A New Love with New Entertainment

The lease on the van was coming up and due to some technicalities (and luck) we were able to return the van early. I can't say that I was sad to lose the van, we had grown with a love-hate relationship. So for Valentine's Day this year, instead of jewels... I have a brand new Acadia! I LOVE IT! It's such a nice ride, fits 8 and is just a nice change to the van I was starting to loathe everyday. On top of that, we were able to get a new Thule. It carries more and fits on the Acadia much better then the other one would have.


About a month ago, I got 9 ladies together to work on a quiet book for the kids in our lives. It was a pattern that I had purchased. I was so excited to see the work that everyone had done. It's just so great! Good job ladies, I'm so happy with how each page turned out.

New Dinos at the Zoo!

For Family Day, we went and checked out the Dinosaur Alive exhibit at the Calgary Zoo. Several new, anametronic dinosaurs have been added to the 13 old-school ones that were already there. These dinos are pretty fun. It's obvious they're fake. (Yes lady, that's you I'm commenting to. Can't be real cause they're all dead. Sorry you missed the memo. Seriously, it's built for kids, please quit analyzing while we are trying desperately to get past you.) But, they move very well, are on a system, so they don't move all of the time. They do their little sequence, pause for a minute or two, and do it again. So it gives a feel of randomness to their timing. There are also 4 that you can press buttons to move yourself.

At first the kids were a little hesitant, especially my little man. But by the end, all four kids were very intrigued. I also loved that there were a couple of "family" pairings. (See T-Rex and Baby in the pictures.) All in all, we will be going back to check it out again before it leaves in October. There is also a Dinosaur Alive exhibit at the Science Center that we need to take a peek at. Hooray for Dinos!

I think I'm in Love

I have been doing some blog/website hopping today in between picking up from the weekend. I have found a purse that I am willing to spend the money on. (Believe me, it's usually very easy to talk myself out of something on the more expensive: Over $50 end.) I am not a purse girl in any way or form. I have usually gone for function over form, but this one "spoke" to me. Maybe, I'm growing up? Or growing more girl? It's exciting, I must say!

I've mentioned it to my first love (the Hubby) and in his very unadventurous way told me to save up for it. :( Where's the spontaneity? I guess it was wishful thinking to think he would be all excited for me - and willing to purchase it out of the blue. That's okay, I'll get over it. I couldn't save the picture, but here's the link. Check it out and tell me what you think!

What My Children Are Capable Of...

Is frankly a lot more then I would ever think. Now this is more of a positive discovery versus a destructive discovery.
I spent the last 2 weeks learning to love my couch as my back decided that it wanted a vacation. A painful, non-productive (even laid-back vacations can be productive- in the relaxation department) vacation. It was awful and I would never wish my last 2 weeks on anyone.

But, back to the point. As I laid on the couch, contemplating how we were going to survive the day, I eventually had to start getting the kids to help. Caleb was able to get breakfast one morning, Aiden would get Enoch out of his bed for me, Kyrie was happy to help with anything and Enoch was just happy to snuggle. It was a lesson in misery, mingled with the discovery that my children really are more capable of helping out then I let them. So, is that a control thing on my part or a deep-seeded desire not only to take care of them, but perhaps, prolong the kid in them, needing my help? More then likely it is a mix of all of them. Oh well.

But now I'm back upright. Sitting. Standing. Working on getting back to sleeping. It's good to have goals. (And good friends who helped me out with carpooling, meals and just generally calling to make sure that I was still alive.)

PS Just got done Sense and Sensability and Sea Monsters... interesting read.

New Year means New Goals...

I am trying to figure out some attainable goals for the next year. The kind of goals that I will actually succeed at. So, here's a couple of little ones, and then one that I'd like to pull off somehow.

First, I have several projects that I need to finish and USE. So, I have already put one of them up on the wall and finished the next one. That leaves 1 1/2 projects currently on my table to finish. I am so good at starting these lovely projects and so lousy at finishing them.

Next I would like to start reading my scriptures daily if I can. I've never been good at that. (Confession there.) And would really like to start. So I have been following the Sunday School schedule. I figured that it was a good way to have some sort of program and keep me on track because I'm in the Nursery now.

The big one: Organize my house. I know that it's an on-going project, but I would like to be a more active organizer. And get the house painted. The paint's old. It's tired and we need to stay a little bit longer so I would like to have it look nice. And put stuff on the walls: Pictures, vinyl something.

There you have it. I am doing well on the first one. Okay on the second and getting better (wince) on the third.

Next project: Quiet books and felt food.

Why I Love Chinooks... and Ibuprofen

Caught your attention, did I? The one thing that I LOVE about the Calgary area in the winter, is the phenomenon of a Chinook. Here's a warm wind that comes from B.C. and the moisture is all sucked out by the mountains and so it's just warm, not wet at all. The best thing is that it brings up the temperature into the positive end of the Celsius scale. Snow melts and we even have a little bit of grass showing. I think of it as our little blessing for living in such long, cold winters. So, I'm wearing a sweater when I go and pick up Caleb today. Hooray for Chinooks!

As to the ibuprofen reference... that's what I'm living on right now so I can function. Sciatica sucks! Thanks to a good friend (Kira) for understanding and pain management suggestions. I've had HUGE improvements (aka I can move again.) Want to appreciate being able to clean? Kill your back so you spend most of your day on it. Will I become the next Martha? Nope. Do I seriously appreciate that I can move again, and take care of my family again? You betcha. Now, I have to remember to pace myself a little more. Off to the Canadian Back Institute this week and the wait list for an MRI. Joy.

But -- I CAN MOVE AGAIN!

Pictures of Christmas...

Our Christmas tree, which the kids helped me decorate, "fancy" hot chocolate on Christmas eve and visiting with family (Enoch holding his 2 month old cousin).

We had a good Christmas. Not too crazy busy, but enough to keep us out of the house. We spent Christmas Eve at home this year and it was really nice to open presents with just our family. I could keep track of what everyone got, the kids were happy to take turns opening presents and I managed to stretch it out for about an hour. Then the kids happily played, I cleaned and Clark took a nap. We got to my parent's house at around 11:30ish and spent the rest of the day visiting and playing video games. We even spent the night so that I could go Boxing Day shopping in Airdrie.

New Years Eve was spent at our house. I was happy to discover that while there were a lot of people crammed into my little house, it didn't feel like we were sitting on each other. Hooray for the basement being done! (Pictures coming on that one...)

All in all, a nice break. I'm happy for the schedules again, just not as happy to have them so tight. Next adventure: Disneyland!

Welcome to 2010. Or as Caleb put it, "Hey, 2010 looks like 20 and 10!