you stand the mess children make? To find out... 1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains. 2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer. 3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed. 4. Then rub them on the clean walls. 5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it. 6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5. Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems. 1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh. 2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6. Take an egg carton. 1.Using a pair of scissors and a jar of paint, turn it into an alligator. 2. Now take the tube from a roll of toilet paper. Using only Scotch tape and a piece of aluminum foil, turn it into an attractive Christmas candle. 3. Last, take a milk carton, a ping-pong ball, and an empty packet of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Lesson 7. Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that. 1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.Leave it there. 2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player. 3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash themwith your foot. 4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 8 1. Get ready to go out. 2. Sit on the floor of your bathroom reading picture books for half an hour. 3. Go out the front door. 4. Come in again. Go out. 5. Come back in. 6. Go out again. 7. Walk down the front path. 8. Walk back up it. 9. Walk down it again. 10. Walk very slowly down the sidewalk for five minutes. 11. Stop, inspect minutely, and ask at least 6 questions about every cigarette butt, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue, and dead insect along the way. 12. Retrace your steps. 13. Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbors come out and stare at you. 14. Give up and go back into the house.You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Lesson 9. Repeat everything you have learned at least (if not more than) five times.

Lesson 10. Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is also excellent). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 11. 1. Hollow out a melon. 2. Make a small hole in the side. 3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side. 4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane. 5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone. 6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.You are now ready to feed a nine- month old baby.

Lesson 12. Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, The Wiggles, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's "Noggin"?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 13. Move to the tropics. Find or make a compost pile. Dig down about halfway and stick your nose in it. Do this 3-5 times a day for at least two years.

Lesson 14. Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying "mommy" repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each "mommy"; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 15. Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the "mommy" tape made from Lesson 14 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

To see more Make Me Laugh Monday posts, go check out Jenny on the Spot!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T09:56:00.006-04:00

My little Christmas bloggy break is going to have to be extended! On New Year's Day we had a huge storm that knocked our power out for 19hrs and dumped about 60cm of snow. I worked a day and half Christmas week and three days New Year's week. Needless to say, I am a bit behind at work. I'm trying to catch up on paperwork (I'm drowning in it) and also get our

year-end stuff finished and off to the accountant. I'm going to have to spend this week really focusing on that and reading and writing blogs will have to wait at least one more week. I'm scared to look in my google reader, I'm sure there is a few hundred posts to catch up on! I'll be back soon and will post a picture of the boys in their new glasses. I happen to think they look handsome and intelligent, but I admit to being very biased! Happy New Year!!!!

(Did I just say handsome and intelligent?)

Merry Christmas 2008!

2008-12-23T10:11:00.003-04:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! We hope you all have a safe and wonderful Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus. We are off to PEI, praying for good driving weather! Be back in a week or so!

Four-Eyes!

2008-12-19T13:14:00.004-04:00

Oh yes, soon that is what two of my boys will become, four-eyes! (not that you will ever hear me call them that!) My two oldest (10 and 7) have to get glasses...sigh. My youngest has slight astigmatism (hopefully it won't get worse because he doesn't need glasses right now). Their dad has passed on his bad eyes to his boys, but you'll hear him blaming his mother! Not really an expense that I wanted to shell out for after Christmas shopping. Luckily, my husband's grandma sent some Christmas money for the boys. Instead of Christmas presents, great-grandma is helping to provide the gift of better sight. That's not such a bad gift! So I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of this around here:

(Andrew wearing my glasses)

I just have to add one more thing. Andrew was starting to get a bit nervous about wearing glasses this morning and said "I don't want them to take away my cuteness" He is so funny, as if anything could take away his cuteness! (no low self-esteem here!)

Snow Day

2008-12-17T15:42:00.005-04:00

Things have been so busy and I've been wishing for an evening off. I guess I got my wish! We were supposed to have our Carol sing at church last night but it is snowing hard and has be postponed. I'm a little disappointed but do look forward to a nice quiet evening at home with the boys. There is a new Muppets Christmas movie coming on tonight but it doesn't start until 9pm local time. I am torn, there are Christmas movies on almost every night right now, but none start until at least 8. I have let the boys stay up until 10pm to watch the movies, but this morning they were so tired and I had trouble getting them out of bed. These TV specials are only on once a year and they only have two more days until Christmas vacation. My dilemma is, do I let them stay up and watch the fun shows, or put them to bed on time so they aren't over tired? I will probably let them stay up, maybe we'll get lucky and school will be canceled tomorrow!

We finally got our Christmas tree up. We were running out of time for a real tree so we decided to put our artificial one up, so we can enjoy the lights for the next week. Any tree looks nice if you put enough lights on it right? That's my theory!

Here are a few pictures of our tree. I didn't get a clear picture so I decided to just make it look like the soft dreamy look of the picture was on purpose, play along, okay?

The First and Last Lobster I Ever Cooked!!!

2008-12-11T10:04:00.004-04:00

A friend of ours just came back from PEI and her son is a lobster fisherman. She brought home 61 LIVE lobsters in her trunk. I bought two because the price was right and hey, I live in the Maritimes, have to try cooking a lobster at least once!

I should let you know that I'm kind of scared of creepy things, especially spiders! My husband was in bed sick so I know I was the one who was going to have to deal with these things. When I got home I tried to pull one out of the bag to show the cat but whenever I touched it, IT MOVED!! I stuck them in the fridge until I was ready to deal with them.

I have to admit I was a bit creeped out at the fact that I was going to have to drop these things into a pot of boiling water alive. Poor creepy things. You'll probably see the word creepy many times in this post, because that is what they were! I used a pair of spaghetti tongs to pick the first one up to put him in the water. Actually, the first one wasn't too bad, he didn't put up a fight or anything.

So, now I'm thinking I can actually do this. He didn't fight, no "scream" (that some talked about when I looked online to learn how to cook the creepies), just curled his tail and instantly turned red. Now getting the second lobster was were the comedy started. He really didn't like getting picked up with those tongs and everytime I tried, he'd flip his tail at me and I'd scream and drop him (or her, I have NO idea!). It took about 5 tries to get him into the pot. That was enough excitement for one night so I put them in the fridge until the next day.

Okay, next day and time to eat the creepy lobsters. Ya, those guys are VERY protected in that shell! I was kind of creeped out about pulling the creature apart. Andrew thought it was fun to pull out the antennae and claws so I let him have at it. Joseph pulled a claw and antenna too but Nathanael wanted nothing to do with it! It took a HAMMER, bashing the daylights out of the thing, to get past that shell. All I can say is, all that work and creepiness, wasn't worth it! I know there are lots out there who love lobster. I don't get it.

I can say now that I've done it but I've got no desire to do it again!!!! One more adventure done! The funniest thing (warped sense of humour I guess) is that night I heard Joseph fussing in his room. I went in there and he kept saying "I'm scared of that lobster" in his sleep. I guess I wasn't the only one creeped out!

Look at all the legs and Antennae, too spidery for me!

Eww, the beady eyes, which sink in when you blow on them. Kids had fun with that.

First one done! I did it and survived to tell the story!

Like A Chicken With Her Head Cut Off?

2008-12-08T14:55:00.007-04:00

It is Monday again. Hmmm, link up to Make Me Laugh Monday? Ya, no time to find funny things this last week.

Oh, Link up to Menu Plan Monday. Yaaaa, I haven't even gone grocery shopping in so long that I was forced to take a can of beans to work for lunch today...seriously!

As a pastor's wife, my schedule this time of year tends to get kind of full and if I wasn't busy enough, I joined a choir for a Christmas pagent too. I have something going on tonight (Monday), tomorrow, Wednesday, Friday (Church dinner to cook for on Thursday). I have I have three singing events from the 16th to the 21st. I still need to get the boy's picture printed and to get my Christmas cards done and sent and I haven't even started shopping and no tree up yet! Whew...breathe...ahh. It is only for a short time every year and I'm going to follow Sarah's lead and "enjoy the madness of it all. Cramming in all the fun, and trying to savor every last second...not feeling guilty." That is a direct quote from her blog and she is a fellow Pastor's wife and mom of boys so I think I'm drawing wisdom from the right person!

At least (hopefully, if the weather cooperates) we will be going over to PEI on the 23rd and spending Christmas with some dear friends. That takes the pressure off me to be cleaning, cooking and such for Christmas but I will lend a hand!

Oh and here is a picture to prove I did infact get my decorating done, except the tree. I have to squeeze some time in for that somehow!

6 Random Facts

2008-12-03T18:55:00.005-04:00

I was tagged by Peanut last weekend for this meme where I list 6 random facts about myself. I had to think about this one for a bit. Not sure I have anything too interesting about me to share but I'll give it a shot. Here goes nothing!

1. I have a strange OCD thing with the tv. When I turn the volume up or down, it must stop on an even number. 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, you get the idea. I don't know why and my boys think I'm strange. I guess I am.

2. It really bothers me if something isn't symmetrical. I once gave away a loveseat because one of the buttons fell off and it was no longer the same on each side. But as far as OCD's go, that is pretty much it. I wish I had a bit of the OCD's where everything must be neat, or organized or I must be thin. Nope, none of those!

3. I have bad hay fever. I'm allergic to spring, fall, summer, dust and my cat. I insist on keeping my cat, don't seem to clean the dust as much as I should and would even like to get a dog someday. I have to take allergy pills every morning and night or else live with a permanent head cold!

4. I live over 6000kms (over 3900miles) from most of my family and close friends. I do find it hard. I miss them all and my boys don't know many members of my family. I am thankful to live in a time when technology allows us to keep in touch with our families and friends on a regular basis.

5. I find being a working mother the hardest thing I've done in my life. I was a stay at home mom for 8yrs and have been working full time now for 2yrs. I thought I was balancing it all alright until a few days ago when my youngest was crying and said that I never play with him and he was upset that I was having to go out for the third night in a row. I am also a pastor's wife so my schedule is busy. I was able to shuffle and reschedule a few things so I could spend some quality time with my boys and I realize I need to make that more of a priority.

6. I prefer to live in small towns. I am not a city girl AT ALL! I am so directionally challenged and still have to trace a path in my head when I first walk into Walmart so I go the right way to get where I want to go. I have been shopping at our Walmart for almost 6yrs. Sad I know, now imagine me driving around a big city.

Well, that's it. That is a hint of me. Now, who to pass this meme on to. I don't really know many bloggers well enough to tag so if you want to participate, do so and let me know in a comment so I can check it out! I will tag Canadian Southern Mommy since I know her!

Thanks for reading!

Make Me Laugh Monday

2008-12-01T12:46:00.005-04:00

It's been a while since I linked up to Jenny on the Spot for Make Me Laugh Monday (but I definitely didn't stop reading!) but I have a few Jimmy the Janitor clips stored up that are worth a few chuckles so check them out:

Clip One

Clip Two

Clip Three

Clip Four

Clip Five

To have some more laughs, visit Jenny's Make Me Laugh Monday, you'll be glad you did!

So Not Ready!

2008-11-25T12:17:00.003-04:00

Reading blogs, it seems that many have already decorated for Christmas. I am one of THOSE people who refuse to decorate until December! (although I did decorate my blog header already, does that count?) The decorations and Christmas songs start at Halloween in the stores and by December 25th, I am so tired of it. Doesn't that seem too early? It just makes Christmas so over commercialized.

Of course I am also THAT person who still has shopping to do and helps to fill the stores to capacity a few days before Christmas. I have not bought one Christmas present yet! Right now I've been focusing my attention on Andrew's 7th birthday party this weekend but I have that nagging voice in my head (I seem pretty good at ignoring it!) that keeps telling me I'd better get started on the shopping! This year I may try more online shopping since I have lots of access to the internet but my time in stores is very limited.

Sigh... I just wish I was more organized like some of my friends who have it all planned out and are done with their shopping. Another thing I'm slack on (well another thing of many!) is wrapping the gifts! We usually stay up late on Christmas Eve wrapping instead of wrapping as we buy. There is still time, I need to start now!

But there is one thing I must do first... can you guess? Yes that's right, I still need to get Andrew some birthday presents! See? Slack or what? I KNOW!

You Know You Have Been Reading Too Many Blogs When...

2008-11-22T09:53:00.002-04:00

...you dream in blog post format. And I'm not even joking!

What's up Doc?

2008-11-18T10:30:00.005-04:00

It is has been pretty quiet this week on this here blog! Two of the kids and I have battled a stomach bug. It always amazes me how fast the kids bounce back but when I catch the same thing, I'm bed ridden for two days. Thankfully we are feeling much better and hopefully the last two members of our family will be spared! (and I got to catch up on some sleep, that is never a bad thing) Today is report card day so I'm excited to see how my kiddos have been doing and they are always excited to bring them home (not sure how long that will last!). We still have one more birthday before Christmas. Andrew has his 7th birthday on Nov.30 and he told me he wants to invite this girl from his class because she gets picked on a lot by the boys. He has started playing with her at school too, to cheer her up. Isn't he the sweetest? Andrew has always had a gentle heart but when he was telling me this, it was all I could do to not tear up. I love that he always sticks up for the underdog, even if it means going again the grain. He'll be the first to make you a get better card if you are sick and cry for you if you are hurt. I look forward to celebrating this big birthday with him. He thinks it is a big deal because the earliest age he remembers of his big brother is 7 so he feels like it is really growing up! And so he is.

By The Way...

2008-11-11T14:40:00.002-04:00

Jim has some new wooden guys on up for auction on ebay, you can find them here. Happy Remembrance Day, hope you all got a chance to think of our veterans and to pray for those who are still on the battlefield.

Birthday Boy

2008-11-10T14:04:00.002-04:00

Well, the Big 10 birthday has come and gone. Here some pictures from the big day I'd like share with you:

Jim made one of his little wooden toys to look like Nathanael. You'll often see Nathanael wearing that striped shirt and you can't see it from this view but he is wearing his backpack too!

Here is a gift from some close family friends. There were at least 4 or 5 of these paint by numbers, should keep him busy!

Nathanael decided to start band this year and is playing trumpet. Grandma and Grandpa were generous enough to buy him the trumpet and he is really enjoying making the sound of a dying goose! (He doesn't start band until Monday so he doesn't know how to hold it yet!)

He is so proud!

Here he is, my handsome 10yr. old. Hard for me to grasp yet but thank you God for giving me this amazing boy to take care of!

HOW CAN IT BE????

2008-11-06T14:38:00.007-04:00

How did time go by so fast? I awoke this morning and realized I am now the mother of a 10 year old. Ten? Double digits? What happened to my little baby? Where did those long and hairy legs come from? How did he get so big that he now is as tall as my shoulders? How come he didn't keep his word when he promised me he wouldn't grow up? Am I really old enough to have a 10yr. old? Ten years from today my oldest was born and these are the questions floating around in my head as I try to grasp this milestone birthday. More to post on this tomorrow, after the birthday celebration! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHANAEL!

WFMW

2008-11-05T10:11:00.010-04:00

This week's Works For Me Wednesdays has a theme: Toys Worth Buying. What works for us is homemade toys. My husband is pretty crafty with a wood lathe and paints! My husband kept his old fisher Price play set, do you remember those? He has a bunch of his old Fisher Price Little People too but has been making his own to fit in the set for a while. The kids love to play with it and use their imaginations and they really love the homemade people because they are so customizable. My husband has made one for each of the boys that looks just like them and wearing their favourite clothes. They like that he can make all their favourite characters too. This year whe will make us some Christmas decorations too. Check out some examples he has done on his blog. He is almost done making a handful that he will be putting up on Ebay, so stay tuned for that. If anyone has their old Fisher Price play sets, this is a great gift for your children! If you are handy with a lathe or chisel set, try to make some of your own, you can even let the kids paint them.

Check out more Works For Me Wednesdays over at Rocks in my Dryer for hundreds more Christmas toy ideas!

**Edited to add: Jim now has some up for auction on ebay, you can find them here.

Halloween Costumes and an Unwelcome Surprise!

2008-11-04T10:48:00.008-04:00

Here is how my little squirts looked for Halloween:

I didn't spend one dime this year. Joseph was more than willing to use a costume passed down from his brothers. He was the fireman and loved every minute of it. He kept pointing out to everyone how he has smoke (soot) on his face from fighting a fire. Nathanael and Andrew decided to make their own costumes this year. Now I might not get the names right but I think Nathanael is Power-Man and Andrew is Mr.X (both made up of course). They picked out a shirt in the colour they wanted, drew and taped on a logo and then we painted on masks, to protect their identity!

Then on Sunday we got a nasty surprise, well, depending on your view point!

That's right, we got our first snowfall of the season. Nov.1 is too early for me! I know there are others with snow right now like our old home of Dawson City, Yukon but that is expected, I don't want it here!!! I'm sure in the good old days they got several feet of snow in November and maybe even October (you know those type of stories!) but I don't want to see the white stuff before December. Oh well, you've got to roll with the punches, the kids thought it was pretty exciting. I can't really complain, it did all melt the next day when we had a beautiful sunny day. As long as Jack Frost is just visiting and not intending on a long stay, I'm good. It is nice to see some snow on Christmas though, which isn't that far away! EEEK! I'm sure you are all getting ready for Christmas, may even have your shopping done. Not me, I have two more birthdays to get through and then I'll start thinking about it...thinking. That is why I'm usually shopping in mid December when there are far too many people in the malls!

*Edited to note: I was wrong, the snow came on Nov. 2! A few days later it warmed right up to 18 degrees and feels like spring. Crazy weather!

So Sweet...

2008-10-30T12:48:00.003-03:00

...is my Hubby! I was quite hormonal last weekend, grumpy and in pain. I just didn't feel good and every little thing set me off and I ended up taking it all out on my husband. I feel bad about it now but he did cheer me up (for a few hours) with these flowers. Wasn't that sweet? He doesn't buy flowers often, money is tight these days so we only gift on the appropriate day. But he could tell I was really struggling, and wanted me to feel better. When he presented me with the flowers, I just broke down, sobbed! I'm glad to be feeling better now (but still can't shake this stupid headache I've had for 5 days now!) and thank Jim for being so loving and thoughtful. I am so lucky, so very lucky.

Make Me Laugh Monday

2008-10-27T09:00:00.000-03:00

Another Monday, another funny! Here are two Jimmy the Janitor clips, quite funny. The second one really struck me for some reason, I was laughing quite loudly... .at work!

How to get rid of mice in your church!

Do you know someone not suited for their job?

Check out more Make Me Laugh Monday posts over at Jenny on the Spot

Linky love

2008-10-25T09:00:00.001-03:00

Here are some links to some posts I enjoyed this week:

Why Me?
Why would God use such a flawed person as me for His work? Shalee's post says it best!

Ransomed
This is an amazing post, one that will make you laugh and cry!

Protect Your Daughters From Breast Cancer
Yet another reason to eat healthier.

An Excerpt
Sound Familiar?

Happy Anniversary (better late than never!)

2008-10-23T10:09:00.007-03:00

My first official post was October 16, 2006. Two years have gone by and I didn't even realize it! Of course at first I wasn't too serious about it and there were large amounts of time where I didn't post. It wasn't until May of this year that I really got into blogging, when I discovered there was a whole bloggy community out there! I don't have many readers and I don't have many followers but I do receive some encouraging comments and that means a lot. I love to read and follow other mommy blogs and it really makes me feel like I'm a part of something. We all share parts of our lives and let others know they are not alone. I love how we mommies encourage each other! So, I guess all that is left to say is, "Happy Blogiversary to Me!"

Psst...

2008-10-20T13:17:00.010-03:00

....just thought I'd put in another plug for my husband. Not sure why I am whispering this (couldn't you tell? Isn't it okay to advertise for your family? ) but check out his blog to see his newest wooden toys.

Okay, no more whispering! He has been hard at work making new characters and I've been over there, redecorating (is no space off limits?). I'll let you all know when he will have some ready to put ebay. Also, if anyone has any requests of themes or characters you would like him to make for you, he has no problem doing custom orders. We are in the process of setting up some price points and shipping info but currently he just puts them on ebay, although he does have some custom orders to do. He can also make some of them as Christmas ornaments if anyone one is interested. The toys he has made now fit with the older Fisher Price play sets (he is still trying to live out his childhood with our boys!). They are all handmade and he really enjoys making them. Pop over and pay him a visit. Even if you aren't interested in buying anything, be sure to leave him a comment, we all love to receive positive comments, right?

...thanks so much!

I mean, thanks!

Make Me Laugh Monday

2008-10-20T09:00:00.001-03:00

I'm not sure if you can read these, I found it hard to make it bigger but it is kind of cute.

For more Make Me Laugh Mondays, check out Jenny On The Spot

No More Turkey!

2008-10-16T14:41:00.005-03:00

Okay, how many days in a row can one person eat turkey! We had our Thanksgiving dinner Sunday and every day since then I have eaten turkey in one form or another.

Every. Single. Day.

gobble gobble

I have eaten turkey casserole, turkey soup and turkey sandwiches. Do we have to have turkey for Christmas too? Unfortunately, turkey supper is my husband's most favourite meal so I don't think I could get away with having a Christmas ham. Oh well, turkey it is, this time we might not be making the meal therefore won't have to battle with leftovers so I can be thankful for that. Not that I am trash talking the turkey, turkey is delicious. I'm sure you are all so creative with turkey leftovers so your family doesn't feel like they are eating the same thing for 5 days in a row (want to share how you do it?) but I am not so creative.

Well, nothing to interesting about this post, I am just fed up with turkey (pun intended) and thought I'd share because I just know you would all be sssoooo interested, right?

Yah, right!

Well, that's it for me, that's my deep thought of the day (sad isn't it?). I'll just finish reading your blogs today for some great posts, Happy Thursday!

A Lovely Day on the Trail

2008-10-14T13:39:00.003-03:00

The Cabot Trail that is. It is a lovely road to travel in fall in Nova Scotia. The colours are amazing. We finally took the trek on saturday and it was a long day but so worth it. Here are but a few of the many pictures I took. Aren't they gorgeous? (I even got a few pics of some moose but they aren't very good, it was dark out! But it was fun to be on the hunt for the elusive picture!)

Are You Worried?

2008-10-10T12:15:00.004-03:00

I just wanted to share a great blog post with you. I know we are all a bit concerned with what has been on the news lately regarding the financial crisis and how it will affect us. The Preachers Wife really addressed this well and said it better than I ever could so check it out. A great reminder that God is in control!

Thanksgiving

2008-10-07T09:14:00.007-03:00

I love fall and thanksgiving. It is probably my most favourite time of the year, after Christmas of course. I love the beautiful colours, the cool nights and the fresh smell in the air. I figured I'd do my Thanksgiving post now since I'll be very busy as the day approaches, this weekend in Canada.

There is so much to be thankful for. I think of my husband's sermon from last sunday. He mentioned that as Canadians, we are so blessed. We can get so caught up in worry, stress and money problems, meanwhile, most of us have a roof over our heads, transportation and amazing families.

I am so grateful for my amazing friends and family who show me daily their love and support. I'm so thankful for my husband who serves God with all his heart and loves his children and is my best friend. I'm thankful for friends who live near and far. I do not go without food, I never have to sleep on the street and I am never lonely. Number one, I have free access to the Bible and to God. I don't have to worship in secret and fear for my life because I choose to follow Jesus. Yes, I am truly blessed.

This thanksgiving, lets choose to focus on our blessings instead of our burdens. Lets tell others how much we care and love them and lets show them too! Lets remember to show and share God's love to those who do not yet know.

Thank you God for saving me. Thank you that you sent Jesus for my sins, even though I fail you time and time again. Thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for your peace, healing and love. Help me to boldly share your message of hope. Give me wisdom and patience with my children. Help me to be an encouragement and comfort to those around me who need it. I pray a special unspoken prayer for a dear friend. Thank you God that you care and are listening.
Amen

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. Don't forget to hug your family and friends and thank God for His blessings!

My Budding Artists!

2008-10-01T12:09:00.004-03:00

While we were in PEI, we visited an Artist's studio and it inspired the boys to do some painting. I brought home some canvas, brushes and paints and they had a ball. First they figured out what to draw on paper and then copied it onto the canvas. Andrew painted a jungle with an elephant and monkey. Joseph painted himself, I think, with super large boots on! Nathanael did an amazing job painting a light house, with shells and water splashing. It was so fun and I enjoyed watching them create and now I have some amazing art work to hang up!

Menu Planning Monday

2008-09-29T10:58:00.009-03:00

I haven't posted a weekly menu in a while, the meals have mostly been planned but I just haven't had time to post them. I love The Orgainzing Junkie's new Menu Plan button, very seasonal!

Monday - Sheppard’s Pie (My MIL is visiting and makes it the best!)

Tuesday - Greek salad, Marinated steaks, Mashed potatoes

Wednesday - Homemade Pizza

Thursday - Fish, Rice and Veggies

Friday - Cheesiest Potato soup, homemade rolls, cucumber slices (cucumbers from the garden!)

Saturday - Lemon Parmesan Spaghetti with salad

Sunday - Leftovers

Check out The Oganizing Junkie for tons more recipe ideas and menu plans!

All I did was blink a couple of times...

2008-09-26T09:33:00.004-03:00

And suddenly my baby turned 5!

More Picnik Fun!

2008-09-22T12:00:00.006-03:00

The first one shows Jojo with blue eyes but it kind of hard to see! I didn't really like how the second to last picture came out, the hair looks strange. I always wondered how to do this. I knew about the focal black and white and then reversing the effect (like I did on the strawberry) but I always wondered how to "paint" the colour back in several different places. I fnally figured it out. When you click on black and white a window pops up (or you can click on the little paint brush to bring up the window) and you can literally paint the colour back in wherever you want. I thought it was pretty cool. The more I play with Picnik the more I discover. Hey Peanut, I bet you could do some neat things with this with those black and whites you took!

Snapshot

2008-09-19T10:25:00.009-03:00

This is a snapshot of our trip to PEI. This might be too small to see the pictures very well but PEI is a beautiful place. If you have never tried it, check out Scrapblog and you can make your own digital scrapbook. It is really neat, tons of templates, stickers and backgrounds and you store it all online and can share your pages with your friends and family.
*hint: you can see the picture better if you click on it to enlarge it*

Just for Laughs

2008-09-19T10:25:00.003-03:00

This little sound clip is so cute, check it out and turn up your speakers!
Jimmy the Janitor

Are You Still There?

2008-09-17T12:21:00.004-03:00

So, anyone still there? I know, I haven't really posted much as of late. Ever have those times where you just don't have anything to say? I have nothing new, nothing funny.....nothing! It is strange for me, I always have something to say, I'm a talker, really! I am going to take some time to sit and think about it, write in a notebook and hopefully be re-inspired to keep up blogging again. Oh and my in-laws are coming to visit from the other side of the country. We haven't seen them in about 4 years so I am looking forward to seeing them. I might even find something to blog about with them being here! I will be back!!

(A beach in PEI, love sunset pictures!)

First Day of School

2008-09-10T13:29:00.006-03:00

Here are a few pics from the first day of school. I know I said I'd post them friday but in my defence, my computer crashed. I think that is a good excuse. Here are the few pictures I managed to get on the crazy day of Sept. 3:

Busy Busy

2008-09-04T12:42:00.002-03:00

Since I've been back from vacation, I've been swamped! I have so much to catch up with at work, there has been lots of excitement about school starting and I've been trying to catch up with the cleaning at home. We were only gone for two weeks but it is amazing how behind that puts you. Needless to say, this blog has been ignored. I still have some pics from our trip I want to share but I haven't even had time to sit down and go through them yet.

The boys started school yesterday. I found it a bit sad dropping off my youngest. I guess him starting school means no more babies! It is an odd feeling. For the first time in 10 years, there are no kids at home in the day. Not that I would notice since I'm at work all day but just to know that is incredible. I also see the evidence when I come home and they haven't been home long enough to make too big of a mess! I'll post their first day of school pics tomorrow (I hope!). I hope to post pics and a summary of our trip on the weekend but I'm not making any promises!

One Word...

2008-08-27T09:00:00.000-03:00

Happy Anniversary

2008-08-24T19:10:00.001-03:00

Yesterday was our 11th anniversary. I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday but I didn't want to let this post go. It seems like it was so long ago yet just yesterday at the same time. So much has happened in the past 11 years. Jim finished 4 yrs of Bible college, we had three beautiful boys and have pastored at two churches. Appearances have changed (mostly mine!), family dynamics have changed, but our love for each other and God hasn't! I thank God for a wonderful husband who loves Him and me with all his heart and who is a great father. Marriage isn't always easy but we make it through the good times and bad with open communication and with God's help. Many people doubted that it could work with me being only 18 (for one day) when we got married, except my family and close friends. They knew better, they knew that we were meant for each other. I am thankful for supportive friends and family and my wonderful husband who is my best friend. No matter what I look like or what I do, I always know he loves me. How lucky am I?

Here is a picture of us the night we got engaged (we are so young and thin!)

Here is a wedding photo. I know, I didn't like the hair either but I loved my dress that my mother-in-law made (with a little help from me)

B-Day

2008-08-22T12:13:00.005-03:00

Well we made it home alive! We travelled 2 provinces and 6 states and arrived home last night. Today I awoke to many choruses of "Happy Birthday" from my boys. They get so excited! They promised me that since it is my birthday, they will do whatever I say (as opposed to every other day!), that struck me funny. Only on my birthday will they listen to me, oh well, I'll take it! My last year in my twenties, that really doesn't bother me. I like where my life is right now and turning thirty isn't scary at all, I look forward to everything God is going to do in my life and am happy about reaching all the milestones. Ask me again when I'm turning 40, maybe my outlook will have changed a bit, heehee. I'm so happy to be home (and sleep in my own bed instead of on an air mattress in a stinky tent) and am looking forward to visiting PEI in a few days. It is a beautiful day outside, here's hoping you are enjoying God's creation today too!

Quick Update

2008-08-19T22:14:00.003-03:00

I don't want to go into too much detail since I'd like to do a more thorough post regarding our trip. We made it to New York and I am so glad we borrowed a GPS! We went to the Wiggles concert and then headed up to Massachusetts and spent the whole day at the Yankee Candle store. That is an amazing store and huge! We are now camping in East Dummerston in Vermont. I'm not sure where we'll be or how far we will get tomorrow but we are slowly heading home. I think we'll probably get home by Thursday and my birthday is on Friday and then our anniversary is on Saturday. Then on Tuesday we are off to PEI, we are definately making the most of our time off this year for once! The kids love camping. We'll that's it for now! Harmony, signing off!

Vacation - Day 2

2008-08-15T22:00:00.005-03:00

Day 2 has turned out to be so much better, except for the fact I have a spitting headache right now and the kids are jumping and yelling like monkeys fresh out of the zoo! I guess being cooped up in a car for 12 hours can do that to you! We had a good sleep last night and after eating breakfast, we were on the road by 8am. It was a beautiful day and we made it from Nova Scotia to Massachusetts USA. We are somewhere near Boston. I'm not totally sure where because we have been following the GPS and not the Atlas. My husband finds that a bit strange because with the atlas, he at least has an idea where he is and what is coming up. I think we are in a town called North Andover or Anover, or something like that! I'd ask my husband but he has gone off to the theatre to watch the new Clone Wars animated Starwars movie (while I play monkey keeper)! We will reach our destination, Uniondale NY, (or somewhere near, that is where the concert will be) tomorrow and won't have to be on the road as long. After the concert we are pretty free as to what to do next. We will slowly make our way up home but do some sightseeing. Anyone know anything fun to do in these areas? Anyway, it was beautiful weather all day, hot and sunny but by the time we got here.... can you guess? Yep, pouring rain! So, we are staying in a Hotel again. We are hoping for some nicer weather to do some camping (and save a few dollars). I have yet to take a single picture! I'll take more on the way back since we won't be rushing to a destination and can make a lot of stops! Well, really nothing too exciting to report! I just have to say, I love this GPS! It works great and a bonus is that it can tell us what speed we are driving in miles! Our car doesn't have miles on the speedometer, isn't that strange?

Vacation - Day 1

2008-08-14T22:34:00.003-03:00

I am in a hotel room somewhere in Nova Scotia and have wireless internet so I thought I'd share with you the first exciting day of our trip. We were going to leave Friday morning but hubby thought it would be a good idea to leave after I got home from work (seemed like a good idea). I rushed home and we packed like mad and wolfed down some egg salad sandwiches for supper (not such a good idea). As the kids were getting settled in the back seats I was trying to get the DVD they requested from the trunk. The DVD's are in a basket wedged in pretty tight. I was trying hard to get it out when it flew out of my hands and hit two of the kids in the head (really bad idea)! Of course it wasn't any normal DVD. It was a collection of Goofy cartoons in a thick case, that was in a larger tin case, oops. They were bawling and I was starting to worry how this was going to go! Off we went and not much more than an hour into the drive, I start getting car sick (ya, those egg sandwiches really were not a good idea). Then the rain starts to pour and heavy fog rolls in (sigh) so we decide to stop only two hours into the drive...but...we missed the turn off. Okay, we decide we'll stop at the next town (I'm turning green, blah, no more eggs!). We turn in the next town and after a half hour of driving and not finding anything, we leave and head for the next town. Finally we have found a motel (over priced) to stay at (at least we'll get breakfast). So here I am, at said Motel, at 10:43pm telling you about this and praying that it only gets better from here! I'm ready to sleep. I took two children's gravol and they are working well now! First I have to tear the boys away from Treehouse (we don't have cable so they are glued to the tv) so we can get some sleep and head out again. Hoping for a much better (and warmer...with no rain...please?) Day 2! Stay tuned....

Vacation

2008-08-13T21:21:00.003-03:00

Well, it is that time of year where many bloggers (well, those in places where it is summer, or supposed to be, stupid rain) are taking time off blogging for vacation. I am no exception. On Friday we are leaving for a family vacation. We've done small trips for vacation many times but always to go see family or friends. Although we are going to visit friends (which I love to do) on the second week of vacation, the first week we are taking a trip for just us. We will be driving down to New York. We are taking the boys to a Wiggles concert there (my first concert and it is the Wiggles! Exciting or what?!). Anyway, that is where I'll be for the next two week. We maybe come home for a few days in between destinations and if I can I will drop in to say hi but most likely I won't be back on until the beginning of September. I will be sure to come home with lots of stories and many pictures to share. Until then, God Bless!

*Taken at Fortress of Louisburg in Nova Scotia, Canada

Cooking Catastrophes

2008-08-11T13:58:00.003-03:00

The writing prompt over at Absolutely Bananas for this Monday is cooking catastrophes! I don't have many bad cooking stories since I tend to stick to what I know I do well. I am good at following a recipe but if I stray or try something on my own, the food is more likely to suffer from lack of flavour then to taste bad.

The first cooking error I can think of was when my husband and I were dating. I was at his house and thought I'd try a recipe for him and his family. I think it was some kind of broccoli and mushroom side dish. I can't remember the exact measurements but it called for about a cup or so of chicken soup base. I didn't realize at the time you were supposed to mix up the powdered soup base with water and make a cup that way. I just dumped a cup of the powder in. Ya, you can imagine how bad that was, it was ssssooooo salty! My future father in law kept telling me it wasn't bad and he ate his whole serving! What a sweetheart, really, they were probably all wondering what their son was getting in to!

Okay, the next one happened just after I got married. I was only 18 and hadn't done much cooking but I was armed with my mother in law's recipes so how could I go wrong? I decided to make a dessert (brownies or a cake, can't remember) and it was time to try my MIL's amazing icing. I followed the recipe exactly as written and didn't think much of it. While stirring, I realized something didn't look right, and it didn't taste right either! I called my MIL and she laughed and realized she had written flour instead of icing sugar on the recipe. DUH!! An honest mistake right? You'd think I'd have the brains to realize the mistake and correct it. I mean what is icing without sugar?

Luckily I have managed to not poison anyone or make anyone gag (well, my kids might disagree!), that is about the worst of it! What is your worst cooking catastrophe? Write about it and link up at Absolutely Bananas or read more cooking catastrophes!

Lesson Learned!

2008-08-09T16:33:00.008-03:00

Okay, NOTE TO SELF, do not take all three kids school supply shopping! I will not buy everything they want so it isn't worth bringing them. They hate shopping, I hate taking them shopping so why do I torture myself? I can't read three supply lists, break up multiple fights, keep them all from straying all at the same time. I was so frazzled that I rushed through it and when I got home, I realized I forgot a few things. Next time I will go alone, take my time and stop at Tim Hortons for a Cafe Mocha! That sounds like a much better idea!!!

Here are the fruits of my labour, all organized, labelled and ready to go:

And now for some total randomness:

Bravery:

This is one place you will never see me step foot in, my brave son!

My Handsome Men: Dressed up for church!

Before

After

Amazing what a good haircut can do hey?

Stung! Part 2 - Revenge

2008-08-01T09:00:00.002-03:00

A little while ago I wrote about how a wasp (hornet, yellow jacket, whatever they are called) had stung hubby on the side of the head. He suffered for a good few days with that until finally he decided to get rid of the nest, you know, so we could actually use our back yard and deck!

It was a two night process. We have a small portable greenhouse on the deck and because of the high winds we get here, we had to bungee cord it to the deck. The pests had built their nest behind the greenhouse just under the top ledge of the deck rail.Let me tell you, these hornets (wasps, stinging things, whatever) were aggressive! Any vibration on the deck at all and they came out fast and furious!

Jim waited until night and then very slowly sneaked up to the nest and using a hockey stick, knocked the bungee cords off and then ran like the wind to the front door! Then several hours later he crept back out and pushed the greenhouse over (it is empty anyway and should be put away!) and again, ran as fast as he could around front. That was all the excitement he could handle for one night!

Finally, the next night, in the cover of darkness, he plotted his revenge. Now you will have to use your imagination for this. He absolutely would not let me take a picture, no matter how much I begged! He dressed up in a full snowsuit, boots, toque and gloves. He wrapped a scarf around his mouth and nose. He then took a piece of clear plastic (I think it was the wrapper from the frozen pizza) and taped it to his toque and scarf to cover his eyes. He was ready for battle!

He went outside and very slowly crept up to the nest and sprayed it. He sprayed it all over and up into the nest until all you saw was a huge foam ball, looked more like a white fluffy cloud (white fluffy cloud of death!). The next day the foam was gone, I could see a piece of the nest hanging off and something laying on the deck under the nest.

This is what I saw:

Poor things, you almost feel sorry for them, almost. Those larvae things give me the creeps though! Jim said he saw one of them moving! Yuck! I couldn't get a picture of the actual nest though, Jim mashed it into the ground immediately. He seemed to take a lot of satisfaction in that, still smarting from the sting and all.

My Husband, The Toy Maker

2008-07-30T09:23:00.023-03:00

I was going to write about our revenge on the wasps, but forgot my pictures at home so instead I'm going to highlight my husband's creativity (more on the wasps another day).

Jim has always been quite artisitc. His latest outlet is making wooden toys. He has such fond memories of playing with his Little People Playsets with his Sesame Street Little People. He has been making his own characters (and some Sesame Street characters) for his own boys for years now and has recently started selling them on Ebay. Lots of people still have their Little People Playsets (we do) but they don't make the characters to go with them anymore. Now the Little People playsets and characters are different, quite a bit bigger. I told hubby he needs to figure out how to make a playset to go with his characters. He is thinking about it, he might start out with a car they can sit in and go from there.

Here are some pictures of what he has made:

Oscar the Grouch

McDonald Land Characters

Laurel and Hardy, in black and white!

Bob and Larry from Veggie Tales

Kermit and Fozzie Bear

Starwars

As you can see, my boys love Starwars. They play the Starwars Lego game (computer and Wii) all the time and that is the inspiration for these Starwars characters.

Here are a few of my husband's original characters:

Fall Characters

St. Patrick's Day Characters

Snowman

These are the current characters for sale on Ebay right now:

*click on the names to go to the Ebay auction
Zoe Elmo Grover

You can check out all the characters he has made by clicking on the button for Little Wooden Guys on my sidebar or by clicking here. Be sure to look back through the archives to see all the characters including one done to look like our son, cute!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-07-28T09:56:00.004-03:00

I haven't planned a menu in a few weeks, with the kids being gone some of the time but no more excuses, time to get back at it! So here is what this week looks like:

Monday- Leftovers from the weekend

Tuesday- Breakfast Casserole

Wednesday- Spaghetti Pizza (using whole wheat noodles) and salad

Thursday- Easy Slow Cooker Pork Chops with rice and corn

Friday- Oven fries and hotdogs (using whole wheat buns)

Saturday- Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Meatballs with rice and mixed veggies

Sunday- Best Tuna Casserole

For more meal plans and recipe ideas go visit The Organizer Junkie!

Good Ab Workout

2008-07-25T09:00:00.000-03:00

It is the video, not the actual product that is great for your abs.... you laugh so hard watching it!

STUNG!!

2008-07-22T20:47:00.004-03:00

Jim was out on the deck yesterday and somehow stirred up a bunch of hornets or wasps. They swarmed him but luckily he only got one sting, just below his temple. He wasn't too bad yesterday. It throbbed but the pain wasn't too bad. Not so lucky today, it is quite swollen and very hot to the touch. Anyone got any home remedies for bee stings? He wasn't able to sleep very well last night, I feel bad for him. Also, any suggestions on how to get rid of the hive (if we can find it)?

I didn't realize how much I missed the boys while they were gone until they were back. The house just isn't the same without children's voices, giggles, running and jumping. I enjoyed the quiet but really, after a while, that gets boring. Now if I'm bored, I can join the kids in some game, story or craft. And of course, now that they are home, there is always cleaning to do!

How has your summer been so far? Have you done anything or gone anywhere special for the summer holidays yet? We are planning a trip to New York next month to take in a Wiggles concert with the kids. They are really looking forward to it, and we must remember to bring the Gravol!

I leave you with a cute picture depicting brotherly love! (Of course they are embarassed by this picture now so I thought I'd share it with the world on the internet! Why not?)

Travel Horror Story

2008-07-21T10:09:00.005-03:00

*This post is not for the queasy. If reading about someone throwing up makes you feel unwell, you might want to skip this one!

Okay, here is my most recent travel horror story. In April we headed off to district conference where my husband was going to be ordained. We were pretty excited, this was a big deal! It took us about five and a half hours to get there and everything seemed fine. Anyone who has ever been to Saint John New Brunswick (Canada) knows that city is a nightmare to drive in. There are so many one ways. The street signs sit on an angle so that you don't know which road they represent. Anyway, we got caught in this one way loopy thing and we had to do it a few times to finally find the road we needed. I get car sick easy (which means I have a lot of travel horror stories from my childhood) and it seems I have passed this on to my kids. We were trying to find the big church where an opening banquet was being held. The kids were hungry, tired of driving and feeling all those loops. We finally find the church and walk in and immediately have to stand in a long line to register for the conference. While in the line, my youngest starts gagging, I quickly rush him off to the corner to a garbage can but nothing comes. Whew! I was worried he'd throw up in front of all the people in the line, waiting to eat! So we register and find out the kids are supposed to go downstairs to a kids program so we head on down. We walk in, get them all registered and all of a sudden he starts gagging again, only this time he throws up all over the floor in front of all the kids. Nice. I am not good with vomit and can't clean it up. My husband and one of the ladies clean it all up. Now I figure, okay, he's done it and should feel better now, after all he is only carsick, right? I decide to sit with him a while...wait...where did the oldest go. Oh, my husband informs me he is in the bathroom and seems to have diarrhea, great. I see where this is going. Oh, there goes the middle one, off to the bathroom too. Uh oh, now the youngest has thrown up again, this time all over me. Time to go back to the motel, this is not just car sickness, but first we must stop at the garbage can again...poor little guy. So we get the motel and it is brand new, so nice and I love that there is actually white duvets on the bed. White duvets....this seemed like a good thing at first. Hubby runs out the the grocery store to get us something to eat. We all snack a bit on some fruit, and that sends the two youngest to the bathroom throwing up. Our good friends are coming the next day and we are looking forward to visiting with them only I can now see I'm going to spend the whole three days in this hotel room. So my poor baby is up all night throwing up, won't keep the gravol down. In the morning I feel like I've been run over, so tired. I can't let Joseph up on the bed because of all the white so he has slept on the floor all night. Oh ya, the carpet is a nice light shade too. My husband goes to the store to get liquid gravol this time and the pharmacist tells him to buy some Gatorade. So he buys Red!! Do you see where this is going? I give this red drink to Joseph and he precedes to throw it up all over the nice light carpet and the white pristine towels. I took them down to laundry apologizing. They were great, they gave me new towels, pillowcases and lots of rags and disinfectant. The next day our friends arrive and no one has thrown up for a few hours so we think we'll try and go out for lunch and bring a cup for Joseph with us, just in case. So we are at the table, waiting for our food and Joseph drinks some chocolate milk and then throws it all up into the cup at the table. I go dump it and then Andrew uses it because seeing his brother throw up makes him sick again. I feel so bad for the people at the tables around us! It didn't make for a nice lunch! Back to the hotel jail! Thankfully, my friend offers to stay with the sick one so I can at least attend my husband's ordination ceremony. We are both haggard and tired and look it! Time to go home, we invest in some sand buckets for the drive home. They were used several times but we made it. What a long trip that was (3 days but felt like at least a week!). Poor Joseph kept this up for two more weeks. That is my travel horror story! Head over to Absolutely Bananas for hers and more travel horror stories. And hey, if you have one yourself, blog about it and link up too!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

2008-07-18T14:55:00.011-03:00

SSSHHHHH!!!

Do you hear that?????

Really listen...... well? Do you hear it?

Me either!

It is The Sound of Silence! My boys have been gone since Tuesday in PEI and is it ever quiet. They called the first day, twice, but we haven't heard from them since! We went out for supper yesterday. You know that feeling you have when you think you are forgetting something? I had that feeling leaving the restaurant. I literally held out my hand expecting a smaller one to grab it, but no one was there. I wasn't carrying someones hat or restaurant toy, I wasn't breaking up any squabbles. It was strange. After shaking it off, I grabbed and held my husband's hand. It felt strange to hold a hand bigger than mine, but nice at the same time. We got home and popped in a DVD and just relaxed. No bedtime routine, no crying, no fighting.....no little hugs or slobbery kisses, no sweet little prayers, no snuggles and giggles...sigh. When are they coming back?

They will be back on Sunday but they are having such a ball! Our friends were kind enough to send us a few pics of their first day there and I'd like to share them with you (tip: you can click on the pictures to see them full screen size):

Doesn't it look like they are having a blast? I wish I was there too! We are planning a trip over next month so I won't have to wait long. I miss my babies but I am proud if their independence too! See you soon my little men!

Thursday 13-Knock Knock

2008-07-17T09:13:00.001-03:00

13 cute knock-knock jokes:

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Norma Lee.

Norma Lee who?

Normalee I don't go around knocking on doors, but do you want to buy a set of encyclopedias?

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Yo momma.

Yo momma, who?

Seriously, it's yo momma, open the door!

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Aardvark.

Aardvark who?

Aardvark a million miles for one of your smiles.

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Little Old lady.

Little Old lady, who?

I didn't know you could yodel!

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Woo.

Woo, who?

Don't get so excited, it's just a joke.

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Repeat.

Repeat who?

Who Who Who!

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Archie.

Archie Who?

Gesundtheit!

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Despair.

Despair who?

Despair tire is flat.

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Centipede.

Centipede who?

Centipede on the Christmas tree.

10.

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Omelet.

Omelet who?

Omelet smarter than I look!

11.

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Pencil.

Pencil who?

Pencil fall down if you don't have a belt.

12.

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Underwear.

Underwear who?

I underwear my momma is?

13.

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Rita.

Rita who?

Rita books instead of reading these dumb knock knock jokes!

Okay, most of these are pretty corny but I bet your kids will think they are funny! Try them out!

LOVE IT!! (WFMW)

2008-07-16T15:21:00.013-03:00

Big shout out to The Apron Queen! I followed a link from Works for Me Wednesdays and it led me to her site. I was awed by the pictures in her post. She was gracious enough to share with me the info I requested (what camera she used, editing program) which I think she has been asked for a hundred times! Through her, I found Picnik! It is amazing! Here are some before and after pics to give you an idea what you can do with this program:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before: (not sure why blogger turned this picture!)

After:

This was actually quite fun. You can get your pictures from the computer, facebook, photobucket and many more places! These three pictures are my first attempts, so not the best but it was quick and easy and they look much better and that works for me! Check out Rocks in my Dryer for lots more Works for Me Wednesdays!

Great Safety Idea

2008-07-14T13:57:00.001-03:00

Here is a great idea! Are planning a trip where there will be a lot of people like an amusement park? Check out SafetyTats. These are temporary tattoos that contain your cell phone number incase you and your child get separated. Check out this post by Dawn at Because I Said So. If you comment on her post, you could win a free pack of SafetyTats. If you want to order some, she has a code you can use while ordering and you'll receive free shipping until the end of July. I'm all for anything that makes outings with my children easier and safer! While you are there, check out more of Dawn's writing, she is so funny!

I got a call from our good friends in PEI over the weekend and they are taking all three boys (aren't they brave) tomorrow until Sunday. The house will be so quiet! I have some things around the house and yard I need to get done while they are gone but I'm sure Jim and I will find time to get out! We never go anywhere without the boys! It will be nice to go out and not have to watch where they are, what they are doing and get after them for fighting or touching breakables! Of course, one can only take so much quiet, by the end of the week, we'll be looking forward to picking them up! They took them for 5 days last year but I spent the whole time re-doing the bathroom, this time I intend to enjoy it!

Happy Monday!

*picture taken at Fort Louisburg, NS

Calling all Veggie Tales fans!

2008-07-11T16:40:00.003-03:00

I love Veggie Tales! I love the videos as much as the kids do. I love that they are clean, funny and that they teach them important lessons and about God! If you love them as much as my family does, check out this giveaway! You could win a copy of the new Veggie Tales video!