A Year in Review

One of these years, I will actually get myself organized enough to send out a Christmas Card. Since that is not this year, I'm cheating and doing it on here!
We have had the usual busy year!
Clark was no where near as busy this year as last year... until August. Then he took 2 trips to England within a month of each other. Now, it's just a lot of work at the office, sometimes too much in my humble opinion. He has also just been called as the new Ward Clerk. (I almost typed Clark... hehehe) So now, he's going to be extra busy. That's okay, as long as we have the odd Saturday as a family, we'll all survive. :)
I was also able to meet Clark in England, both times. The second time, I was even able to have my parents come with me. England was number one on my list of places to go, so I was very excited to go not only once, but twice! I couldn't have done that without great family and friends to watch my kids, mostly last minute! Thank you to everyone again and again. I like to say that Clark worked in England, but I got to see it.
We have also been working on the basement, which seems to be almost (knock on wood) done! It'll be nice to have that extra little bit of space. And maybe clean bedrooms when I move the toys downstairs!
This year was good for trips and vacations. We were able to go to Walt Disney World with Clark's parents and had a blast! And the kids did so well. From the terrible blizzard that dumped the night before we left, the full days, we were very surprised that everyone had fun and didn't melt down until the day before we left! We also spent time in Montana, and decided that Clark needs a hobby to entertain himself while he's down there. We're still on the hunt. Clark and I have also recently got our Ham radio licences. We're that cool.
Caleb finished Kindergarten with flying colors. He really loved his teacher (and so did I.) He did soccer again and is currently in Basketball and guitar lessons. It's been interesting as I am learning a bit too. Now if we could only figure out a better practising schedule! Caleb's thing right now is to try and tell me how hard his life is.
Aiden tried out soccer, and we're hoping this next season will work better for him. He was happy to go... and not play. He's in the Bee Happy Preschool and not only is learning lots, but has made a really good friend there. It's nice to see Aiden growing up as such a good friend and brother. Aiden, the dino man, can definitely tell you which dinosaurs are who.
Kyrie was our little dare-devil this summer. She loved taking tube rides and we all quickly learned that she was so comfortable, she didn't feel the need to hold on. So, a big person had to be in the middle, holding her tight. She has also made some good friends with a couple of cousins, who she still talks about on a daily basis. Her latest thing is to tell me that she doesn't get to do anything that she wants. I agree.
Enoch is getting big and hilarious. He loves the Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody, dinosaurs and Caleb, Aiden and Kyrie. (As long as they give him some space.) He's my best go-to-bed kid. He will even throw himself into bed or try to climb in it if he's decided that he's tired. With only 2 more months until nursery, he's making it hard not to wish that time by. He loves to climb, run and give hugs.
Well, that's our crew. Hope that this Christmas and New Year find you all healthy and happy. It's been great to see our family grow, and to see the happenings in our friend's lives. Congrats, good luck and above all,
Merry Christmas to One and All!

From Our Clan to Yours....

Ebenezer and Friends...

Tonight at 7:45pm and tomorrow night at 7:00pm, our ward is putting on a musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol. It's only 45 minutes long and kid-friendly. If you are looking for something fun to do tonight, head on over to the Cranston Chapel... or call/email me to get directions. I look forward to seeing you all there!

Merry Christmas

My Life Could Be Like...

... A Sitcom! Here's why:
1) I can solve any problem in under 1/2 an hour... that's as long as my attention span (squirrel!) is anyways.
2) 4 kids in 5 years, those kids say the darndest things!
3) I've become good at being the parental figure that is absent until the very crucial moment (aka I caught you dumping pepperoni and strawberry syrup in a cup, topped with mustard.)
4) We're trying to live in a house that's a touch too small for us, CRAZY things could happen, just to remind us why we love this house. (Or love to destroy it.)
5) I've got a variety of kids: the oldest, the middle, the youngest, the girly girl... who said that couldn't be funny?
6) I've got a stern looking hubby with a hilarious (sometimes very scary to others) side.
7) I'm a stay-at-home-mom with some Nurse's training... slap stick anyone? (NOT WITH A REAL STICK BOYS!!)

... a Drama. Here's why:
1) With the aid of Ritalin, I can upgrade to under 60 minutes for my attention (Squirrel) span.
2) There's lots of tension in our house. Especially between the hours of 4pm and 6pm. (24, you have NOTHING on the tension around suppertime around here!)
3) There are extreme moments where I think someone may have finally broken a leg or killed their sibling. (Well, maimed is more like it.)
4) Same stuff, different day. I can show re-runs too, you know.
5) Driving down the Deerfoot sometimes reminds me of a car chase that I saw on NCIS.
6) I too can finally figure out the problem at the last second. (Even if that problem is where the heck did I leave the keys to the van so I can pick up kids from school.)
7) I too suffer from technological breakdowns that I can't fix in time to view that important email telling me something that I've shipped from the States may or may not finally have gotten past the boarder and may be at my house in time for me to use it for the sole reason I bought it in the first place. (Gasp, gasp, gasp.)

... a Soap Opera. Here's why:
1) Overreaction? We NEVER overreact. WHO told you we overreact? WHO? I'll get them.
2) Soaps make clutter look sexy. I make it look like clutter.
3) My hubby would like to see me... without the kids (what were you thinking?) more often.
4) We have slapping, hitting, biting and poor choices made on a daily basis. The consequence of which are dire - for my sanity.
5) I love my husband, but I have a deep, dark secret. There are other men that I love. (They mostly exist in cheesy romance novels.)
6) I have a love affair going on -- with chocolate.
7) Sometimes I run away from my problems too. Or just leave the kids with the hubby and do something for me once and while.

... a Reality Show. Here's why:
1) The sneakiest contest is my second oldest who can silently torture or sneak food.
2) My Drama queen is around to let me know the latest injustice done to her and why it wasn't her fault.
3) The prize at the end (of the day) is silence, and baby, is it GOLDEN.
4) Lots of people tune in every day to see what is going to happen next. (Yeah I saw you staring at me struggling with my 4 kids at Wal-Mart.)
5) The only one that tends to get voted off the island is me. (And sometimes I run off.)
6) According to my children, I starve them.
7) The stunts performed by my children are without the supervision of a trained professional and therefore should not be attempted at home. (Or at least within the earshot of Mom.)

Introducing...

a new blog! You have to go and check out my friend Val's food storage blog. This lady knows what she's talking about. And if she doesn't have an answer... she'll find it for you. I love the passion and enthusiasm that she has for this subject. It really shows when she talks about preparedness and everything that has to go with it. While I am on the fringe compared to her, I am both humbled and excited to follow what she's searched out that can make it easier for me to find things to help out my family! So please, check it out. This is for everyone! This month's goal: Water. Storage, purification, etc... Check it out.

http://preparednesscorner.blogspot.com

The Best Way to Watch a Hitman Game....

What's the best way to watch a Hitman Game? In the box with a couple of friends of course. Two weeks ago we invited some friends to enjoy food (way too much as always) and a little hockey. It's always fun to have someone there for each of my kids to do something with. Thanks to the families that came for such a great time. Hopefully we can do that again sometime soon.

Halloween Traditions...

Every year my mom puts on a Halloween Dinner. There's a menu with everything called something halloween-y. The point of the dinner is to try and figure out what each thing is. Years ago, I decided instead of trying to dress everyone up and worry about getting the costumes dirty before halloween, we'd get Halloween shirts. So that's what these are. I found everyone excepts Enoch's shirt at Wal-Mart in the States for $5 each!

Here's all my kids and some friends in their costumes, just before we head out trick or treating. We wandered around the estate homes so we cleaned up in about 1 1/2 hours. The last picture is the loot we got. The one on the left is chips and the one on the right is just candy. You know the kids have had enough when they start asking to skip houses to go home! Our saving grace was that we brought the wagon and the large stroller. There was somewhere for kids to pile into when they were tired of walking and somewhere for the candy.
Caleb even helped out a friend who was sick with H1N1 and took a bucket around for her. It was fun to hear people comment on the two buckets he had. A lot of comments were: "Double bagging it, eh?" "Two buckets?" Then he would explain that he was collecting candy for a friend that was sick. All of a sudden, they would reach back into their bowls, buckets, etc and say "Here's some extra, hope she feels better." It was a good experience for Caleb, who is totally willing to help out anyone just naturally. I think he helped people feel the "Halloween Spirit." :)

We all survived and I'm now counting down to when I get to get rid of the candy. (Sad, I know.) We have already had junk for breakfast 2 days in a row. My fault for not getting up on time, I guess. Happy Halloween!

Yesterday I felt....

like one of these with a head missing....

It seemed whatever I touched, would magically disappear! I know, David Copperfield, I'm coming to take over your job -- except I had a really hard time making things reappear. I seem to have lost everything that I needed yesterday. Grrrr. Let me tell you, I usually go completely crazy when I lose things, so yesterday was a HUGE lesson in patience.

While I did find most of what I was looking for, my journal seems to have taken a vacation and left me to fend for myself. Hopefully I can find it sooner then later. Sigh.

On another note, Happy Halloween to everyone that participates! Hope the weather is tolerable, the candy plentiful and varied and the time spent only fun ones.

Learning To Be Okay (O-hay from my Little Miss)

Side note (at the beginning):My computer is down and having a hissy fit. So no pictures today. :)

Funny thing about 'growing up'... I'm still having to learn things. Sometimes they are my 'a-ha' moments, sometimes the realization that I'm still a 'kid' and sometimes they are just lessons that have smacked me in the face long enough that I've finally got the bruises of understanding.
I am in the midst (among many, many, many... other things) figuring out what I'm okay with. Okay with things about me personally, physically, etc.
Big one for me is friends. I grew up trying to be everyone's friends. Some took advantage of it. Some ignored me, unless no one else was around. Some actually were my friends. Some, we learned to become friends. It's been an interesting journey, I guess.
I am learning now that while my hubby is one of my best friends - he just doesn't get the girl things. I have also learned that I don't need a handful of 'best' friends. Just a couple. What I need are friends that I can do things with, call every once and a while for help and even a few who I can hang out with as couples.
The funny thing is, this realization has done a couple of things for me. It's taught me that I can do things on my own and it's okay. (Big realization from someone who is the oldest of 6 kids, worked as a nurse and have 4 kids of my own.) I was under the impression that you MUST do things with other people in order to have fun. Now, for the most part, for me, this is true. But every once and while, it's okay to do something on your own. Does that mean I'm going to hit a movie or go to a restaurant by myself? Probably not. But there are other things I can do and have done.
It's also taught me that I don't have to be invited to everything and I don't have to feel like it was a slight against me too. That's been a little harder to get over and I'm sure mostly a 'girl' thing. But I'm getting there.
I have also learned that I need to make my friends a little more of a priority. So when my knee-jerk reaction is to say "No", I need to find a way to say "Yes." Can't complain that I don't have any friends if I don't do anything with them, now can I?
So, I'm grateful for the myriad of friends that I have. Some that are great for a girl's night out, some that I share common interests with (you know who you are) and some that call to check and make sure I'm still alive today. (And that my children are too on the bad ones.)
Thanks to my friends. Thanks to the friends who let the hubby and I come and play on Saturday. It's fun to see the usual people I do things with and mix in some new ones.

To My Friends....

One of these houses is not like the others...

Do you remember that song from Sesame Street?
"One of these things is not like the others. One of these things is kind of the same."

Yeah. When we moved in to our house, we were right beside the show home office. Well, the office picked up and moved and then we were beside a great empty dirt field. Full of wonder, rocks and mud if the weather permitted. It was wonderful. (Insert sarcasim here.) Well that dirt field is now a proud owner of two houses. And it's been great actually. The framers didn't start until 8 in the morning, so it wasn't like I was woken up to hammers banging. They made great strides all summer long while we were in and out of town. It's had been a good little experience....

Then, when I got back from London (the first time) I was greated to my new neighbour's houses. Tell me what you think:

My phone call to Carma didn't get me great results. It was something to the effect: They aren't going to change the siding, but Heartland will try to paint them to make them look different enough. And actually, this picture makes it look like the houses are much more different in color then in person. These two houses are right beside me! It's awful! Anyway, that's all from us for now. I'm going to survive until Wed/Thurs for the Chinook to hit and get rid of the unsightly white stuff.

I'm Great at Starting A Project...

... but not so good at finishing them. I think I suffer from a mild case of A.D.D (I know it's not called that, that's why I suffer from it). I get started, guns a blazin' on a project. Then.... the house needs cleaning, the kids need something, I have to switch over the laundry and all of a sudden - what was I doing again? So, part of our de-junking and clearing out the POD is that I have a small pile of projects that I now need to get finished. It's slow going because I still manage to get distracted - shock I know. But, I am determined to get things finished. I am in the process of finishing something that I should have gotten done last year. I just need to pick up some wall mounting stuff and I can have it up to display for the world! It's very exciting.

Next goal: THE BASEMENT! We've had several hiccups and are going to get started on it again. It's so close to being done, it's actually driving me crazy. We are trying to make this house last a little bit longer, and so the basement will be a welcome addition to containing the kids toys and cleaning up their rooms that bit more! I'm excited.

Ongoing goal: Organize this house! I have found that not being pregnant/nursing (ever again!) has definitely given me more energy and motivation to get things done around my house. I am just trying to be patient as we get furniture and more shelves in our life to put things somewhere. It's moments like this that I contemplate the lottery...

Anyway, wish me luck. Heck, harass me a little about this projects. If I know I'm now responsible to someone, I'm better motivated.

Here's to my goals!

Growing Kids

I have just realized that my kids have sprouted on me... all of them! I looked at Caleb's pants and realized they are hitt his ankle... Aiden, Kyrie and Enoch, all suffering from this same phenomenon. I had the sad impression that I was on top of that, and here we are - all needing new or the previous owner's clothes! Caleb and Kyrie will be getting some new pants and shirts this weekend and Aiden and Enoch will be recieving the hand-me-downs. And everyone needs new shoes - right before we need new boots! AAAHHHH!

I always like to tell Caleb to quit growing. He just rolls his eyes and says "I can't stop growing mom."

Phrases I've taught my children.

For better or worse there are phrases, sayings, and other exciting things that have come out of my mouth and promptly engrained into my children's.
1. "That's not on sale." This has been my lifesaver. It's so much easier to swallow "Is this one on sale mom?" then "Can I have this one?"
2. Mom: What do you do if there's a problem? Kids: Tell Mom. That's the phrase I go over with Kyrie and Aiden before I hop in the shower.
3. Mom: You get what you get... Kyrie: And you don't get upset. I don't even think she realizes I am talking about her, but she seems to get a serious kick out of that one.
4. Mom: Does whining get you what you want? Child:No.
5. Child: Can we get a treat? Mom looks at child with raised eyebrow. Child: If we're good, right?
6. Mom: If you keep doing that... Caleb: You'll go mental?

Any of you have some phrases that I should/should not teach my children? As Clark and I always say to each other after a tough day with the kiddies: Why did we have kids again? Oh yeah, cause they're amusing and we have no self control!

England Pictures... finally!

Sorry this has taken so long. I found that I'm still struggling to get back into my routine, and I can't blame jetlag anymore. So finally got the pictures together. We'll call this a sprinkling of my pictures taken. Enjoy the sprinkles.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My little Enoch....

It's a happy birthday to our little Enoch. He's one year old today and currently climbing through the open suitcases for Clark and my trip to England. He's been our best baby: patient and happy and quite tough, dealing with 3 older siblings. He's currently attached to my plastic slotted spoon which he carries around all of the time and sweeping/vacuuming the house. (I'll take it!) He was born at 4:20am at 9lbs 15oz. He wins on the Schow side for heaviest baby and came the last day Clark's sisters were visiting, so they got to see him. So happy birthday Enoch, we wouldn't be able to have CAKE without you!

PS Pictures from my trip to come....

Guess Where I'm Going?

Here are the following picture clues....

That's right London.... ENGLAND! Clark's been there for work and needs to stay one more week, so he invited me to come. (Very girly squealing inserted here!) I was always sad when he went to Africa, because he'd be gone from us. But I have to say I was a little miffed that he was heading to London without me. So I leave in a couple of days and fly to Amsterdam and then on to London. I'm excited and slightly freaking out. While I don't do as bad as some people on planes, I'm not the happiest flyer either. Wish me luck.

Back from Grande Prairie

So I did something that I have never done before: Took my kids on a little road trip without Clark. That's right we wandered up to Grande Prairie. 7 1/2 hours in the car with four kids. I've actually never been further then Edmonton, so that was an experience in and of itself. My sister and her family live up there and I usually make her come visit me (I know real nice sister.) So this time it was our turn. We spent Monday to Friday last week up there. Hit a lot of different parks, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and just had cousin fun.
Here's the kicker: I didn't have my camera. My camera (and darling husband) are both vacationing in London, England. (Insert English Theme from the movies here.) I'm only a little annoyed I didn't get to go. When Clark went to Africa, it wasn't a huge deal as it's not really on my list. But London?... Sigh.
Anyway, we have this week to survive and he'll be home. Nice thing was that I already ate up a week... in Grande Prairie.

Summer Vacation

We just got back from our yearly summer vacation to Lake Blaine, Montana. Lots of fun, sun, water, tube-rides, boat rides, playing with cousins, and shopping on my part. We love our vacation and look forward to it every year. I even managed to get some pictures of me in there and a nice tan.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Something to think about....

... besides the fact that I posted two entries on one night, I mean. Found this on a friend's blog. It originated on FastRunningBlog.com and comes from a swim coach. Enjoy!

"Last week, we had a Mom come to us and "inform us" that her 13-year-old daughter would be gone for two weeks vacation in late June, maybe another week after that.

Her daughter was not much of an age group swimmer, but she has some endurance capacity and comes regularly to workout at 5:30 am and again at 5:30 pm daily. She works hard, demonstrates little talent, but lots of determination.

Her mother is not athletic and clearly does not value athletics. We expressed our dismay that she'd be missing for 2-3 weeks in the middle of the most important training of the summer. Her mother's response?

"Who cares, she'll never be an Olympic swimmer, so what does it matter really?"

This is a dagger in the heart to any swimming coach, and it is to me.

If we only cared about and worked hard with, those 52 people who will eventually, once every four years, go off to the Olympic Games, it would be a small, empty and meaningless sport.
My response was "That's really not it."

What is it?

It is the fact that young people need to learn to dedicate themselves to something that is difficult, something that requires perseverance, guts and the daily determination to get your butt out of bed and go out and push your body till it can't go anymore.

Why do they need to learn this?

Because their lives are too easy, too soft, too catered-for. Too many people carry them, make excuses for them, never allowing them to try to be "heroic." Is it "heroic" to get your butt out of bed and go swim at 5 am? It is if you haven't done it before. Is it heroic to "make" 10x200 fly on 4:00? It is if you haven't ever done it before. Is it heroic to finish your swim and turn around and cheer for the teammate who is even further behind than you are, and is struggling to make the set? Need I say it? It is if you've never done it before.

And that is what "It" is about. About doing what you haven't done before. And learning that sometimes you succeed. Sometimes you fail. If you fail, you go again until you learn to succeed.
It's not about being an Olympian. It's about being Olympian. Learning to be a hero.
And what it takes to learn that.

Or, you can Be Comfortable and teach your child that it's more important to be Comfortable.
So, if that's your choice, I only have one question?

What will happen to your child on the day when they are made "uncomfortable" by life?"

Caleb's Birthday Party

Last Saturday I did the brave and noble thing and hosted a birthday party for Caleb. He invited 9 boys (8 made it, why can't my parties have that great a turn-out?). The theme was a Super Hero Training Camp. Doctor Disaster and Commander Chaos were threatening to take away Summer Vacation, along with other dasterdly deeds. It was our job to train to become Super Heros.
First the boys picked out their Super Hero name, power and drew a costume. They each made Dog Tags (we were at a training camp, of course.) We needed to find and remove all of the Kryptonite in the area. Then we had to learn to aim at villians with water balloons. We played blob tag for team work and then went through the obsticle course at the park. When we returned, we discovered that the villians had stolen the birthday presents! It was time to cape-up, armed with silly string to take them down. The villians were soon located and I'm happy to say that the Super Heros won the day and the presents were soon returned. Caleb had a great time, with a fun cake and a lot of presents!
On a side note, a good dad and uncle are ones that are willing to dress up silly and be attacked by 10 crazy little boys.

Empty Buckets....

Our Relief Society is still on the post-retreat high from this past weekend. It was so nice to visit, eat, laugh, eat, be goofy,and eat, just as sisters, mothers, sisters in the church, whatever you want to (eat) call it! Our RS still had a little feel of Auburn Bay group, Cranston group and I would like to think that a lot of that has been blurred. At least for me anyways.
I hit a temple session before starting the festivities with a couple of ladies from the ward. It was nice, calm and quiet. Something I haven't felt in a while, worrying about kids and going on a Saturday.
Kelly gave a great message about sacrifice. She encouraged us to find something that we needed to do (ie scripture study), figure out the time we could sacrifice (ie 15 minutes) and then double that, creating a true sacrifice.
Then the night was filled with games, talking, quilt tying and just getting to know each other in a true girly fashion.
The next day involved a loose list of things we could do before heading home. I just loved it! What a great way to get to know people better and to get together!
The theme for this event was filling our empty buckets, one drop at a time. It was a nice call to remember that while we as women give and give until our buckets are empty, we do need to do things to fill it back up again. Can't give everything you have when there's nothing left to give.
Love you ladies that came and missed the ones that weren't able!
(I had so much fun that I forgot to pull out my camera and take pictures, sorry about that! While a post is good with words, it's better with a picture. Enjoy!)

The 10 minute Tidy....

We've been encouraged to look for the hand of the Lord in our lives, every day. Here's one of mine.
Monday was a sucky day. The kids were happier making the mess and watching me clean it up. I handle that VERY poorly. (I know shocked, aren't you?) So, after banishing them to the outer reaches of ... their bedroom, I picked up until I was good and cranky and then I sat down in front of the computer to mope a little bit. (Hey, it's better then yelling, not as instantly gratifying, but better. Aren't we all supposed to look for the "better" things in our lives?)
Back to the moping. So, I was moping at the computer. It's a fabulous image of me, sitting, in front of the computer, trying to figure out what to do since I had blog-hopped earlier today. And then - it hit me, and I didn't hit back. I remember several family home evenings where we "helped" my mom clean up. She'd made several different attempts to get us to help, but this one worked the best.
I have called it the 10 minute Tidy. It's really simple. We divide into teams (an adult and at least one semi-willing child per team). I have chosen at least 2 rooms/areas that need attention. We split up into said rooms and clean, for - wait for it - 10 minutes. When said 10 minutes are up, we then move to the next area.
I know, awesome isn't it? I could make millions... of things disappear just by forcing my family to help. And the kids (and Dad) like that there's a time limit, so it feels more like a race to see who can clean the most.
Hooray for my mom and hooray for that drop of inspiration in my lap. We will definitely be using this again.
Proof we got some cleaning done. (Or that I was playing with my camera, you be the judge.)

Sunshine on my front porch...

...makes me happy. I have the best view of the sun for most of the day. It shines right on my front porch, making for a nice place to sit and suntan. I haven't been to the beach, but I look like it! So if you're wanting a tan, a little dose of vitamin D, a reason to get rid of the Seasonal Affect Disorder you have suffered from in the winter months, swing on by. I happily sit with a swimsuit top and a pair of shorts, rolled up just a little bit. Now if only I could figure out how to get my own lemonade boy to bring by ice cold lemonade. Maybe weed the lawn. Fan me. Hmmm....

Check this out!

I found this blog hopping today and it's pretty awesome. Now I like Taylor Swift and Coldplay, so it may be a selected awesome but anything done well on the piano always gets my attention.
Maybe a little pick-me-up? What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v3d6SFcDys

Family Pictures

We finally got family pictures done. Thank you to Liz Cranmer for being so efficient and quick. Now, if I could only train my children to look at the camera at the same time. Is that too much to ask? Is it?

Make a Smilebox photobook

How do Traditions begin?

The last couple of Victoria Day Monday we've gone to the Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum in Drumheller. Not even sure why. Just seems like the Monday always ends up being gross and my boys like dinosaurs. It's always easy to convince my parents to come too cause honestly, who doesn't like an extra set of hands (or 3 or 4)?
This year it was my family and my sister Lara's family. As always, my 2 youngest sisters came along. It was nice to do something indoors out of the rain and with Lara's family. I only have 1 cousin my age, so it's nice for my kids to have a couple that they get along with so well. The nice thing about going once a year, the same old exhibits are tolerable and there's just something awesome about these creatures that roamed the earth so long ago. It's almost surreal because it's not something anyone witnessed and yet we have all this evidence kicking around that states they existed.
Anyway, pics are good in a post, so enjoy our trip. My favorite is the Ammonite that makes an organic gem called ammolyte. Farily pricey and mostly Albertan. Banff jewelery stores have pieces. (And I just got one of my own.)
Cheers!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Quilt Giveaway

Liz Cranmer, who is amazing, has another quilt giveaway. It's really cute, go ahead and head over to: http://pigtailsandsnails.blogspot.com and check it out. A gift for your house, someone having a girl, or to hang on your wall? See what you think! (She takes really fun pictures too, waiting patiently for mine!)

Moping... a little

I finally caved and read Twilight. And the rest of the series. This past weekend. Now, I'm suffering from post book series let down. It always happens to me when I finish a book series. Doesn't matter if it was good/bad/ugly, I'm always a little sad and mopey afterwards. What's a girl to do? Anyone have any good series that they've read? I need a week or two, but I'll be ready to pick up another e-book and plow through it. (Did I mention I love my iPhone?)
So, while I mope here, I may pick up the Twilight movie, just to torture the hubby or watch Pride and Prejudice again, just for the kicks.
Anyway, back to the books. Have to say I was pleasantly surprised by them. (Okay I could do without 1/2 the second book, but that's just me.) It also reminded me a little bit of my own life. I know, cheesy, isn't it? Or sad. Or something. Those who know me, know tidbits of dh and I dating. There was a bit of drama, I'll just say and some sacrificing and some moping, actually. Anyway, it obviously worked out well in the end, but it was nice for the reminder of what great things I do have in my life (and that in regards to the books, my life could be much worse.)
So, glad for my life, my hubby, kids and the ability to get almost anything I want (within reason of course.) So, while I mope, I might as well be sappy about it.
Lucky Clark.
:)

The Grass is Greener

I have to admit that I am having a "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" moment. I would really love a much bigger house then the one we are currently squished in to. Sigh. But, I like the current lifestyle we have going on right now too. I know a bigger house would mean a bigger mortgage, and so my play money would go into the house again. I keep looking every now and again and I am learning that I either have to stop looking at bigger houses or learn to treat it more as a long-term goal. Perhaps I'll learn to figure out the in-between, isn't that the best place to be? We'll see. With my birthday around the corner, I remember that my family growing up didn't move into our first house until I was 12, my mom was then 32! So, I shouldn't complain too much. Atleast not out loud.
We'll get the basement finished, some painting done and some furniture purchased, and I think that I can survive this house a little bit longer. Anyone up for some renovating? Or better yet, home decorating? Since I have no set style and frankly the mish mash of stuff I have totally reflects that, I often think about those HGTV shows where someone comes in and totally fixes up a room and it looks awesome. We'll get there, it's just slooooow.
Wish me luck.

Spring is in the air....

The great thing about spring for our family is that we are so "outside" deprived, we are happy to do anything I can think of. So we found 3-D sidewalk chalk and the kids have loved the glasses that came with them and the chalk to draw on the sidewalk, the van, the deck, uh, you say it was just "sidewalk" chalk?

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Easter!

We had our egg hunt this past Saturday and it was so much fun! The kids were just thrilled to be hunting for the eggs. Enjoy the pictures taken on my new Canon Powershot G10! I'm so spoiled, I'll admit it. My dear hubby willingly dished out the money for a new camera for me.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

A Vacation and a Difference

We spent last week in Florida, the whole family, with Clark's parents. What a busy, amazing, awesome time. I have never been to a Disney Park before and was excited for the opportunity. It was incredible. I know why people go back over and over again. One of the differences between Disneyland and World is how they are set up. Disney World is divided into Kingdoms, each being a seperate park. So we hit Epcot on day one. Magic Kingdom for two and three and Animal Kingdom on day 4. Then a hit at SeaWorld. The kids did great on the plane and with the busy schedule. I'd say that Kyrie had a couple of meltdowns, but who wouldn't without naps for a couple of days? For pictures, check out facebook. I couldn't set up a scrapbook the way I wanted. We can't wait to go back again.

On a different note.... I always feel like my voice doesn't make much of a difference. I always fill out petitions and send emails for things that I feel strongly about, but don't ever feel like it does anything. But, I have noticed a couple of things that I have helped out with. They are both silly and little, but enough of a postive experience that I'll keep trying. First off, the Joe Line at Superstore. Girl side, is awesome. But I noticed that the baby boy side was next to nothing. So, I thought, what the heck, I emailed them. They gave me the usual "Thanks for your opinion, we'll send it to the right person" garbage and I thought that was the end of it. But, I'd say the last couple of months, I have actually noticed a bump up on the baby boy side. Did I do that? I don't know, but hopefully I helped.
The Second experience was with a local radio station. I listen to Lite 96 most of the time cause I don't have to worry about most of the songs... until a couple of days ago. They started play Hot and Cold by Katy Perry and I noticed they didn't bother to edit the "b" word in the song. I was shocked! I thought I was mistaken until yesterday when I heard it again! So, I emailed them, letting them know I wasn't happy about it. I got an email by the end of the day informing me that they now had it edited! I do make a difference. I haven't heard the song since, but you can be sure that I am keeping a good ear out for it. For me, while it feels like the voice of those who'd like to destroy the things I love are winning, perhaps they wouldn't if I was willing to speak up just a little bit more. And I think I will.

Taking Shifts

I'm not a super night owl. More of an, late evening owl. I'm the owl that snags the mouse that was trying to be productive and get on its day early and then crawl into bed. So here it is 12:17 am on a early Saturday morning and I'm still up. Why, you may ask? Or at least I'm hoping cause I'm going to tell you.... just after I go and take my contacts out and put my glasses on. Just wait. I promise I won't be long. Uh, wait.
Okay I couldn't find my glasses. But, I'll find them the second I walk into my room in the morning. Sigh.
I've got 2 sick kids sleeping on the main floor. One is on the couch, the other is on the floor. We figured laminate would be easier to clean then carpet/toys/blankets that cover the floors of their rooms. So since Clark worked until 4:30am yesterday, I'm taking the first shift. And I think after this entry, I'll be catching some winks. Sleepy.
So, it's quiet and I could have worked on my lesson, but that would be productive and honestly, who is productive at 12:25 in the morning? (Time has passed, silly glasses.)
Anyway, I finally caught the bandwagon and watched Twilight. I can see the appeal on the side of the fence that has its fans and I can see the frustration for the other side of the fence. It had such great potential for a story, I could see it underneath everything, but it got lost in the heavy breathing and slow moving. It's unfortunate really, there really was a great story in there. Will I read the books? Who knows. Books always are better then the movie, so perhaps the great story is better displayed. We shall see.
That's all from this sleepy bird. Cross your fingers I can pass out without more throwing up. Thank goodness for plastic bowels, I tell you.
Oh and if this entry doesn't make any sense, please tell me.
Good night/morning.

Open Door Policy

Our home has an open door policy. It always has and I love it. I even had an apartment with an open door policy when I was at school. There is only one rule with this policy, you take my house as it is and whatever food we shove at you. (We're always shoving food at people. Don't worry, it's good to eat.) I was contemplating that last night. We've been so blessed and the best way to keep those coming is to share. We are happy to visit or have you drop off your kids (there's a time limit for that though - you do have to pick them up eventually.) I have had people come and vent or just come and wash dishes. I just am happy that our home is open and welcoming to whomever crosses its threshold.
Hooray for the Green House!
PS I made cookies if you need an incentive this week!