The Fox and the Hounds

Walking in winter.

2012-02-04T21:20:00.002-07:00

I forced the boys outside with me for a walk down by the wharf so I could bring my camera outdoors for a change. I brought all 3 lenses and only used manual, so it was a good practice shoot for me. I still find it hard as the sun was strong behind me, so anytime I turned, I'd have to adjust something, but I will figure it all out. The more I practice, the easier it'll be.
Make sure you look on Facebook for the other photos on the walk.

Learn Chinese

2012-02-04T21:18:00.001-07:00

Oh man...I just saw this on Facebook and got a good giggle.
Sorry for the swearing, but it makes it funnier.

happenings at our place....

2012-02-02T20:01:00.004-07:00

Who is that crazy character you may ask?? It happens to be Riley. He had a random dress-up-as-anything day at school. He wore a karate outfit with a black wig and china hat....so he was a sensei. For as shy as this kid is, he will sometimes pull off these kind of things with no hesitation.

Shea had preschool today, and brought home some gorgeous artwork.

He loves his time at school as much as I do! I've been keeping up with my walking at the rink and then run all over town doing errands while he's there.

Liam now is in Intro to Hockey and Sockeye Fries (which is a swim club), and he is getting to be quite the little skater and fish. He doesn't care as much about hockey, but I thought it was important that he was given a chance to try it out. There are so many kids in his class that spend hours at the rink a week, but it just isn't for us (phew). I had a run-in with a nasty hockey-mom and it has kinda ruined my enjoyment of the sport. That and sitting on a hard cold bench for 2 hours a week doesn't help! I'm not sure quite what Liams' "sport of choice" is, which is weird as he's quite athletic but just doesn't want to put the effort into it. For now we're just trying him at a little bit of everything. Greg has taken them up skiing twice so far, and they have had a great time. Next year we might just try to get the family pass.

I went to my knitting club last night and have just started a massive felted bag. It is made with two colors of wool and will be huge until I shrink it down. I will show you progress photos soon.

Greg is enjoying his new job for which we are so thankful! He goes to hockey on Thursday nights and is quite involved in the church worship time, both playing guitar and leading.
Anyway....there was a quick update on us. Lately I've just been posting photos, but it is getting hard for me to keep up as I also post them on facebook and another group. You'll have to check them out there if you don't find them here. Thank you to all for the comments and encouragement on my photos. It has been a great project so far and I'm definitely getting more confident in the manual mode.

I'm so grateful that January flew by quickly, as it was a terrible month of sickness and lack of sleep. We're hoping for healthier and warmer days ahead!

Drippy winter

2012-01-29T18:21:00.004-07:00

I stepped outside with the camera today, even though there was water dripping off the trees at me, threatening to soak my camera. I must say that I'm ready for spring!

So my photo of the day was this...

Beside me, this was going on!

And behind me, were these sad looking hydrangeas!

Cable hat

2012-01-27T14:54:00.004-07:00

I just learned to cable knit! I love the look of cables and have always wanted to try it. So here is my first hat, from this ravelry pattern.
This is a great hat to start with if you're new to it. I had no problems at all.
Happy knitting!

gee tar

2012-01-26T18:21:00.002-07:00

Picnik

2012-01-22T20:02:00.005-07:00

Have you played in Picnik before?? They are closing shop!! I'm not too sure why, or what the replacement will be...but I do know that they are letting us use all their premium features (that you would normally pay for) for free until they close in April. So go there and have fun! There are lots of cool things to do to your photos...like putting font on, rounding edges etc. etc.

Go and have fun!

Sunday afternoon cartoons...

2012-01-22T19:57:00.002-07:00

Jumping starfish!!

2012-01-18T10:51:00.006-07:00

Mrs. Sickie

2012-01-16T00:15:00.006-07:00

Well my near 3 day fever has broken, but I feel very sick still. I am quite sure it is strep. I have what feels like a sock, lodged in my throat. Any attempt to swallow, even my own saliva, is terrible. Talking is hard. I have no appetite (which is rare) and feel nauseous when I eat or drink. I am still a little light headed, probably due to the lack of food.
I really hope the doctor calls early tomorrow with some results from the swab, or I'm going to have to march on down there again for another one.
Greg has done great in taking care of the kids all weekend and letting me rest, as honestly I could barely get up. I need to take over now so he can get to work! and I really hope he misses this one!

UPDATE: I did march back to the doc and now he could definitely see the strep. So I'm on antibiotics and now G is off to the doctor and I'm still swallowing knives (or so it feels). I have an impossible time trying to sleep as I wake up every time I swallow. So....we're a really sad state of affairs over here! Thankfully the kids seem to be doing alright.

2012-01-14T15:00:00.001-07:00

Flood!

2012-01-13T18:46:00.003-07:00

Did you know that if you put a washcloth over the drain in a shower stall, that the water can come up over the top of the lip and spill out over onto the floor, down the vents (into the family room below) and then out 3 feet into the carpet in your room??
Riley figured that out yesterday. After a 10 minute "bath" in the shower, he opened the door and yelled down to us "FLOOD"! I'm not even kidding, it took a mop, 10 towels and then more downstairs where it was dripping from the ceiling. ARgH! So daft.

Yesterday was a busy day for me and I was feeling worse by this morning. I've been fighting something, but I don't know what. This morning I took a shower and the room was completely spinning. I barely made it out of the shower and plopped onto the bed all soggy. I eventually got to the doctor and though he said it looks like I'm fighting some viral thing, I don't have anything like strep. My fever was ok, but my heart was racing like a train. He did a urine test to make sure I wasn't pregnant (have mercy) and concluded that I'm dehydrated. With the occasional nauseau, it is hard for me to even want to drink, but I've taken some gravol and gatorade and am laying here feeling dead on the couch and oh, so tired.

Bless Greg, he took the boys out skiing tonight and Shea over to D's so I can have some peace. Please pray that I can get over whatever it is that I have as the chores are piling up around me and I get that sinking/overwhelming feeling that I'll never get on top of it all.

Thanks

Hockey mom...

2012-01-12T17:16:00.005-07:00

We're spending two hours a week at the rink (plus lace-up time) now. Liam and Riley both go for an hour each. Liam just started an Intro to Hockey class, and Riley is in the daytime hockey league. Shea does not enjoy sitting in the cold rink that long, but thankfully he was able to hang with Grandpa and Grandma so I could take pics of Riley on the ice without him wiggling on my lap!

Lost your marbles?

2012-01-11T12:49:00.003-07:00

(first photo taken with my lensbaby composer pro)
(second photo taken with my portrait lens)

I hope you're not sick of all these photos yet! Just to warn you, we're only in January so I have a ways to go! You'll have to bear with me as outdoors looks pretty dirty and dead and so I'm stuck inside with a lot of still life photos. I have been doing good about only using my manual settings, so am getting more familiar with my camera. I did the photos of the kids the other day in manual, but it can be tricky with their quickly moving bodies! Shea also doesn't like to be in pictures lately!
Here is Shea, feeling almost normal again...enjoying our ball pit.

(lensbaby)

Vitamins

2012-01-10T13:04:00.002-07:00

I went to the store today and bought...
a) A cold mist humidifier
b) Children's multivitamins, and
c) Oranges

Hmm...is it obvious that we are sick and/or fighting germs with a vengeance?

If you do not have a cold mist humidifier, it is time for you to try one out during this cold season. We have borrowed my parents, and the perpetual night coughing stops almost immediately. I picked a smaller one up today and am hoping it'll be just as effective. It was high time that we had our own, and I hope you have one too. In the winter in Calgary, I used to get super dry sinuses and I remember complaining to my doctor about it and he had no suggestions. So now, lesson learned...I was dried out and needed a humidifier! duh
Do you take vitamins? I never did too much because I eat fairly well and figured I get most of my needs from my food. However, this past week I was watching "Food Matters" on Netflix and felt convicted at how much my body needs vitamins and how little our over-processed food contains. So to help fight the germs this season, I am currently taking a One-a-Day women's multivitamin, a Vitamin C and Zinc. I also picked up the multivitamins for my kids to help them get a little boost as well.

Anyway, best of health to you! Shea is finally on the mend. I kept him home from school one more day to be sure, but I think he'll be good to go on Thursday. Phew.

Cousins make you smile.

2012-01-09T17:04:00.005-07:00

Today Ella and Isaac came over to visit. They are so cute and so much fun and helped Shea to smile more than he has all week.
A little tea party.
A little playdough.
What more do you need.

Bokeh, Baby...

2012-01-08T13:41:00.005-07:00

There are so many fun things you can do with your camera if you only have the time to mess around and get to it! How handy that Shea has been so sick (this is day 5) so we are home alone while the big boys are at church today.
I've been wanting to try this forever. I made two black covers for my camera lens and punched out a star and a heart shape to create this cool bokeh!

You should really try it sometime!
Here's the how-to! (thanks to Pinterest)

Blue Steel. 10 year old version.

2012-01-07T12:49:00.004-07:00

2012-01-06T11:42:00.002-07:00

Poor Shea is sick again. He had strep throat in June and now has it again. I didn't think of it this time as he didn't complain of a sore throat much. He has had on/off fevers for a few days, no appetite, his heart will race, and he pretty much groans throughout the whole day and night. After two nights of not getting any sleep, I took him in this morning to make sure I wasn't missing anything. He just got over an ear infection right before Christmas, and has had a sinus cold and the cough for weeks and now this. Poor guy. It was good to see him up and playing Uno with me today after two days of being in bed. So hopefully he's on the mend. He may be one of those kids prone to strep and a candidate for getting his tonsils out. Time will tell I guess. I know how terrible strep can be as I had it lots through high school.

Hopefully life will return to it's regular program and we'll all get caught up on sleep! With the lack of sleep we've had in the past month, I feel like I have a newborn again!

the magical beans...

2012-01-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

(Any guesses as to what I did to get light under the beans?)

VW

2012-01-04T13:02:00.002-07:00

Ok folks...so I'm off to a good start with the photo taking. To push myself, I am not choosing to have a theme, but rather hope to increase my knowledge of my camera and try to take only manual photos. I will also try to make use of my various lens' and show you their differences.

Starting off with a new model van that Riley put together.
Using my new composer lens...it almost looks like it is moving.

And now using my portrait lens (Nikkor 50mm) for a good close up.

I'm not sure that I'll have time to post the photos every day onto my blog, but you can always check in to my 365 album on Facebook.
Thanks! I hope you enjoy!

a challenge....

2012-01-03T17:45:00.002-07:00

New year...

2012-01-02T16:35:00.005-07:00

Christmas is always such a crazy time, and then it just keeps going as we have Riley's birthday (planning, inviting, baking, cleaning, decorating) and then the annual Davidson/Aylard hockey game, a massive Davidson dinner and then New Year's activities.
Riley had a great birthday. We planned it for lunch time with all our family that was in town. We had both sets of grandparents and all the cousins except for 3 that were sick and had to miss out :( We might do another friend party in the next few weeks, but we'll see how that works out!
Riley is looking a lot older...filling out and getting taller. He put on 10 pounds this year! He is still always up for adventure and gets into trouble when he's bored. He's been cross country skiing a few times with his cousins but still hasn't made it up to snowboard yet. He's been enjoying hockey in the daytime hockey league that he just joined this year. He's one of the youngest, so struggles to keep up, but has improved greatly. We run grab him out of school at 1pm once a week, and Riley, Shea and I are at the rink for the next 2 hours which is enough for me! I don't know how true hockey moms do it a few times a week! This past year wasn't the best for Riley and he went through a huge shift of friends and seems kind of lost in a lot of ways, so we're praying that this year is much better for him!
I have been knitting over the holidays... made a bigger bear hat for Hugo, some legwarmers for my niece and started a pair of mitts. I need to branch out and make an actual sweater, but I tend to appreciate smaller projects so we'll see if that happens!

Today I got to play more with my new lens. It is quite tricky! One of the hard parts is that you have to go completely manual, and when I'm shooting indoors with no flash, it can be pretty tricky to get anything in focus. This one I'm proud of, as you can see the middle is in focus but the rest is a twisted blur...I will have to take it outside sometime.

So the tree is down and those pesky needles are vacuumed away. The sister and sister-in-law have left town and school starts tomorrow. I guess I'd better get thinking about laundry and packing lunches again!!

2011-12-30T00:06:00.001-07:00

We're back from the cabin, and soon celebrating my Riley-boy's 10th birthday!!
more later...

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T22:21:00.004-07:00

I can't say I'm feeling so "merry"! but I'm hoping the next few days will be good ones. The kids have been home all week while I've been busy cooking/baking up a storm in prep for our weekend away with the Engel clan. We are renting out a nearby camp and will have one main hangout lodge and cabins around it to spread out at night. I think it'll be great once we get there, but right now I'm feeling quite bah-humbug-ish. The kids don't like being home (or together) much, and with Shea and I fighting colds and with the huge amount to prep for, we haven't gotten out enough. (Apparently hockey, sledding, sleepovers, shopping, playdates, movies, skiing etc. just doesn't cut it.) My kids will enjoy being outside with their cousins, and we're praying for snow so they can sled sled sled off all their angst.
Hubby spoiled us all this Christmas, and you'll be able to enjoy one of the gifts I got as it is a new lens! Once I figure out how to use it, I will show you what it can do!

When we get back from our Engel Christmas, apparently the Davidson's are all coming down, so we'll be busy til school returns. Rileys birthday is next week as well.
I am sure I will be glad to get back into our routine again once this "holiday" is all over!

(Don't they look so calm and peaceful!)
But for now, enjoy the season! And as you may have noticed, I did NOT write any letters/cards or send a picture this year. I think I will wait til I can get a decent family shot. A Christmas letter seems pointless in a lot of ways as well, since you can all catch up with me here anyway!!

Setting up

2011-12-11T20:18:00.005-07:00

Christmas is coming!!

There are so many great homemade gift ideas and decorations on Pinterest that I love to browse through...and some I actually TRY!!
Here are some fancy 3D stars I made to hang from my ceiling fan.

Now here is my "baby" fake tree I found at the thrift store and have had up in the kids bedrooms until recently. Now we have it right by our table.

Then we went and picked out a beauty (real tree) from Pedro's where G's dad works. It is a 9 ft. huge thing. So pretty!

Love the view of the tree while I'm making dinner.

Photo catch- up

2011-12-02T12:16:00.008-07:00

I turned 35!!?!!

My family held a surprise party for me at my house, and managed to keep it a surprise til they arrived! We all had supper and cake and played one of my favorite games, Elfenland.

On my actual birthday, my good friend came over, surprised me with a new basket for my cruiser bike!! Then we took off to the school Christmas concert. Our family went for supper at our favorite Mexican place. Yum!

That night, I joined my knitting friends and we had a little party there too. So I was truly celebrated (besides all the greetings on facebook)!
Thanks everyone!
And now we're busy getting ready for Christmas!!!

2011-11-23T15:47:00.003-07:00

I know I've been absent a lot lately. I haven't found much inspiration for writing these days, and have been spending my "me" time less on the computer and doing more exercising and knitting! So it's all good and I don't feel sorry about that.
I need to take pictures of my latest projects in knitting so far this fall. I've done a bear hat and mitts for Isaac, a pair of fingerless mitts for Anna, two toques for the boys, and I'm working on the last one for Riley at the moment. I think that's all so far.
And as far as exercising, I've been going to the local ice rink where they have a huge walking circle up above the stands. I can do over 4km in 45min and go twice a week. Then I also have been swimming laps for 45 min. and doing an exercise video one day a week. I hope to see some improvements soon, but so far nothing other than feeling a little more spring in my step.
We've also been going skating once a week, and I've nearly got Shea independently skating! He walks around the ice like a little penguin and it hurts my back less now since he doesn't hang off of me!

Anyway, more later...little Hugo is coming for a visit!

The party continues...

2011-11-14T10:07:00.002-07:00

Heather turned 30 this weekend! She and Hugo are here visiting for the next 2 weeks while her hubby is working out of the country. The boys had a lot of fun with Hugo last night and Hugo seemed to enjoy Shea's singing!
Happy birthday Heather! Now all the siblings are officially in the 30's!

smoochie smoochie

2011-11-04T15:09:00.002-06:00

Another whirlwind weekend!!

2011-10-31T22:39:00.008-06:00

Life hasn't stopped rolling. I tell you, it has been SO crazy around here!
Mostly fun, though also some stressful times.
This weekend we had a great time celebrating Anna's 30th birthday!!

Our cabinets are full of candy and our floors are covered in costumes. It might take me a week to catch up on housekeeping and sleep, but that's ok.
We seriously had SO much fun.
Thanks for making the trip down, Anna and family!!

baby love

2011-10-23T21:43:00.005-06:00

I got to meet a sweet smelling, precious baby nephew today! My brother and his wife had their fifth early this morning, right on his mom's birthday! His name is Isaac.
We had the four big siblings here, so we're all very tired out but had a great weekend anticipating, celebrating and meeting this beautiful boy!

Problems posting comments?

2011-10-19T12:51:00.002-06:00

I have heard that some people can't comment on my blog.
If you are reading this, can you just kindly say "hi" in the comments to let me know if you can post. I don't have any privacy settings, so I'm not sure why it is a problem.

Thanks.
S

2011-10-16T00:02:00.001-06:00

Clown day!

2011-10-14T09:57:00.001-06:00

so so so thankful

2011-10-09T23:21:00.005-06:00

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17

We've had a wonderful thanksgiving with the crisp fall weather and bright sunshine.

We managed to get all the Davidson cousins together for the first time in Salmon Arm with the two newest members, Neve and Hugo. They've added a new dimension to the party!

We also had my grandparents come up, so have spent time with them as well.

Looking forward to more family time ahead when we meet the newest baby Engel and have my sister (and fam) come down to celebrate her 30th! Wishing my nephew Levi a happy birthday!!
Thankful for all you, my friends, and hope you enjoyed this weekend as well!

Riley boy!

2011-10-05T00:18:00.003-06:00

Ok, ok...I'm done with the school pictures now...I promise. Just had to make it fair.
Now my 3-banger frame in the hallway is updated with the boys current photos.
This boy is growing up. In more ways than physically getting taller.
As long as we can keep him well rested and fed (both a challenge), he is capable of some pretty great things!!
...more on that later.

Sweet little apple pickers

2011-09-30T22:00:00.001-06:00

new haircut

2011-09-29T16:18:00.001-06:00

They always look 5 years older when they get their hair done.

Grade 2.

2011-09-28T17:45:00.003-06:00

He looks so much older lately.
This kid has always actually talked, acted, and looked much older than he is.
And this year, he's especially handsome.

Productive!

2011-09-27T16:59:00.003-06:00

Things are good. Life is busy and we are enjoying fall.
Greg has been busy with contracts and now it is looking like it will turn into full time work. We are so thankful and happy that things are working out (even though it was right down to the wire!).
All the boys are doing well in school and enjoying their teachers. Liam's teacher taught for a few years in Africa, and her husband will come in on occasion to tell interesting stories from the wild!
Shea is enjoying helping me cook and clean while the boys are out, or will beg me to draw with chalk on the driveway with him. He seems to prefer that so much more than coloring on paper! His teachers are creative and have him paint with marbles, fingers and today...chocolate pudding!
I had to buy myself a watch today because I can easily lose track of time while Shea is in preschool and I'm off wandering downtown! Last week I got to go out for coffee with a girlfriend sans the preschoolers and it was so relaxed!! Today I managed to grocery shop, put the groceries away, clean outside windows, and drive back downtown to find a new watch all in the time that Shea was in school. Productive!!!

Pictures of projects...

2011-09-19T18:17:00.006-06:00

Here's the pears I finished up today...I had done 14 jars on Saturday and did 21 more today. So I have 35 of pears and peaches!

I put G to work, stripping the old finish off our door and sanding it down. BIG job!! It was covered in a few old layers of varnish that was yellow, cracked and peeling. It will look SO great!!

This is my kitchen now that I painted the window wall taupe. (Yes, now it's a lot of taupe/cream/white going on.) Definitely brighter and will have to do til we get tile.

2011-09-19T00:33:00.005-06:00

The kids helped me pick apples from a friends yard on Wednesday. We took all we could carry at the time (3 bags full). The next day Shea had a great time helping me core and peel apples to freeze for pies or crisps. I made applesauce while he was doing that, and we made a royal mess.
We're like little squirrels around here, filling all our nooks and crannies with food for winter!

More light please.

2011-09-18T16:38:00.004-06:00

I have a dark kitchen. It is on the darkest corner of the house. Who designed this house anyway?? The brightest area of our house are the areas we are never in...the bootroom/laundry area. So sad. I need sunshine and much prefer natural light than turning lights on.
When we redid our kitchen we painted it brown. Not the best plan as it is DARK (like I just said). I was ok with it as it was a good contrast to the cream cabinets and my gorgeous almond appliances. Painting our cabinets already helped a bunch in brightening up the place. I also was planning to do a tile backsplash in a very light color so the brown would really only be showing above the cabinets and the contrast does look very nice.
However. Here we are two years later and we haven't put in our backsplash yet. Our painted brown drywall backsplash has actually faired quite well and has only lately been starting to look like it needs painting again due to dings.
Knowing the winter is well on its way, which means my kitchen is even more dark and cold...I just could not paint it brown. I dug out an old bucket of taupe paint that our entire house was painted when we moved in. It isn't especially exciting, but it is light. So I have just spent the last while painting under the cabinets (where the tile eventually will be) a nice plain ol' taupe. I'm starting with the window side to see how I like it. So far it looks boring, but much brighter.
And BRIGHT is good. So I think it'll do.
Have you seen those sites where they show you their painted-to-look-like-tile backsplashes!? So cool!
Lately I've noticed how cool wainscoting backsplashes are. Or what about painted tin!

The options are endless. Who would have thought there were so many alternatives to tile? What other ones have you seen?

Little bud

2011-09-09T16:27:00.005-06:00

I have a lot of pretty flowers to photograph...

...but I prefer catching this little bud on the camera!

Indian summer

2011-09-08T00:23:00.003-06:00

2011-09-06T16:00:00.006-06:00

Yay!! We got into preschool! And not a moment too soon! Shea got into a class with his buddy on Tues/Thurs. mornings. He starts officially on Thursday, but we got to go check out the classroom and meet the teachers today.

Here are all three of my cuties...dressed and ready for school. Riley is in grade 5!! Liam in grade 2!! We biked together and they seemed so comfortable and calm for the first day. It made me grateful that we didn't have to move! They won't find out their new teacher or classes til tomorrow.
Due to the fact that the teachers are involved in a job action with the provincial gov't, they are no longer covering recess time. What?? So they miss recess and let the kids out early. My kids are done school at 1:55pm! Isn't that nuts?? They start at 8:10am. I so wish that they started later and ended later. Oh well, I guess it is better than them being on strike.
So with Shea being in preschool, I will have 5 whole hours on my own a week. Ya, still not much, but more than ever before, so I will savor those 5 hours.

Back to School!

2011-09-05T22:54:00.002-06:00

There went summer!
We did so much again this summer, and though it was still slightly chaotic and hard...it is getting a little easier. They can all put on their own shoes, ride their bikes, nearly all swim and don't really need naps. So we have progress.
There is such a mix of freedom being that I'm a SAHM and we are able to go out and do numerous activities but then also boredom as we almost get sick of being with each other every day and trying to find enough to do.
For some reason our street shuts down in the summer and hardly any child is in the area. I knew summer as going out after breakfast and coming in at sundown...but my kids don't have anyone on the street to play with so they want to play with me or some other technological device! Sad really. Weekends were busier with family and friends and the odd day trips. But now it'll be good to get back to a schedule and for my kids to see other kids other than their siblings!
Riley starts grade 5 tomorrow! and Liam grade 2! I didn't get Shea registered in preschool soon enough (as we thought we might be moving) so I'm on a wait list for him. :( I'm hoping the boys adjust well and especially that Riley will have an easier year. I'll report back with pictures tomorrow!

BFF's

2011-09-03T00:09:00.002-06:00

I am lucky. I have these two friends. They have been my friends pretty much forever. I met Heidi in grade 7 and Michelle at the end of grade 10. We all live miles apart now, and rarely see each other. But it doesn't take long to catch up when we make it back together.
Their two families booked a cottage in Scotch Creek which isn't too far from us, so we were able to hang out and catch up.
Love these girls. What I wouldn't do to have them live closer!

JoJo!

2011-09-03T00:07:00.002-06:00

Mmmm....peaches!

2011-08-31T19:40:00.007-06:00

I canned 35 jars of peaches today!! Pam came and instructed me while she helped me peel. She made me do all the processing part, so I think I could do them on my own next time.
Yum. I LOVE peaches!!

Here is the process in case you want to try it!

Ok....so I had 3 boxes of peaches (60lbs). It requires 35 jars with the matching lids/rings. You will also need the canner with the drop down tray thing.
I stuck all my jars in the dishwasher to sterilize them and kept them in there til I was ready to use them so they would stay clean and warm. I washed the rings in the sink. I put the lids on the stove in a pot of water and slowly bring them to a boil to sterilize and then turn them down low (and just leave them there).
Now you need to make your syrup. You need 6 cups of water for 1 cup of sugar (this is a light syrup...we love it...not too sweet). We had a huge pot and did 9L with 6cups of sugar. Put it on the range and warm it up slowly (you don't want to burn the sugar but you want the sugar to dissolve). Also leave it simmering on the stove by the lids. Then fill your canner with water so that the bottom of the hanging rack has 1 inch of it covered. Put it on the stove to boil. (So you now have three burners on.)
Now you need to prep the peaches.
Get a huge bowl and fill it with cool water and add 1 TBsp. of salt (this will prevent them from browning). I'm sorry but don't know the ratio. It was the hugest stainless steel bowl. Ok...so now peel your peaches and pit...putting them into the bowl of salted water.
Once your canner has started to boil and your syrup has warmed up...and you think you have enough peaches peeled. Start filling your first 7 jars. Grab the peaches out of your bowl with clean hands....shake off the water. Fill the jar to the neck. Then pour your syrup over them until there is 1/2inch space left. Wipe the rims of your jars with a clean cloth. Take your lids out of the hot water (we have a magnetic lifter) and put them on the jars. Put your cleaned rings on til they are fingertip tight (don't use two hands and make it totally tight). Now put them in your canner....ours fits 7. Lower them into the water and be sure that the lids of the jars are covered with water. Bring to a rapid boil, then turn down a bit and boil them for 25min. Set that timer! Now back to peeling!!!
When you have 10min. left on the timer, start prepping your next 7 jars...filling/syrup/lids.
When your timer goes...remove your jars (again we have a lifter) and place them on a thick amount of towels on your countertop in a place where you won't have to move them for 24 hours. You do not want to move them or mess with the lids. Let them seal!
So then you stick in your next 7 and then keep on peeling!
If you can get help with the peeling (like I did!) then the canning process is pretty easy and you can run it like clockwork.

P.S. Make sure that you start another bowl of salt water for the peaches half way through so they don't go brown. If you are alone/slower you may need to do this more frequently. Use up the first peeled peaches first. Also...I had to make more syrup for the last canner (I had done 9L and did 3L more with 2 cups of sugar). So you will need 8 cups of sugar for this recipe.

I hope this helps!! I'm sure everyone does it differently but sometimes looking on the internet or asking around could be overwhelming!
If you have any questions about what I wrote (it IS late!)...let me know!

These live in the front garden...

2011-08-29T18:17:00.006-06:00

2011-08-27T23:32:00.002-06:00

Have you started pinning yet?? Do you even know what Pinterest is?
It is another good waste of time on the computer. But hey. It is so cool!
It is for all those times when you're browsing through someones blog, or looking on some random website and see a photo and think..."THAT IS SO COOL!", "I want one of these!", or "I could make this!". But then you lose the page and forget all about it and life goes on.
Well this is a place where you can store all those cool photos with their matching links and organize them into sections so you can see them. For example, these are my sets (called "boards")...
beautiful kitchens, photography, kid stuff, words and quotes, home decor, DIY and crafts, hair style, fabric, and lovely places. Then the next time I'm going to renovate, I can go to the set of "beautiful kitchens" and remember all the lovely things I've looked through over the last while.
And the better part, is that it is simple. You simply press your "Pin It" button in your tool bar and it has this scroll down part to select the board to drop it into and voila...amazing, fast.
I think you may need to be invited. So ask me to invite you! And let me know if it works for you to see my boards.

The C word.

2011-08-26T22:53:00.003-06:00

So today was a new experience for me.
In the spring my doctor informed me that I needed to get a colposcopy done. (Yes, men...this involves some details about a cervix and so you may want to start humming right now, plugging your ears and switching to a new blog at this point.)
Our local hospital does not perform the procedure, so they send you off to Vernon to get it done.
It basically is a more detailed pap test that in the end will confirm if you do or don't have abnormal (ie. cancerous) cells. So it is slightly stressful to say the least, and I had to wait a few months to get this done.
I arrived at the hospital to a line of about 5 ladies my age...waiting nervously in their backless gowns to go in. I smiled at the girl beside me and said..."Man, isn't this fun!" to which she also smiled and we talked the entire rest of the time which was nice to calm our nerves.
So about 10 minutes later, I was called in and the test went fine and the doctor and I both were relieved that I didn't need a biopsy or anything further as all looked well. The doctor and her attendant looked as happy as I did and informed me that I was the only one in today that didn't need one. So phew. Now I've been thinking of the girls that were waiting out there with me and praying that their results were just as clear as mine.
It opened the door for a little of the "what if's". What if today I was told that I had cancer and what would that mean for our little family who is already dealing with quite a lot at the moment. So I feel thankful and blessed to be healthy. Praying for those who aren't.

Musical madness

2011-08-22T15:11:00.008-06:00

What a weekend.
We went to the ROOTS and BLUES!

It was busy! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the event, it is a musical festival that has run in Salmon Arm for the last 19 years. It has around 5 stages running through the day with various artists that range from the Blues (like Taj Mahal to Celtic fiddlers (like Colin Grant or Rachel Davis)to kids music (Sharon & Bram)
and just overal amazing musicians like The John Butler Trio from Australia and the wild and crazy Five Alarm Funk group from B.C.
We left our house at 4pm on Friday and came home at midnight. Back to the festival at 10am and returned at 11:45pm and the same on Sunday. Yawn.

The boys did well for such a busy schedule in the 30 plus weather. We did send Shea off to Nanny's at supper time on Sat/Sun. as he was quite exhausted and uncooperative by that time! (Thanks mom and dad!)

Luke and Pam were there with their kids and a few of our other friends as well. They hoola hooped, made flubber, climbed walls, ate mini donuts, watched circus performers, sang, hopped and had fun staying up late. I'm sure they will be excited to go again another year.

In the bag...

2011-08-09T20:15:00.015-06:00

Let's shift the conversation over to something a tad less serious.
Let's talk products. What is in my makeup bag...

My under eye skin was getting so dried out from my strong eye makeup remover that I thought I'd take a trip to Body Shop while we were at the coast to find some lotion that would work around the eye area. I was directed to this new line of products...
Nutriganics as well as an aloe eye defense cream.

I thought it looked like it'd be good, so I thought I'd try the foam cleanser as well.

It takes all my makeup off and then I just follow it with the eye cream. I sometimes alternate between using the old standby, the Camomile Makeup remover.

I have pretty good skin and try not to use too much makeup, but find I still need some coverup to put in the T-zone area of my face. I've probably used the Covergirl line ever since I was a teen. I have tried other (cheap) types but they never worked as well for me as Covergirl.
This has been my latest foundation.

I need less than a dime size amount, so it lasts for probably six months.
Then I follow up with the powder.

I use a bit of eye-liner, shadow and always mascara. And surprise, surprise...I prefer Covergirl. I have used this one the last few times, and it does the job.

I have never been much good at applying makeup and find the more I put on, the worse I look...so the reason I do wear any is pretty much to help me not look washed out and to eliminate the shiny and uneven skin tones. I've had professional people do my makeup in the mall or for grad and at Mary Kay parties, but I didn't ever like it. I keep it pretty simple. If I'm feeling special, I'll put on a bit of blush and lip gloss!

Since I got my hair cut short, it has been necessary to get a strong hair spray. My slippery hair would never stay put for 2 seconds if it weren't for this spray my stylist suggested.

It is the only product I use in my hair, as my hair can look greasy far too easily if I try any sort of paste. I use basic shampoos like Pantene or Tresemme and switch it up all the time. I have such a sensitive scalp and such fine hair, that I have to be careful to use very basic hair products. Salon shampoos seem to drive my scalp crazy! which is somewhat fortunate as they are so expensive anyway!
Hmm...what else can I find in this bag...the only lipstick that I've kept around, which is pretty ancient and should probably be chucked is by Clinique. I can't even find the picture of what I have, as mine is the pale green color container. You know the one? I think it came free with a little makeup bag because I bought their foundation. I've never been good at picking out lipstick. I find the red tones make my teeth look yellow, and yet can't find the right shade of the plum brownish either.
Oh well, thankfully my boys don't care!
Ok, your turn. What do you keep in that bag???

Where are we at?

2011-08-06T18:17:00.003-06:00

So here we sit. Still unsure of what our future holds. Not knowing if there is a job just around the corner or not for a long while yet. For the first month or so, it was a bit of a shock, but also an adventure as we thought of the possibilities of what/when/where. Looking through real estate and dreaming at night of all the things that could happen in the next few weeks. But nothing is really happening! And the summer is quickly passing! It has been frustrating to say the least. As months go by (four now) I'm sad to say that I at times have lost my confidence, security, patience and trust that things will work out. I'm not sure what God is trying to teach us in this. I started out thinking that God would provide Greg with a better job than the last one, and thankful that we had this opportunity to make some changes, grow, stretch and learn. But now, I just want an answer! I'm thinking, what is the purpose of this?! The limbo, waiting and putting life on hold makes me stressed out, not a good wife or mother. I know that Greg is trying his best to get his resumes out there. He has made a lot of connections and has been active in the "web-geek" world. He's done many interviews. But with that stress and dealing with three rowdy boys who require relentless amounts of discipline from sun up to sun down. It is hard. I can't lie. So keep praying. Maybe when I finally give up and pack it in, that's when the job offer will suddenly arrive...but somedays I feel like I've already packed it in, so I guess not!
We will try to enjoy what is left of the summer, but it is hard to feel like you can take a holiday in this sort of situation. And as always, we could be worse off...like friends of ours who are homeless and moving from a house-sitting situation to another while toting their three kids around. I know we are blessed. We are. We will survive. It just stinks right now is all.

Meet and greet baby Hugo at the beach!

2011-07-25T15:25:00.010-06:00

So now baby Hugo has come to town, and we had fun at the beach on the ONE nice day we've had in a long time. It was the perfect day for a beach party.
It has hardly felt like summer yet, and July is almost over! Sad. I feel bad for the people out camping as there has been rain almost daily and the mosquitoes by the water are vicious!
We are still living in limbo, with no sure job at this point. When I'm not busy with the boys, I'm in a slight permanent state of panic attack. Please pray that things come together soon. My heart can't take the stress much longer. Thank you!

Cousin time!!

2011-07-20T00:15:00.004-06:00

(I removed the photos of the D girls for their privacy sake.)

We've had all the cousins...except baby Hugo...around to play this week. It is getting LOUD and so much harder to actually meet up in one house (and still be able to hear). It is fun though, and it is great how well all these cousins know eachother. I hope we see just as much of our cousins every year to follow. The thought of them all in their teens is just crazy fun.
Baby Hugo comes this weekend!!

Riley goes to camp!!!

2011-07-10T19:06:00.002-06:00

Everyone is SO excited!!
Have fun, Riley-boy!

First time for everything!!

2011-07-09T15:47:00.003-06:00

After a lot of tangles, and much anticipation, we tried out fishing today. The boys caught five little guys!!

We're fishermen!!

DAYCAMP!

2011-07-07T14:40:00.002-06:00

I should just have a big sign around my neck that says, "DAYCAMP" on it. Then everyone will know why and what I'm up to. Why my house is a wreck, my kids are crazy, my brain is fried and I am tired. I'm the craft director again this year for only grade twos...so planning for 60 kids. No biggie, but being a director means I'm responsible for the team under me and directing my youth helpers. Communicating, decorating, organizing. I enjoy it, but wish I still didn't have to deal with my mess at home at the same time!! So yes, that's what we're up to, and after next week, we will officially be on holiday mode.
We have made it to the beach twice already, and the waterslides yesterday, so that's good. I did get my deck stained, and my freezer jam made, so two things crossed off the long list!

Yay summer...you crazy mayhem of a season!

Silly willies.

2011-07-03T00:01:00.008-06:00

From the corners of my room

2011-06-30T14:58:00.006-06:00

Here's my little sickie. He is just getting over strep throat, but I think the penicillin is kicking in. He hasn't been this sick in a long time. Sleepy and wimpy since Sunday.
Then here's me...just got my mullet cut off. I've got the good ol' summer bob now. Still in amazement at how fast my pixie cut grew out. I must say that I'm enjoying having some hair back again.

That's all to report. Have a happy Canada day weekend!

Summer, here we come!

2011-06-28T19:19:00.004-06:00

Look who's in the pond!! I have never let my kids do this, but last night while they were "helping" me find a part to the fountain, I let them take a dip. They loved it. I might have to give Shea a chance to try it out when he's feeling better. Poor little guy has strep throat and has been miserable!!
Summer officially starts tomorrow when the kids end school...wow, that went fast. Liam goes to his first overnight camp on his own tomorrow as well!
Still nothing for sure in the job department, so we're trying not to lose hope and patience.

A dozen

2011-06-26T20:26:00.003-06:00

Happy Anniversary to my hubby of 12 years!!

This morning I tried on my wedding dress to show the boys. Shea was so cute when he saw me coming down the stairs. "Oh Mommy! It's good!" "Are you marrying daddy today?"
Riley came to get a close up.
"Mom!" "You have a big bow on your butt!"

more pics from Jasper...

2011-06-25T20:21:00.004-06:00

2011-06-24T17:19:00.002-06:00

Weekend with the girlies!!

2011-06-21T00:03:00.003-06:00

This weekend there were 17 of us girls from my dad's side of the family, together in Jasper. It was full of laughter, food and fun. It was good to get away.
While I was gone, Greg and my older two went for a canoeing/portage campout for two nights. It was the first time my kids had ever carried their own packs and hiked in to a wilderness campsite. There were over 20 people in their crew, and they really enjoyed themselves. I think it was a Father's Day that they will always remember.
So now Greg has taken off to the coast, and I'm back to being a full time mom. Tired but refreshed all the same.
Thanks to my ladies!!

2011-06-13T09:39:00.003-06:00

Happy birthday Lisa!! (a tad late)
I was thinking of her today, as she is one of my friends from Calgary, and today my hubby is there for a job interview. I know! In Calgary!!
The job market has been pretty slim pickings in the west. Not only that, the cost of living is HIGH and the wages are lower.
I have a lot of mixed feelings with the idea of returning to Calgary. Not saying we are...this is just one of those topics that I think about late into the night...
There are so many factors, right...like if it is a great and promising job, and if it is the only offer he can get, and if they aren't willing to let him work from home...then yes...we will have to make a big decision. To keep looking out here, or resign to the fact that Calgary isn't finished with us yet!?!
When you leave a place...I must say that it seems odd that we could possibly go back. Not that we hated it or anything. It was just not a destination. It was our starting place, where we went to school, were newlyweds, had our babies, and then left.
It kinda would feel like we're moving backwards, sorta back pedaling.
Greg hasn't even had his interview yet, so we don't even have a job offer. But you can maybe understand why I'm sitting here at midnight with my thoughts in a knot.
Ah, limbo. You bite the big one.

SUMMER is FINALLY here!!!

2011-06-06T13:01:00.002-06:00

This weekend we went to a lake house with our care group. There were 10 kids and 10 adults, and we had a GREAT time. The weather was SO nice and we all are quite sun-kissed and feeling like summer has officially begun!

Shea turns four

2011-05-30T13:25:00.006-06:00

What a busy weekend!
On Friday we got a call that this guy with a dump truck had dirt for us. Finally!! So in less than an hour he had come and dumped the load in our front yard. The next five hours, Greg and I shoveled and hauled all of it to our hole in the back. It just came up to the top of the hole, but isn't packed down, so I think we'll need another full load, but at least it is starting to look good!!

Then on Saturday I had to direct, choreograph, and film four very hyper 9/10 year old boys in a dance routine. I came up with syncronized swimming! So fun, but I nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to keep them all focused.

Then Sunday was busy with getting ready for Shea's fourth birthday party! We hosted it at our place as usual, and I was so happy it was warm enough to be outside the whole time. We haven't made much use of our new deck and patio, so it was great to eat on it. We did the classic waterballoon volleyball game as well. Shea enjoyed the day, and by the end was quite exhausted and crying about everything, so we had to quickly whisk him off to bed even before the company had left!

But overall, it was a productive, but fun weekend. Now I need a rest, but this week is looking just as busy as the last.
Onward ho! Enjoy your week!

Gone to the sea

2011-05-24T22:43:00.003-06:00

We took off for the long weekend and headed back to the coast to meet our new nephew. While there, we played at the ocean, with the cousins, aunts and uncles.

This picture is of the whole Davidson crew (except me) with the two latest additions since Christmas, little Neve and Hugo.
It was good to get away, though we're all quite exhausted! I had to catch up on all the yard work today as it grew like a weed since we left. The boys were out there getting dirty as we transplanted some volunteer sunflowers that had sprouted in the sandbox! Oh man, I love spring.

2011-05-20T23:56:00.000-06:00

The JOB thing

2011-05-17T17:15:00.002-06:00

So for those who haven't been here before, "Hi"...and yes, we are currently in a mad state of LIMBO. We don't know where we will be in the next month/s as Greg has been laid off and is now on the job hunt and hoping to find something soon. The job market is pretty limited. We are remaining optimistic and trying to keep a positive outlook, knowing that something will indeed work out and we just need to be patient.
It does get a little hard when people are asking you, "SO??" and all we can say is, "Nothing yet, we'll let you know". So that's my answer to you, in case you were going to ask. The weird part is knowing it could be months yet, or it could be tomorrow! He has a meeting with someone tomorrow, so you can say a little prayer for him. Thanks guys!!

The REVEAL

2011-05-13T15:38:00.009-06:00

Who doesn't like a before and after post, right???

Ok, so I haven't completely found all the things I want for my room, but here is where I'm at, and I LOVE the change.

But before...let me remind you of how it did look at the beginning of the year.

Take note of the cream/pink stripe wallpaper. It was full of nail holes that were "patched" with white gunk. Also note the brass outlets. The tacky wood trim that was breaking off in sharp pieces. I don't know if the picture shows, but the crown molding was never tacked up properly and was sagging. There was no caulking around it either.

And now, at long last....the "almost" AFTER...

The hardest part?? Removing wallpaper glue. I think that took me the most hours of the whole thing. Not the paper, but the dang glue. The walls look great. I don't think you'd know it at one time had paper. I also had to slice away the paper against the crown molding as it was tucked underneath.

Some funny moments?? One time as I was going around with primer, touching up all the places where I had filled nail gun holes...I lost my footing and completely fell backwards onto the bed, holding my brush and little yogurt bucket of paint. Didn't get hurt and didn't spill a drop!
When I finished painting the blue paint, which took me one morning as Pam cut in for me...Shea walked in and said..."MOM....it's GORGEOUS!" Aww...he's so cute.
When I brought home my new mirror and hung it up, he was watching me the whole time. When it was mounted, he climbed up on the bed and looked into it and said, "MOM! It works!!" (I guess til that point, since he was below it, he couldn't see his reflection!)

So the hard work is over, now I'm just looking for some fun fabric for cushions with multiple colors on it...preferably teal/orange...bright. I also need a new bedskirt. But it is amazing what you can do with a bit of paint and some elbow grease. (It was also helpful to have a handy brother who can put up trim in no time.)
Thanks for looking!!

UPDATE: I hit up a garage sale on Saturday and found these...

Then I painted them...

Our hearts keep growing...

2011-05-11T22:22:00.000-06:00

God is so good. He has blessed us so many times with little gorgeous babies. On May 9th, our little sister Heather and husband Christian had their first baby, Hugo Frederick MacIntosh VanEeden. She was a brave mama and wanted to deliver him naturally even though she had heard on Friday that he was breech. Thanks to God, he was aligned alright in his bum first position, and she was a trooper and delivered him. He is perfect. We can't wait to meet him.

(These are Heather and Christians photos.)

Happy Mother's Day!!

2011-05-09T00:07:00.001-06:00

The miserable painter

2011-05-06T20:08:00.004-06:00

So I missed the flu that EVERYONE else got around here, and have now caught the nastiest cold. It is border line feeling like strep as it is just burning to swallow. Typically I get a sore throat preceding every cold, but not for this long and so intense. So we'll see. And of course it's a weekend, so my plans have been altered on my long list of things to do. Tonight, for example, is the family dance at the school. G had no interest in going, but I was going to take all three and shake-it, but alas...he got the short end of the stick and while I sit here and whine on my computer, he's making small-talk with the other dads who had to go! So I guess you could say, we're both miserable and nobody is doing what they had hoped!
That being said, since I can't breathe (and therefore can't sleep)...I have been doing some work in my room. Yes, the neglected bedroom. The one I started back in January and still have yet to finish. With the possibility of us selling our house, I did go a little less crazy with the color choice. I cut in except for around the crown molding where I'm waiting for my bro to come tack it up better as it's kinda saggy in parts. I painted the trim that will got back up at the top of the wainscoting, and so it should be done very soon. Still perfecting my wall art choices, and need some good pillows. Then...I will finally have a reveal photo for you. I know, good thing I'm not decorating/renovating every room in my house, or it could take awhile.

House for sale

2011-05-04T21:19:00.003-06:00

(and no, it isn't ours just yet!)
My brother and his wife are expecting a baby!! YAY! Another! They just keep popping up. Here we thought that Shea was the last of the cousins, then came the surprise of Ella and now another!! Baby number 5 for them.
So now they feel the need to get a bigger place and have put their home up for sale. I just wanted to give you the link in case you know someone who needs a great family home in Salmon Arm. Please spread the word if you know anyone who is looking!
Thanks!!

getting to know you

2011-05-03T22:54:00.003-06:00

Friends.
I feel like I haven't had that one special best friend in a long time. But I have been surrounded by many awesome people who I appreciate so much and I will take what I can get at this point. In this stage of my life, my kids are ultra demanding, and it hasn't afforded me the luxury of maintaining the kind of friendships I had in my youth. The kind where I'd stay up late giggling with them, talk to them everyday, do outings with them every weekend. I guess that's more "high school" but I find myself craving that sort of friendship at times. Relationships change when you're married too, as you kind of want to hang out with your spouse (at least I hope you do!), and then the more kids you add to the picture, the less time you have for others.
We've had a pretty serious year looking at relationships as it relates to our eldest. He is the type that tends to latch on to one person and will devote his every play date to that person. (Much like his parents.) He has had some great friends in his past and yet they are few. He seems to lack confidence that other people like him beyond his small little circle. The funny part is that most people like him, but he's not brave enough to join them. This year he was put into a grade 4/5 split where he didn't hardly know anyone, and his best friend was in a different class. He ended up gravitating to a newer kid who accepted him right away. This kid (lets call him "Tim") comes from a rough background. He is now living with his grandparents as his parents are unwilling/incapable of raising him. Tim obviously deals with a lot of anger and emotions because of this I am sure. He hasn't been the best influence on Riley, yet the two of them have so much in common and play great together. We are fighting between this balance of wanting to help Tim and be a good influence in his life, versus wanting Riley to hang out with other kids who have had a little more stable upbringing. Though there have been friends raised in stable families that have really hurt him as well. Of course we can't dictate who he hangs out with at school, but I've been trying to arrange play dates with other kids to expand his circle a little. I didn't think relationships, even among boys, could be quite so difficult. Or that at such a young age, Riley wouldn't feel confident enough to hang out with anyone on the playground. Kids can be so mean. And it's hard to be a mom and balance that feeling of protection and "poor you" with training them to be assertive and get out there.
I am sure that the best training I can give my boys is to show them how to be a good friend myself, and I need to get better at it. Despite the (3) distractions!!
Cheers to "girls night" out.

Spring action

2011-04-30T16:21:00.004-06:00

Though the weather hasn't been great yet, we've tried to get out as often as we can. The boys only had a three day school week again, so we made the trek out to Margaret Falls for the first time of the year.

It never disappoints.
We haven't heard too much on the job front, but are trying to remain optimistic and enjoy this pause before our life turns the next corner. Hard to do with three busy boys, mind you!

Hippity hop

2011-04-25T21:36:00.005-06:00

We were at a big event this past weekend, celebrating my Grandma and Grandpa's 80th birthdays. All my moms 4 siblings came out, which included their 4 spouses, their 8 children (2 with their spouses), and 8 of their grandchildren. We had a big happy bunch that hung out for two full days. It is rare that we all make it to an event at the same time as we're spread far and wide, so the times together are always pretty momentous! Hope your Easter was a good one spent with family too!

And so the story goes...

2011-04-11T11:39:00.004-06:00

Thanks for just looking at my photos lately, with limited writing.
Many things have changed for our family, as of late. I have been busy in my thoughts, and not really knowing how much to share.
Greg has lost his job. He (and a few others) were laid off over the spring break as his company is trying to cut some expenses. (For those who don't know, Greg had kept his job from Calgary and was working from home.) He was able to do this for four years, and I am very grateful. We needed some time with our family, and to live in this small town and do some things we never could do in Calgary.
But now we move on. We will most likely need to move to another city to find a good job in his field. We're hoping it won't be too far away, to make visits with the family a little more convenient.
My brain is working in overload as I realize I am again in that position of needing to pack, move, sell the house. That we will be changing schools, churches, friends. That Greg will be working back in an office. That our usual routine and activities will all be different.
We told our kids yesterday and they are praying along with us, that God will take us where he wants us to be and that it will be a good change for all. That He knows the right job for Greg, and so we can remain confident and hopeful. I'm trying to be patient, as the "planner" part of me is going slightly crazy since I have no idea what is next.
We'd appreciate your prayers too!
Thanks friends!

2011-04-08T15:38:00.004-06:00

Playing with my manual settings again...and just so you know...this is straight out of my camera...(no editing) using scrapbook paper for the backdrop!

To brighten your day...

2011-04-05T23:37:00.007-06:00

My good friend Krista brought these over today, "Just to brighten your day". What a sweetie.

Thanking God for dear friends and family right now.

The weekend recap (in picture form)

2011-04-03T15:54:00.006-06:00

Lots of family. Special occasions and cousin time.
Love.

Us Five.

2011-03-31T15:02:00.002-06:00

Ahh...the dreaded family photo. Pure torture. We did it ourselves with the tripod this time, but it was still exhausting.

Heading down

2011-03-24T16:09:00.004-06:00

So I'm going down to the coast for my Oma's funeral today. It will be a quick trip down and back as I'm going with my brother who needs to get back to finish a job. I am glad to go and get a little breather from the boys. I have been so tired just trying to keep the boys busy for 12 hours that when they head to bed, I'm ready to go too! The weather is still slightly miserable to be outside, so we're already getting a little bored of our movies, playdo and card games. Shea is LOVING his daily swim lesson and asks me every morning if he gets to go. I realized it is the first thing that has ever been for him. Typically it is he and I sitting on the bench watching the "big boys" do something. Finally it is his turn and he is so tickled. He is doing great and has a perma-grin on his face the whole time. He is going to love preschool next fall.
So anyway...I'll be back soon and hope to take some pictures to share with you.

Later:

Finishing the generation

2011-03-20T00:45:00.005-06:00

It has come...and not too early. I have been lucky enough to have 5 generations of family til now, as my great-grandmother made it to 99 years old. She just passed on to a much better place this past week. Not many kids can say that they had a great-great grandmother, but mine did. In fact, Oma had 13 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great-grandchildren (those 9 all from my parents)! I didn't spend a fair amount of time with my Oma, but I remember visits to her house when I was young, and all the neat things she had at her place. The porch swing, the glass ornaments, the yummy food. She had a wonderful smile and laugh. I'm glad I knew her and was able to experience those small memories with her.

Here's some quotes about grandmothers that I thought were sweet...

"A mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the terrible things her children do because she is so enchanted with the wonderful things her grandchildren do."
Lois Wyse

"The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy." ~Sam Levenson

"Grandmothers are just antique little girls." ~Author Unknown

"We should all have one person who knows how to bless us despite the evidence, Grandmother was that person to me." ~Phyllis Theroux

"Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete." ~Marcy DeMaree

"And even to your old age I am He; and even to gray hairs will I carry you;
I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."
~Isaiah 46:4

Self Esteem

2011-03-16T14:32:00.002-06:00

You've heard me compare myself to the "Old Woman who lived in a Shoe"? (She had so many children, she didn't know what to do?) Ya, that was referring to those moments where I feel SO outnumbered. I really honestly want to do the right thing with my kids, and meet their individual needs, but sometimes being pulled in three directions makes it seem impossible. I want to help them problem solve and not lash out in anger. I want them to feel loved, happy and important. I want them to feel appreciated and heard. I want to help teach them things and give them good eye contact and learn social skills. But alas, I often feel like I'm only able to give each of them about 30% of me while the rest is shared with their siblings and other jobs I have going on at the same time.
I've been talking to a lady who was sharing some info with me that I thought would be important to share to you other mothers out there.
"Ten Caring Ways to Connect with Children Each Day"

1. Compassion: Honor all of your feelings, and listen with empathy to each other.

2. Clear communication: Express your emotions simply, and speak from the heart together.

3. Creativity: Try new things, be playful, and invite the unexpected.

4. Consistency: Do what you say, and say what you mean each day.

5. Challenge: Approach problems with positive expectancy, and learn from the challenges.

6. Cheerfulness: Embrace the day with lightheartedness, and learn to enjoy life.

7. Confidence: Trust and believe in your own talents and in the abilities of others.

8. Calmness: Breathe and live from a calm center within yourself each day.

9. Clear agreements: Create clear agreements and rules that everyone understands and feels good about.

10. Commitment: Be committed to being true to yourself and honest with others each day.

That's a good challenge, isn't it.
Then eventually, over time...we might be able to take after the book "Positively Mother Goose" and change our rhyme to...
"The Bold Woman Who lived in a Shoe"
There was a bold woman who lived in a shoe. She had many children and knew what to do. "You all are so lovable, with special gifts", she said. She hugged them all fondly and tucked them in bed.

35!

2011-03-16T10:28:00.001-06:00

This is Greg. He's the "daddy" around here. We love him and are glad he's ours.
Happy birthday honey!

2011-03-13T15:17:00.000-06:00

Party it up

2011-03-12T18:22:00.003-07:00

I won't apologize for the lack of posts, as I've been doing you a favor and sparing you the boring details of my life! My days have consisted of baking, laundry, cleaning, shopping, disciplining, exercising and the usual. Such an exciting life I lead!
One fun thing is that it is birthday month!
Tomorrow my middle son turns 7! Wow. It goes so fast. We rented him the multipurpose room at the ice rink, where he and 7 friends and his 2 brothers will have cake and go skating. I've never had a party for Liam outside our house before! so this is new and fun for all of us. I am trying to think of all the food things and decor I have to bring with me. Here's the cake...

I'll take lots of pictures of the actual birthday kid tomorrow!
He is growing so much this year. He is doing great at his reading, writing and math. He seems comfortable with everyone in his class but still is rather shy to speak out or perform! Not at home though! He informed me yesterday that he wants to sign up for break-dancing. I guess I'd better look into it, as most other sports he is rather ho-hum about!
Greg has his birthday this week, as well as my brother, nephew and niece later in the month. We will have a big family birthday party on the 20th to cover those ones!
Partay!

Bootcamp

2011-03-04T11:36:00.002-07:00

Here is a sample workout that my bootcamp instructor gave us to take home today...

Warm up (5 min): Do these exercises on the spot:jogging, skipping rope, running with knees up high, jumping jacks

Repeat the following sequence 1-3 times. Try to do a little more each time you do it.

1 minute skipping rope, toe tapping on a step or jumping jacks
10 burpees, with or without squat thrust
1 minute skipping rope, toe tapping on a step or jumping jacks
10-20 situps (imagine you are lifting an object to the ceiling- you can add a small weight)
1 minute skipping rope, toe tapping on a step or jumping jacks
20 pop-squats (like a jumping jack, no arms, jump into a squat position)
1 minute of skipping rope, toe tapping on a step or jumping jacks
10 push ups
1 minute of skipping rope, toe tapping on a step or jumping jacks
20 stationary lunges, alternating legs
1 minute rest
Repeat 2-3 times

Thought you might be interested in doing your own fitness bootcamp at home and could use some ideas!!
I really had to drag myself to bootcamp this morning as I stayed up late with my girlfriends. We went out for a spontaneous drink after Awana, which meant I was up til midnight. Yikes. So I'm glad I didn't give in, as I feel much better now that I went.
Unlike most health club fitness classes that you go to...ours at the church requires that you wear a name tag and get to know everyone's name. She puts us in partners quite a bit, and really encourages you to talk to each other and spur each other on!
It's so much easier to work out with other people. My initiative to work out on my own at home doesn't last very long, so I am thankful for this class!
Now start losing weight Sarah, darn it.

:)

Monopoly

2011-02-27T22:44:00.004-07:00

Riley begs us all day long to play with him. Can you play hockey mom?? Can you play hacky sack? Please mom? Play lego??
Liam isn't the best at playing along. If the two of them could only realize that they could have fun together, they could have someone to play with all day long!! Unfortunately they are ultra competitive and don't always enjoy the same games.
I gave in today and played Monopoly with Riley. You all know that Monopoly is a LONG game. I don't mind the game...I just don't like playing it all day. I say "no" to games a lot because not only does it take a lot of time, but we have a certain little Shea man who likes to stick his nose into everything and cause it to be less than enjoyable for all!! Anyway, today it worked...we got Shea set up doing something. Liam left with dad for town and Riley and I played...
For t w o and a h a l f HOURS.
On hour two...out came the camera...(what can I say, I was getting bored)

I built nine hotels and creamed him. Poor kid shed some tears. He hates losing. I think we'll be done playing monopoly for awhile. At least a few days anyway.

Awana Grand Prix

2011-02-27T13:17:00.002-07:00

Riley was the right age to enter the grand prix this year! We had fun. We ordered our block of wood...Riley and Greg worked on the design. Luke helped them cut it out. We all sanded it. I painted it. Greg put the wheels on. Riley put the stickers on. And away we roared.
Riley was in four heats, placing 4th, 1st, 2nd and 2nd. He went on to the finals and lost in the first heat. Shea loved watching the race.
We ended up winning 3rd for parent/clubber design. Yay!!
Greg and I had both been in the Awana grand prix when we were kids, so this was fun to relive it with our kids.

Look who's almost 2 ??!!

2011-02-24T22:26:00.003-07:00

Darling cousins.

2011-02-21T13:12:00.003-07:00

In da HOOF

2011-02-19T13:44:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone....reporting from the great white north. It is -30 C up here, but it is sunny and gorgeous. My sister lives in a tiny but cute little house and we are huddled around the wood stove, keeping warm by playing Dance Revolution.
Our drive up was uneventful...Shea did awesome.
I guess my blog is having issues where you have to have a blog account to leave a comment. Is that true?? Try leaving me a comment and let me know. I didn't change any settings, so I'm not sure why it is doing that.
Well...my mom, sis and I are headed out for lunch soon so I'll catch you later...